In addition to her gold medal in the 1988 Olympics, she earned a bronze in doubles that year. 1 Stefi Graf. Hard, clay, and grass are significantly different surfaces, and while some players have had more success on specific surfaces, is it more compelling if a player manages to perform well on all of them? Just making it into the top 25 is Lleyton Hewitt. One thing is for sure, these types of lists will continue to change as new players emerge. Below youll find our selection, along with some data points that highlight why these female tennis players deserve to make our list. After all, if someone is coming up with their list of the best tennis players of all time, they might want to consider the whole player beyond their talents on the court. She holds 14 Grand Slam titles in doubles and two in mixed doubles. He was first ranked No. Leaving his mark on the college tennis landscape in 2010, Bradley Klahn etched his name in Stanford mens tennis history when he captured the 2010 NCAA Singles Championship. Here are the ten best tennis players of all time. He finished his career with eight Grand Slams and 109 titles, and he helped shape the modern game with his style of play. Stanford, 1978 John McEnroe, Matt Mitchell, Bill Maze, Peter Rennert, Lloyd Bourne. By the time he was 21 years old, he already had a U.S. Open and Wimbledon title to his name. Now, hes on tour and will play in the US Open this week. In 61, sophomore Chuck McKinley reached the Wimbledon final, where he lost to Rod Laver. Book. Stefen Edberg. Giron reached a career high ranking of No. A bit of a late bloomer, Wimbledon has been his only weak Grand Slam of his career. 10. Henin would claim seven Grand Slam titles, one at the Australian Open, four at the French Open, and two at the US Open. When he first burst on the scene in the 1970s, that playing style was very much ahead of his time. Throughout her career, she won 43 titles and had a career record of 525-115 for a winning rate of 82%. Greatest Tennis Players of All Time. Wed love to hear from you in the comments below. Although its easy to get wrapped up in the accomplishments of current players, most will likely be impressed by what they learn and gain a deeper appreciation for the sport as a whole and the players that helped shape it. Although identifying the challenges doesnt remove subjectivity, it allows us to keep those factors in mind and ensures we weigh them accordingly when establishing a ranking. Born on August 8, 1981, in Switzerland, Roger Federer is one of the most dominant players in the history of our sport with a massive number of impressive stats that will cement him as one of the greatest players of all time. The greatest Australian mens tennis player ever now has an arena named after him in Melbourne. Bjrn Borg resides in Monte Carlo, Monaco, but was born in Sweden on June 6, 1956. There was USCs 58 squad, led by Perus Modesto Junior College transfer Alex Olmedo, who won the NCAA singles and doubles and led the US to the Davis Cup title. John McEnroe is another of the greatest male tennis players of all time. Stanford, 1998 Wolf turned professional a little over a year ago in July of 2019. Although John McEnroe is perhaps best known for his outbursts on the court, his many accomplishments far outweigh his frequent sub-par behavior and speak for themselves. Another area that highlights Chris Everts thoroughly impressive career is her record of 1309-146, for a 90% win rate the second-highest of all-time behind Margaret Court, but the highest during the Open Era. The argument is that no single player controls the outcome of a given doubles match, let alone a teams performance throughout an entire tournament. Both Sandy Mayer, who weeks later reached the Wimbledon semis and would rise to No. However, at this stage in his career, Djokovic is particularly unique in that he continues to dominate and remain healthy, which means hes only going to extend his results and further cement his position as the greatest player ever to live. 1 for the first time, which became one of the most dominant seasons of any player in history. Wolf started his career with OSU as the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and ended it as the Big Ten Player of the Year. As a senior, Isner led the Bulldogs to a perfect 32-0 record and the programs fifth NCAA Team Championship. Definitely. Since turning pro, Anderson has won six titles and reached the finals of both Wimbledon and the US Open. He was named the ITA National Player of the Year and an ITA Singles All-American for the second consecutive year. Similarly, all of his Wimbledon titles were consecutive from 1976 -1980. He was an American tennis player who won a total of 77 career titles in his playing years. If we dont dig deeper to understand the quality of titles, we may undervalue a players achievements because a win at a 1000 level is significantly more impressive than a 250. However, our analysis suggests a bit of a different story, with her results overshadowing the past performance of other female tennis players who may deserve the title. As a perfect example, hes made five finals at the Australian Open, but never hoisted the final trophy. Marcos Girons debut at the US Open came in 2014 when he earned a wild card into the Grand Slam after winning the NCAA Singles Championships. Shed claim four additional titles at the Australian Open and another her final at Wimbledon again in 1980. Much like Lendl, he sometimes gets overlooked for just how many finals he made without winning the title. 7. Winning Grand Slam titles on three different surfaces can be a huge challenge. Norrie finished his collegiate career ranked No. Trinity, 1972 Dick Stockton, Brian Gottfried, Bob McKinley. Over the span of his collegiate career, Anderson was named an ITA Singles All-American three times and an ITA Doubles All-American twice. Depending on a players ranking, that extra cash can be crucial. Ken Rosewall. 2. Stefi Graf retired from professional tennis in 1999 and earned her spot in the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2004. He might not be the most complete player of his era, but he was a matchup nightmare for all the greats when he squared off against them. His highest career ranking is No. Henin saw success immediately on the WTA tour, winning her first tour event as a wildcard at the Belgian Open in Antwerp. 5 ranking. Here we have listed our picks for the top 12 best tennis players of all time: Top 12 Best Tennis Players of All Time 12. The last comment and 13 other comment(s) need to be approved. With that said, there is still time for Nadal, and I do believe if his body can hold up, he can overtake Federer. In 2003, Henin claimed her first Grand Slam title at the French Open, making her the first Belgian ever to win a Grand Slam. USC, 1962-1964 - Dennis Ralston, Rafael Osuna, Bill Bond, Tom Edlefsen, Ramsey Earnhart, Chuck Rombeau. In 1993, Sampras reached the world No. First, he only played the Australian open twice throughout his entire career. Andy Lloyd was a Forest Hills quarterfinalist and Butch Newman lost only one dual match in his collegiate career. Roger Federer. John McEnroe. -Search for former college tennis stars on the men's professional tour. He was known . Now decades after his passing, he still remains one of the biggest faces for the fight against AIDS. However, as it stands now, I think Federer is more deserving of this spot. Before retiring in 2020, this talented, beautiful Danish tennis player became the first Scandinavian woman to win big prize money and hold her No. During the four years Dominik Koepfer spent at Tulane, he set records and recorded firsts for the Green Wave. And as fabulous as USCs singles lineup was, their doubles teams with Bill Bond, Tom Edlefson and Ramsey Earnhart were even stronger. He became the first mens player to sweep the NCAA individual titles in 15 years. As if her success on the singles court wasnt impressive enough, Court was also highly accomplished in doubles with 19 womens doubles Grand Slam titles and 21 mixed doubles titles. Its perfectly fine to say that Roger Federer is the best tennis player of all time. Toley said he could put together a third team that would win this thing 50 percent of the time. In one match they beat UCLA, with Arthur Ashe and Charlie Pasarell, 9-0. Djokovic is younger than the players #2 and #3 players on the list, and the most likely to add Grand Slams to his rsum. Perhaps at another point, well consider the group as a whole. As challenging as it is to make a list of the best female tennis players of all time, there has to be a cutoff, despite many other players significant achievements. Toward the end of 2003, Henin managed to find her way to the world No. Throughout her career, King ended up with a 695-155 record for a win rate of 81.76%. J.J. Wolf was a force to be reckoned with for the Buckeyes. #5 Waves Clash with Top-Ranked North Carolina in NCAA Semifinals. For as much as people talk about the Big Three or Big Four of this current era, Stan Wawrinka deserves mentioning as well. For 18 of 19 years Trinity University, with just 1,800 students, was ranked in the top four. Without a doubt, Kings most successful years were from 1966 to 1975. After significant analysis and deep consideration of the most accomplished players in tennis, heres our list of the ten greatest male tennis players of all time. Many will argue that of the top players, head-to-head performance should carry significant weight. Quinn Meinerz. Novak Djokovic has held the No. Read our weekly recap of the 5 most interesting things we dig up in tennis. No.1 in 1991. 7. Some rules are different, i.e., on-court coaching is allowed on the WTA tour outside of the Grand Slam events. Three Grand Slam titles and 33 career titles only tell part of the story of Arthur Ashe. He also has the most variety of Grand Slam titles, winning at least two at every major championship. 5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology - MIT, University of California - Los Angeles - UCLA, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo, 2002-2023 NCSA College Recruiting All Rights Reserved. Never again would such a tiny school achieve so much. Johnson anchored the Trojans to four consecutive NCAA Team Championships and collected two NCAA Singles Championships for himself. He finished with 14 Grand Slams and 64 career titles, and he was nearly impossible to beat on grass courts and very fast hard courts. There are tennis fans who sometimes forget just how dominant Jim Courier was during his prime. She has won 23 Grand Slam Titles, 73 career titles, and is by far the best player active today. Stanford's chest-bumping identical twins and all-time men's doubles champs Bob and Mike Bryan rank just behind McEnroe. Furthermore, he was never able to win the US Open despite four appearances in the finals. Although Djokovic has the same number of Grand Slam titles as Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, his wins are the most diverse across the events showing that he can perform well in all conditions and on all surfaces. Bill Dwyre noted, They came from places that tennis does not. Help us better understand the makeup of our tennis community. UCLA, 1965-1966 Although she was young, she delivered solid performances and made deep runs at several tournaments. 6 in the world, beat Roy Emerson to reach the 63 US Nationals final, where he lost to Osuna. Bjrns impressive career started early at the age of 15 when he represented his country in the 1972 Davis Cup, but he didnt officially turn pro until 1973. She was so successful across multiple disciplines that she swept Grand Slam titles in singles, doubles, and mix doubles at the same tournament five times, referred to as the Triple Crown in tennis. In 1988, Sampras turned pro at 16 years old, and not long after, in 1990, he claimed his first Grand Slam title at the US Open, defeating Andre Agassi in straight sets. She narrowly missed that feat before the Open Era in 1965, only losing in the French Open finals. Check out the Men's tennis worldwide rankings for 2023, here at ESPN.com. Net Worth. Here is our review of the best college players of all time 2023 rankings; #1. When there are significant gaps in achievements from one player to the next, its easier for people to agree on which player is the best. "When I was coming up, the years between 18 and 22, there were a lot of girls who were breaking into the Top 100, Top 50, and Top 10, so I knew those were kind of the peak years. Thats why some people will put him third. Overall, his list of accomplishments is beyond impressive, and for years, it looked as if no one would ever come close to matching his success on the court. He won the 1995 French Open, but he dominated in plenty of tournaments on clay courts as well. Throughout the years, there have been many great tennis players who have made a name for themselves. And collegian Arthur would go on to become an icon. USC, 1962-1964 Dennis Ralston, Rafael Osuna, Bill Bond, Tom Edlefsen, Ramsey Earnhart, Chuck Rombeau. 3. Despite his success, he had a unique relationship with the slams. One of the most dominating seasons ever. 1 and a winning 30-28 record over Nadal and a 27-23 record over Federer, and I consider him to be the greatest male tennis player of all time. Nakashima only spent one season with the Cavaliers before turning pro, but he made the most of his time. 41 after winning the Auckland title. In the so-called open era of tennis, which began in 1968, players from 20 different nations won a Grand Slam title. In 2011, he was selected as a member of the USTA Summer Collegiate Team along with his teammate Rhyne Williams. One might argue these experiences give extra weight to their already impressive accomplishments. In 2002, Venus ascended to the world No. With that in mind, let's take a sneak peak at the top 25 South American players of all time! He was named the ITA Player of the Year in his final two seasons. Can you imagine Federer and Nadal on the same college team? As a result, what one player could accomplish playing tennis in the 1950s is fundamentally different from the 2000s. In 1974, Chris Evert claimed her first Grand Slam victories at the Fench Open and Wimbledon, which sparked a 13-year string where she won at least one Grand Slam event for a total of 18, which no other player has accomplished since. Federer turned pro in 1998, and it didnt take long before his career began to pick up steam. However, he also amassed the single best winning record for a single season going 62-7 for an absurd win percent of 89.9%. 1 in the world, but was only No. NCSA Power Rankings are based on proprietary analysis of NCSA Favorites data obtained from the college search activity of the over 3 million student-athletes on the NCSA recruiting network, general academic rankings by U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges, IPEDS graduation rates and IPEDS average cost after aid. However, it wasnt until 2000 when Venus would capture her first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon, one of seven total five at Wimbledon and two at the US Open. Born on October 18, 1956, in Czechoslovakia, Martina Navratilova also competed as a US citizen after receiving her citizenship in 1981. When considering the best tennis players of all time, its tempting to rank male and female tennis players right alongside each other. He came back from two sets down to beat him 36, 26, 64, 75, 75. These days, the Australian Open is a staple and a guaranteed stop for every player who qualifies. Throughout his career, Nadals most significant rivalries have come against the only two players I rank above him for the greatest male tennis players of all time. She is the only player in history to win nine titles at Wimbledon. Despite that, she did compete in a professional tournament that year but didnt perform well. Combine that with his dominance as world No. In 73, Stanford was on the cusp of greatness. We dont believe there is a right or wrong answer, but we think its worthy of consideration and, in some cases, can add significant weight to a players ranking as the best of all time. This question a few years ago was Federer and Federer only, but now he has company. However, she was denied the opportunity by the WTA due to age restrictions. The Top Ten. He became the first player from South America to ever win a Grand Slam event on the mens side. A Terrible Splendor by Marshall Jon Fisher. He is currently ranked No. Where does your favorite college tennis teams and players rank across the country and the world? Vernon Gholston - 6'3, 260 lbs. Born on December 2, 1973, in Florida, Monica Seles represented Yugoslavia early in her career and the United States she became a US citizen in 1994. For 12 years the collegiate championships had been Prime Time for LA either USC or UCLA won. For example, some will believe its more impressive for a player to dominate across various surfaces and add that to the argument for why one player is better than another. Three collegians with St. Louis connections made their mark on college tennis Chuck McKinley, Arthur Ashe and a feisty fellow named Jimmy Connors. Top ten ranked male tennis players. I created a custom vibration dampener thats compatible with all racquets and string patterns. Tennys Sandgren | University of Tennessee. 11 - Boris Becker. If youve never considered whos deserving as the greatest player of all time, we hope our list at least serves as a helpful starting point, including some of the things worth keeping in mind when making your list. 1 ranking for the first time in 1968. Read Also: Top 15 Best College Tennis Teams Ever 2022 Ranking. Share your location for a more tailored experience. He finished his collegiate career ranked No. Video History Championship Info. However, should we value player Bs three additional Grand Slam titles over player As 125 extra titles in total? A few years later, in 1978, Navratilova won her first singles Grand Slam title at Wimbledon, defeating Chris Evert. My name is Gavin and I've played tennis for more than 30 years and love to share my knowledge about the sport. They almost won the 72 NCAAs. Some of the most famous players under his tutelage include Ken McGregor . For example, if player A competes later in their career against player B, whos younger, and most of their matches happen toward the end of player As career, player B arguably has a significant advantage. Federer first claimed the world No. To that end, here are a few additional women that didnt make the top ten, but we felt worth mentioning. Hes another guy who had an outstanding doubles career, but his singles alone made him a Hall of Famer. For example, if youre ranking two somewhat equally successful players, then their head-to-head records is an easy way to establish whos the better player. Hes another casualty of the Roger Federer era, constantly going up against him and other greats during any deep runs in tournaments. There are really no holes in Federers game, other than having just one French Open title.