Are We Witnessing the Start of the Andy Murray Era in Men's Tennis?

In just a few months, Andy Murray went from the weakest link in the Big Four to top dog on the ATP World Tour. 

No longer playing in the shadows of all-time greats, Murray has a chance to stamp his mark on tennis history. Could his rise to No. 1 also be the beginning of a new era?

Last week, Murray won the Paris Masters and overtook Novak Djokovic on the ATP rankings and in the singles race. Now he's numero uno instead the interloper in an era dominated by Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Djokovic.

Murray's three Grand Slam titles fall far short of the double digits held by Federer (17), Nadal (14) and Djokovic (12).

Still, it's Murray's moment. He's the man with the momentum, the mojo. Right now, he's the strongest member of the Big Four. Federer and Nadal are out with injuries, and Djokovic is going through something.

Sure, Djokovic could reclaim the top spot in a matter of days at the ATP World Tour finals. But it's Murray, not Djokovic, strutting into London with the top spot.

"Since 2004, only three players—Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Djokovic—have occupied that spot. Now Murray has cemented his place in the Big Four forever," wrote Steve Tignor for Tennis.com. 

When the year began, Murray was in his comfortable role as sidekick on Djokovic's dominant run through the tour. Djokovic defeated Murray in the finals of the 2016 Australian Open. It was Djokovic's 11th victory over Murray in their last 12 meetings. 

The Guardian's Donald McRae wrote, "Two-and-a-half years without a Grand Slam, amid the imperious march of Djokovic, who has won 11 of the blighters, does not seem like a crisis." 

Hey, No. 2 is not so bad, especially when you're the British No. 1, historic Wimbledon champion and Davis Cup savior. 

But Murray's desire to reach No 1 burned deeply. "I think, obviously, trying to reach No. 1 is a goal. ... I've never been there. It's something I would like to do for the first time, which is maybe more of a motivation for me than some of the guys that have been there before," Murray told Tennis.com writer Kamakshi Tandon. 

A breakthrough came at the Rome Masters in May, when Murray defeated Djokovic to claim the clay-court title. 

They would meet again a few weeks later in the French Open finals. But this time Djokovic won. With a lead of more than 8,000 points and a calendar Slam in play, Djokovic appeared unstoppable. 

Until Murray, the game's grumpy grinder was headed for the green pastures of Wimbledon and the beginning of what would be the perfect summer storm.

Murray reunited with Ivan Lendl, the coach behind the Scot's Grand Slam titles. Murray won Wimbledon, defended his gold medal at the Summer Olympics, reached the finals at the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati and the quarterfinals at the U.S. Open. 

Meanwhile, Djokovic faltered. He failed to defend his points at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, losing in the third round and finals, respectively. Djokovic also withdrew from Cincinnati. Then there was the Shanghai meltdown in which Djokovic went on a racket-smashing and shirt-ripping tirade. 

Murray banked Masters 1000 titles in Beijing and Shanghai. Those two wins and the narrowing points gap gave way to chatter about chance and probability. Still, the No. 1 ranking seemed more like wishful thinking—not just because Murray had never earned it but because it seemed unlikely that Djokovic would relinquish it. 

"The 29-year-old's new position reflects both his own remarkable consistency over the past 12 months and the personal and physical problems that have shackled Djokovic, but it is also testament to a desire for self-improvement only occasionally found in sportsmen of his age," wrote the BBC's Tom Fordyce. 

Momentum is on Murray's side. He's the steadier, headier champion right now. He's playing the best tennis of his career. It took a decades-long career climb for Murray to reach No. 1. Now that he's made it, how he handles the pressure will determine if his new status at the top is more springboard than summit.