Players who have achieved #1 but never finished #1

Racquetball history has seen primarily dominance by one or two players over the span of their careers. Hogan, Yellen, Swain, Monchik, Waselenchuk. However, several top-level players reached #1 during their careers but could not overcome the reigns of Racquetball's elite players.

  • Nov 2023: Jake Bredenbeck rises to #1 on tour for a few weeks, but the expiration of his Dec 2022 event drops him back out of #1 at season's end.
  • Jan 2023: Moscoso rises to #1 on tour after his runner-up finish at the 2023 Longhorn open, combined with the expiration of 2021 US Open points. This is the first time a player from outside the Big-3 countries of the sport has achieved #1. He is ranked #1 for most of 2023, but cannot hold onto the #1 ranking for season's end by virtue of missing a Grand Slam in Atlanta.
  • Oct 2022; Conrrado Moscoso (#2 on tour after his US Open win) gets the #1 seed when DLR doesn't show at the next weeks' event in Pleasanton
  • Sept 2022; Andree Parrilla (#2 on tour) gets the #1 seed in Severna Park when DLR doesn't show.
  • Oct 2021: De La Rosa ascends to #1 on tour after winning the 2021 US Open, his 3rd straight pro win. He keeps #1 on tour through the rest of 2021 and throughout 2022, winning both titles (since DLR has won a year end title this should be removed)
  • Jan 2020: Landa gets #1 seed in Sioux Falls due to last minute Kane withdrawal.
  • Nov 2018: Alejandro Landa ascends to the #1 ranking as points expired and Kane's early 2018 absence starts to take its toll on his overall ranking points.
  • 2018: Daniel De La Rosa gets the #1 seed in the March 2018 San Antonio event when #1 and #2 Kane & Rocky miss the event. (DLR eventually finishes the 2021 season #1 on tour, so this bullet point should be removed)
  • 2014: Alvaro Beltran also achieved a #1 seed in a tournament during a brief spell where he had overtaken Carson for #2 and Waselenchuk was absent from injury. This happened at the Nov 2014 St. Louis event. He lost in the final to Carson.
  • 2010: Ben Croft seeded #1 in a tournament by virtue of Waselenchuk skipping it due to injury. Croft wasn't actaully ranked #1 at the time but it was the first known time someone was seeded #1 who had never achieved the rank of #1.
  • Early 90s, Sept 93, Nov 1995: Andy Roberts; was seeded 1st/reached #1 in rankings fall 1995 for sure (#1 seed in Milwaukee)
  • Early 90s: Tim Doyle? (claim made, not sure if I can confirm). Ellis is pretty sure it happened at least once, perhaps more.
  • Riverside 1990: Inoue briefly overtook Ray for #1 on tour
  • Mid 80s, most of 86-87, nearly the entire 87-88 season: Bret Harnett; #1 seed at CityFed Grand Nationals, won by Ruben to seal his title.
  • 1985: Gregg Peck was #1 seed at the Tulsa event won by Cliff Swain. #1 and #2 Hogan and Yellen were absent.
  • 1982: Jerry Hilecher briefly overtook Peck and Hogan for #1 (came into season #3) by virtue of success in the early part of the 82-83 season.

    Pre 1982, there was no official "tour" and records were not known to be kept of the current unofficial "rankings" at a particular time on tour.