His two Grand Slam titles in singles only tell part of the story, as he was able to pick up five more in some form of doubles. I created a custom vibration dampener thats compatible with all racquets and string patterns. The 10 Best Male Tennis Players Of All Time - Pledge Sports John McEnroe Tennis Academy at SPORTIME Randall's Island. UCLA, 1970-1971 Jimmy Connors, Jeff Borowiak, Haroon Rahim. Trinity turned tenniss California dream into a nightmare. 1 in the Oracle ITA Singles Rankings. In 1967, she played at the Australian Open, her first Grand Slam event. Once told he was too clumsy to be a Davis Cup ball boy, Stan went on to win seven Davis Cups. May she call herself the best player on the team. Johnson has finished the past six seasons ranked in the Top 100. Now it's time for . But it is far from the only thing on coaches' minds as . Although she was young, she delivered solid performances and made deep runs at several tournaments. He has proven his talent for over 20 years and is still competing at the very highest level. Djokovic turned pro in 2003. For years they were at the heart of the US Davis Cup team. In July of 2011, Djokovic became world No. I have actually included 11 players here with two greats tied for the 10th position. He still walked away from the sport with three Grand Slam titles, and recently made a comeback to continue playing the game he loves. And as fabulous as USCs singles lineup was, their doubles teams with Bill Bond, Tom Edlefson and Ramsey Earnhart were even stronger. He started playing professional tennis in 1998 and was dominating the sport after defeating Andre Agassi at the US Open in 2005. Perez-Somarriba Named ITA National Player of the Year. For 12 years the collegiate championships had been Prime Time for LA either USC or UCLA won. 1 in the world, but was only No. The left-hander could spin the ball anywhere, and had put-away volleys that were unseen at the time. Top 10 Greatest Tennis Players (Male) of All Time - Sports Virsa Toward the end of 2003, Henin managed to find her way to the world No. The 10 Best American Female Tennis Players of All-Time She turned pro in 1959 and first competed in the US Open at the age of 15, and although her opponent eliminated her in the first round, she showed great promise. Visit the following rankings sites to find out. For example, if one player has a winning record against a player with straight-set victories is more compelling than a player who has a winning record where every match was highly competitive and could have gone either way. One of the most challenging elements to establishing a list of the best players of all time is that all of the most accomplished players didnt play tennis or compete at the same time. Between 2004-2008 he was number one for a . A. andfor Legend. The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey. He made a huge statement winning a pair of titles at the French Open and Australian Open for his career. In 1960, at the age of 18, Court began playing professional tennis and quickly enjoyed success, including her first major title at the Australian Open, then named the Australian Championships. As a senior he got it right he beat Fred Stolle to win Wimbledon without dropping a set. 1 ranking, which she held for 117 weeks throughout her career. Despite that success, he found the majority of his dominance on hard courts. In 2011, he was selected as a member of the USTA Summer Collegiate Team along with his teammate Rhyne Williams. Before there was the King of Clay in Rafael Nadal, Thomas Muster held the distinction in the 1990s. 41. The Americans have fallen off the map. #5 Waves Clash with Top-Ranked North Carolina in NCAA Semifinals. I am a former college tennis player that competed on a highly successful, top-10 Division I team at the University of Minnesota. Greatest Tennis Players of All Time - Top Ten List - TheTopTens Your email address will not be published. Ralston was the best American player of the early 60s and led the US to 63 Davis Cup glory. Steffi Graf is the only player in history, male or female, to achieve this feat in a calendar year. Top 100 College Football Players Of All Time Quiz - By forrestsancomb. For most coaches, the recruiting process begins with academics. College Tennis Rankings The number 1 in our best table tennis players list is a Chinese player, Ma Long. ranking, but despite her success, she only held that post for two weeks throughout her career. To come to our conclusions and rank the best female tennis players of all time, we performed an in-depth analysis of the games most accomplished female athletes. Rankings. On the other hand, others dont believe that while a players performance in doubles is interesting, it shouldnt have a bearing on a players consideration for the greatest of all time. He was named an ITA Singles All-American all three years. 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. Born on June 3, 1986, in Mallorca, Spain, Rafael Nadal has consistently delivered some of the most impressive results the sport has ever seen and is one of the most successful teenage players in history. Born: April 29, 1970, in Las Vegas, Nevada; Net worth: $145 Million He was most recently in the Australian Open quarterfinals. In 73, Stanford was on the cusp of greatness. Newsflash: The Bryans became the best doubles team in history. It was the most selfless team Ive hadIt was probably the best team in recent history. The top four players would alternate playing No. Top 12 Best Tennis Players of All Time - Celeb Doko Gould gave him space, and still says Mac was one of the most supportive team players hes ever had. Led by Dick Stockton, who became world No. Girons national championship made him the 11th Bruin to win the NCAA Singles title. 58 and now is Stanfords popular coach. It wasnt that the professionals werent as talented, far from it. 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. USC, 2009-2013 Steve Johnson, Yannick Hanfman, Robert Quiroz, Robert Farah. 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. Despite his record against Nadal, I give Federer the edge in my list of the all-time best tennis players for a few reasons. 220. For example, Bjrn Borg played professional tennis for roughly ten years, while Jimmy Connors played for more than double that at 24 years. College Tennis Talk . Book. In 65, even without Pasarell, the Bruins broke USCs three-year stranglehold on the championships. He also won ten Grand Slams evenly spread out among each tournament and holds a joint record with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic for the most runner-up appearances at Grand Slam events totaling 11. However, with such great emphasis placed on Grand Slams when considering the greatest players of all time, its worthy of reference and consideration. However, it wasnt until 1992 that he earned his first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon, playing Goran Ivanievi in a tough five-set match. After going 21-1 at the No. For that reason, thats why the big three are held in such high regard because they so consistently dominated the game, with very few players ever breaking through to win big titles during their time on tour. Of course, we had to make the cutoff somewhere, so here are a few additional men worth noting. A linchpin in the Cavaliers three straight NCAA Team Championships. At the end of his collegiate career, Koepfer held the singles season winning percentage record and was second in career singles wins and career overall wins. Stockton edged Gottfried to win the singles championship. 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. He finished with 11 Grand Slams, and was the first to dominate the French Open and Wimbledon in the Open Era. Jan 9, 2013 . 1 for the first time, a position he held for a total of 170 weeks throughout his career. However, only 62 of these occurred in the Open Era, so she doesnt have the achievement during this period. I have followed Joe to his company JXS Tennis Academy at Babson College and I love it. He finished his collegiate career ranked No. Top 10 Best Male Tennis Players of All Time: Check the Complete List Here And collegian Arthur would go on to become an icon. 368. Tennis' Top 20 of All Time - ESPN.com However, throughout his career, Sampras got the best of him. She holds seven titles at the Australian Open, three at the French Open, seven at Wimbledon, and six at the US Open. Whether you agree with it or not as a criterion, its frequently woven into arguments of whos the best. List of the best men's tennis players from 2000s, listed by popularity with photos of the players when available. While still at USC, he managed to win three doubles Grand Slams and reach two other Slam finals. Tennis Strategy by Grant Grinnell. 1 in the singles and doubles Oracle ITA Rankings. The Best Tennis Players from India - Ranker But something happened in the last 20 years. Ken Rosewall. 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. The winner of three Wimbledon championships, he finished his career with six Grand Slams overall. Top 10 Best Tennis Players (Male) of All Time - Wonderslist Trinity, 1962-1965 Chuck McKinley, Cliff Buchholz, Frank Froehling. Hes another casualty of the Roger Federer era, constantly going up against him and other greats during any deep runs in tournaments. Men's Tennis Rankings - Tennis - ESPN For example, as black athletes, Serena and Venus Williams overcame unprecedented challenges growing up to break into tennis. In 1968, the Open Era began, which allowed professional players to compete in Grand Slam events. *Please note that not all the stats included above are relevant for consideration as the best player ever. Begin typing to search, use arrow keys to navigate, Enter to select. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Top 100 College Football Players Of All Time - sporcle.com However, as it stands now, I think Federer is more deserving of this spot. No problemo. Furthermore, not all titles are equal. Surprisingly, McEnroe was born in 1959 in West Germany with his parents stationed in the country because of his fathers role with the United States Air Force. Ramanathan Krishnan. 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? One might argue these experiences give extra weight to their already impressive accomplishments. 7. Your email address will not be published. Stanford, 1978 He was an American tennis player who won a total of 77 career titles in his playing years. Since then, Court racked up more Grand Slam titles than any player in history male or female. He earned his Olympic gold medal in 1996 in Atlanta, GA. Agassi also was a solid contributor at the Davis Cup and helped lead the United States to three titles in 1990, 1992, and 1995. However, we removed a lot of nuances when we broke the two out and therefore decided to rank men separately from women. In addition to her gold medal in the 1988 Olympics, she earned a bronze in doubles that year. But in 72, Trinity enticed USC to come to San Antonio for a dual match, dubbed the Super Bowl of Tennis. The list of accomplishments during his college career isnt short for Tennys Sandgren. In the process, you learn a lot about our sport, especially if youre younger and didnt have the opportunity to witness players who are now retired or, in some cases, no longer living. Lutz won the NCAA singles in 67, but lost the 68 final to Smith. Top ten ranked male tennis players (1912-1972) 8 Grand Slam Singles Titles: 4 Australian, 2 French, 2 US Open. Stefi Graf is third all-time on the title leaderboard with 107 and has a singles career record of 900-115 for a win rate of 88.7%. 101 after qualifying at Cincinnati. 20 in the world, and Pakistani Haroon Rahim. He has won 15 ATP Tour titles. Quinn Meinerz. Cameron Norrie | Texas Christian University. Would have to argue that the 2007 UGA team, led by John Isner, that went 32-0, only lost 1 point in NCAAs, had the #1 singles player and #1 doubles team in the country, the US Open Jr Doubles Champs at #3 deserves to be in the Top 10. In 2004, Henin won the Australian Open, but an infection kept her off the court for much of the year. Everyone else, I believe, would benefit greatly from . 3 in men's singles tennis by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). Heres the beauty of college tennis a supremely individual sport becomes a wonderful team endeavor. 2 at USC. He played college tennis for the University of Southern California (USC) and won the NCAA singles . 1. Federer owns 15 more titles, over 100 extra weeks as world No. Although its tough to imagine a player who will eclipse the big three on the mens side or the top players on the womens, one thing is for sure it will happen. Born in Belleville, IL, in 1952, Jimmy Connors is an American tennis player who turned pro in 1972 at the age of 20. She also made it to 11 other Grand Slam finals, where her opponent defeated her. Matches featured in this video: Daniel Cuk. He is also one of only two players to achieve a career Golden Slam winning all four majors and a Gold Medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Hoping to get recruited for mens tennis? The team had no dominant singles player. He was first ranked No. The USA tops the list with 52 victories, more than twice as many as the next best country - Sweden.. 1 Stefi Graf. Nadal: 8. Furthermore, and appeared in the finals of nearly every one of these events except the Wembly Pro in 1963 and won all three events in 1967 a professional Grand Slam. Awards: 3x National College Player of the Year, 3x ACC Player of the Year, ACC Rookie of the Year, 3x . Roger Federer. 1 and 2 in singles and doubles, and won back-to-back singles titles in 11 and 12. Just making it into the top 25 is Lleyton Hewitt. 1 ranking, and she earned this spot for a total of 260 weeks throughout her career. Track & Field (O) - Men . HONORABLE MENTIONS: Over the years there have been many fantastic teams. Its up to any individual to determine how they perceive these factors when ranking the greatest players of all time. Top 20 Best Tennis Players Of All Time (Men) - SportsKhabri As a result, its common for competitive singles players to pull back on doubles as they achieve more success because the money isnt as crucial, and there is a desire to conserve energy, protect their health, and improve their longevity. Current D2 and D3 Players in the NFL (2022 Update) | NCSA 1 for the first time, and she was able to maintain that position for a total of 221 weeks throughout her career. I hope you enjoy the resources. Lastly, if a player is consistently engaging in competitive matches and sometimes beating players in the top 300 (in tournament play, not practice) in the ATP or WTA rankings, then they may be ready physically, mentally and technically to play professional tennis on a full time basis. Evert is the only female tennis player to have won seven titles at the French Open. In 2001, he claimed his first significant singles title, and he also managed to make it to the quarterfinals of the French Open that year. For starters here are our top ten men's teams. Until the 1980s, very few top players attended the tournament due to Australias remote location, low prize money and prestige, and schedule, which fell around the holidays. Bob won the singles championship yet he was only their No. She holds three Gold medals in doubles with her sister Venus and earned a singles gold at the 2012 London Olympics. Bill Dwyre noted, They came from places that tennis does not. King returned the following year and made it to the third round. During her career, Seles won 53 titles and ended with a winning record of 595-122. From talent pools to court surfaces, gear, the physicality of the sport, advances in medicine, and even the stress and pressure players face, its constantly changing from one decade to the next. Theres only a handful of players who have done that, and Mats Wilander is one of them. 25 Greatest Tennis Players of All Time - Dad Racket Fourteen Former Men's Collegiate Players in US Open Singles Draw 1 through 4 and gladly made sacrifices for a team that went 28-0 and scored 26 shutouts. In 1999, Venus saw quite a bit of additional success, which would push her year-end ranking to No. Furthermore, he was never able to win the US Open despite four appearances in the finals. The result earned her a total of 129 titles, 67 that were during the Open Era. DI Women's Tennis Rankings - ITA | NCAA.com She held that position for a record 377 weeks during her career, with 186 consecutive weeks, a record she shares with Serena Williams. From 2004 to 2007, Federer asserted significant dominance winning 11 of the 15 Grand Slam events during this period. She holds the fifth-most career titles of any woman in the Open Era at 73 and has a record 855-152 in matches for a win rate of 84.9%. Stanford, 1973-1974 Sandy Mayer, Pat DuPre, Jim Delaney, John Whitlinger. Its worth noting she also competed during a period where many players didnt compete as often in the Australian Open. She played a limited schedule for the following two years but accumulated a few solid wins, including her first top 20 victory in 1995. College Tennis News - The Best Female Tennis Players of All Time However, there are players who make winning Grand Slams a habit and win numerous titles at prestigious events. 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. Vernon Gholston - 6'3, 260 lbs. 1 ranking for the first time, a position she held briefly throughout her career for a total of eleven weeks. He became the first African-American to win a Grand Slam title on the mens side, and his activism off of the court makes him a legend. The game has changed so much throughout the years, making it virtually impossible to make direct comparisons. Top Tennis Players Ever. She appeared in the semi-finals at the French Open and competed against Venus Williams in the finals of Wimbledon. Just making it into the top 25 is Lleyton Hewitt. He is certainly the best player ever on clay court, as his 14 French Open titles are likely never to be touched. 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. Hes a winner of three Grand Slam titles, and has shown that he can beat the best of the best when it matters most. However, should we value player Bs three additional Grand Slam titles over player As 125 extra titles in total? Titles can be any combination of singles and doubles, so the combined total is the default sorting of the lists.The current top-level events are on the ATP Tour for men and the WTA Tour for women. If not for Federer, he likely would have won a few more trophies along the way. McDonald was named an ITA All-American in singles for three straight years. Winning Grand Slam titles on three different surfaces can be a huge challenge. For starters, many players compete in doubles for the extra prize money. 8 - Andre Agassi. Clarence Mabry would go on to coach a tiny Texas school across the street from the San Antonio Zoo into a fearsome predatory force with a nasty bite. Forums. 2 reviews of JXS Tennis Academy "Joe at JSX Tennis Academy has been my tennis instructor since the early 1990's when we started at the Dedham Health and Athletic Time. No other female tennis player has won eight. Earning the title as the most jacked football player is not an easy job. She is the only player in history to win nine titles at Wimbledon. The Australian reached #1 at a very young age, and his overall career success started younger than most players in general. 63 heading into the US Open. Some rules are different, i.e., on-court coaching is allowed on the WTA tour outside of the Grand Slam events. M Men W Women. Over the span of his collegiate career, Anderson was named an ITA Singles All-American three times and an ITA Doubles All-American twice. During his career, John McEnroe was also highly successful at the Davis Cup, where he helped revive the United States. 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. During his junior, and final, season in Columbus, Wolf posted a singles record of 35-2 which included an undefeated 11-0 record in conference play. He won a total of 16 Davis Cup titles in his 22 year spell as coach of the Australian Davis Cup Team between 1939 to 1967. Thread starter Clemson_tennis; Start date May 28, 2012; Prev. Regardless of your stance, the weight of specific stats or accomplishments will undoubtedly influence the ranking of players. He reached the finals of Wimbledon after a marathon semifinals match against John Isner that lasted six hours and 36 minutes the second longest match in Grand Slam history. For example, which of the following hypothetical players is better: Theres no doubt the Grand Slam events are the most prestigious and challenging for a player to win. His Grand Slam titles include seven at the Australian Open, one at the French Open, eight at Wimbledon, and give at the US Open. Somewhat surprisingly, tennis didnt make it back into the Olympics until 1988, 64 years later. Greatest Tennis Players of All Time. After Giron made his debut at the 2014 US Open, he did not play another tour-level match until qualifying for 2018 Los Cabos. However, he never managed to win the French Open, where his best result was a semi-final appearance in 1996. You have entered an incorrect email address! He finished his collegiate career ranked No. Never again would such a tiny school achieve so much. However, winning a Grand Slam in 2014, 2015, and 2016 put him in the top 25. We have compiled this list of 10 best tennis players of all time. In addition to his Grand Slam count, he has a convincing lead in our rankings over Jimmy Connors because he had a head-to-head record of 22-13 over Connors, which gives him a clear edge. Regardless, working through the data and thinking through the logic behind how one might rank players is a fun exercise. The Australian reached #1 at a very young age, and his overall career success started younger than most players in general. Osuna was recruited to USC out of obscurity and remains the best Mexican player ever. 1. The argument is that no single player controls the outcome of a given doubles match, let alone a teams performance throughout an entire tournament. 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. Read Also: Top 15 Best College Tennis Teams Ever 2022 Ranking. In total, she holds the most overall Grand Slam titles of any player at 64. Theres no doubt that Gustavo Kuerten deserves mention on this list, but he is a specialist for the most part. Serena is not just force when playing individually. Graf earned 22 Grand Slam titles throughout her career, including four at the Australian Open, six at the French Open, seven at Wimbledon, and five at the US Open. College Tennis Rankings - USTA