Tennis rankings: Big Four the ATP top four again; Johanna Konta hits career-high of 4th in WTA list

The rankings were updated on Monday following the conclusion of Wimbledon with new champion Roger Federer back up to third.

Andy Murray still leads the rankings but only just from Rafael Nadal – his lead is down to 285 points with his total of 7,750 being the lowest ever held by a number one since the current points system came into force.

Murray’s total comes little more than a year since Novak Djokovic, the current number four, sat atop the standings with a record tally of 16,950.

With Murray having 5,460 points to defend during the rest of the year and Nadal just 370, it looks only a matter of time before the top ranking, which Murray has held since November, changes hands.

Having had his Wimbledon campaign undermined by a hip injury, the British star could lose top spot at next month’s Masters 1000 event in Montreal.

In terms of the year-end number one battle, that already looks to be a race between Nadal and Federer.

French Open champion Nadal currently leads the 'Race to London' which takes in only points earned in the calendar year. He has 7,095 points with Federer on 6,545.

Murray, beaten in the Wimbledon quarter-finals by Sam Querrey, is the first number one to hold the position without having made a Grand Slam final during the 12-month period on which the rankings are based.

Murray lost in the semi-finals of last month’s French Open to Stan Wawrinka, was beaten in the last 16 of the Australian Open by Mischa Zverev and was defeated by Kei Nishikori in last year’s US Open quarter-finals.

Wawrinka slips to fifth in the new list after his first-round exit in SW19, while beaten finalist Marin Cilic hits a career-high of sixth.

Of the other Britons, Kyle Edmund retains his position as British number two – but only just. The world number 47 is now only three points and one place clear of Aljaz Bedene, who could overtake him this week when he plays in Umag.

In the WTA rankings, Konta climbs to a new career-best of fourth after becoming Britain’s first Wimbledon ladies’ semi-finalist for 39 years.

Karolina Pliskova becomes the new world number one despite losing in the second round in SW19.

The Czech’s ascent to top spot means that six of the last 11 first-time number ones have reached the position without winning a Grand Slam title.

The players in question are Pliskova, Caroline Wozniacki, Dinara Safina, Jelena Jankovic, Amelie Mauresmo and Kim Clijsters. The latter two did go on to become Grand Slam champions.

Simona Halep, who would have reached the summit had she defeated Konta in the Wimbledon quarter-finals, sits second, with Angelique Kerber slipping off the top to third.

New Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza is up to fifth, with the player she beat in Saturday’s final, Venus Williams, returning to the top 10 at number nine.

Her sister, Serena, drops out of the top 10 for the first time since April 2012. She is currently pregnant and has not played since winning the Australian Open in January.

Further down the list, there is good news for Briton Heather Watson – she is back in the world’s top 100 at 79th following her run to the third round at Wimbledon.