Also explosive were the results: They were NCAA champions. However, he impressed once again, winning another calendar-year Grand Slam in 1969. 1. After Margaret Court, who is the greatest female tennis player of all time with 64 Grand Slam titles (24 in singles, 19 in doubles and 21 in mixed doubles), the second greatest female tennis player of all time is Martina Navratilova, who has 59 Grand Slam titles (18 in singles, 31 in doubles, and 10 in mixed doubles). This article lists the tennis players who have won the most tour-level professional tournament titles since the Open Era began in 1968. Born on June 17, 1980, in California, Venus Williams is an American tennis player whos achieved considerable success in her long career on the WTA tour. This incredible player started his professional career young and won six of his first major singles at 17. And as fabulous as USCs singles lineup was, their doubles teams with Bill Bond, Tom Edlefson and Ramsey Earnhart were even stronger. I have followed Joe to his company JXS Tennis Academy at Babson College and I love it. Federer is joint top as the player with most Grand Slam titles in the world (20) and is second behind Djokovic in most weeks spent at the World No.1 spot. Osuna was recruited to USC out of obscurity and remains the best Mexican player ever. The greatest male tennis player of all time is Roger Federer. 9. Furthermore, she tied Steffi Grafs record for 186 consecutive weeks at No. You have entered an incorrect email address! Over the span of his collegiate career, Anderson was named an ITA Singles All-American three times and an ITA Doubles All-American twice. The greatest male tennis player of the last 50 years - the Guardian Another area where its challenging to compare players is how heavily to weigh individual stats. The men's tennis team has won 12 Big Ten Championships and has made eight All-Americans, 23 NCAA singles appearances, and 11 NCAA doubles appearances. Bob Bryan won the singles championship over Goldstein. Its worth noting she also competed during a period where many players didnt compete as often in the Australian Open. In total, she holds the most overall Grand Slam titles of any player at 64. Open by Andre Agassi. Heading into the 2020 US Open, McDonald is ranked No. During his long 24 year career, the most of any male player in our top ten list, he had many accomplishments, but one of his most significant is his 109 titles, the most in the Open Era. Jason Jung spent four years playing for the University of Michigan where he finished ranked fourth in career doubles wins and third for most doubles wins by a freshman. With that said, not all professional tennis players compete in doubles, or if they do, it takes a back seat to singles for a few reasons. Serena Williams career continues, but injuries have hampered her success and the frequency that she competes. However, she remained competitive through her later years, even becoming the oldest player on the WTA tour to win a title at 39. This is where he could get a good look at every single return, and dictate points even as the returner. He has won 15 ATP Tour titles. 7 in the world, and the injured Pat Dupre, who reached the 79 Wimbledon semis, were out. 5/28/2021. Tennis Strategy by Grant Grinnell. Trinity turned tenniss California dream into a nightmare. Federer turned pro in 1998, and it didnt take long before his career began to pick up steam. Access available rankings data at ITA. 1 ranking for the first time, a position he held for a total of 101 weeks during his career. You could even take it a step further and evaluate the perceived level of competition present at the tournaments where a player won or how convincingly they defeated their opponents during matches. Despite his success, he had a unique relationship with the slams. However, winning a Grand Slam in 2014, 2015, and 2016 put him in the top 25. Of course the level of tennis is the other major factor. Its hard to imagine that Rosewall would dominate in todays game standing only 57 tall and under 150 pounds, but he made it work during his prime. UCLA, 1970-1971 Jimmy Connors, Jeff Borowiak, Haroon Rahim. 5 ranking. However, he decided to turn professional to start 1963, which meant he couldnt compete in any Grand Slam Events through 1967. The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey. Despite that, he managed to win 72 of his 198 titles in the Open Era past the age of 30. As the game started to evolve, Stephen Edberg still heavily relied on the serve and volley. Born on September 26, 1981, Serena Williams is an American tennis player who plays right-handed with a two-handed backhand and is one of the most prominent players of all time. College Tennis is for Losers - Dave Mullins - Tennis Recruiting Your email address will not be published. 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. But for years Trinity did not win an NCAA title because Wimbledon was scheduled at the same time. In the heart of the Depression, a hard-working Paris, Texas boy earned a bicycle from the Saturday Evening Post. Where does your favorite college tennis teams and players rank across the country and the world? My name is Gavin and I've played tennis for more than 30 years and love to share my knowledge about the sport. In addition to his Grand Slam success, Federer has claimed 103 ATP titles, the most ever behind Jimmy Connors in the Open Era. Regarding her match singles win percentage, Court stands alone, holding the best record at 91.69% through her career and 91.17% during the Open Era. 61 Most Attractive Female Tennis Players Of All Time Erase the USA (No Outlines) 3. Rod Lavers career is unique because of his success and crossover from amateur to professional and subsequent success during the Open Era. He won 8 Grand Slam titles, an Olympic gold medal, spent 101 weeks as the world number one, and received over $31 million in . During the tennis boom, nobody was bigger, and he had rivalries with Bjorn Borg, Jimmy Connors, and Ivan Lendl at some point. 1, and has a more diverse record for Grand Slam events, while Nadals success heavily skews toward clay. Hes very close, and having 20 Grand Slams to his name will keep his name in the discussion for quite a while. Players with most weeks at number one in the ATP rankings all-time 1973-2022; WTA women's tennis ranking 2023; Longest winning streaks in professional tennis from 1990-2022; . However, when narrowing it down to the best of the best, here are the top 10 best tennis players of all time. She is the only player in history to win nine titles at Wimbledon. Before finishing his career as a Buckeye, Wolf won the schools first ITA Mens All-American Singles Championship and was named an ITA All-American in singles. They won back-to-back NCAA doubles titles and were part of a four-year run in which USC won the NCAAs from 66 to 69. He was a strong all-around player who could dominate in doubles as well. References. Moreover, 9 of Novak Djokovics and 6 of Roger Federers Grand Slam titles came on this surface. He had some mild success on other surfaces, but clay courts are where he made his name. Whether you agree with it or not as a criterion, its frequently woven into arguments of whos the best. 10 Hottest Female Tennis Players (2023 Updated) - Total Shape The team won two titles, in 70 (sans Jimbo) and in 71. From 2004 to 2007, Federer asserted significant dominance winning 11 of the 15 Grand Slam events during this period. The team had no dominant singles player. One of the most dominating seasons ever. Husband to Steffi Graf, a shoo-in for one of the top spots in the best female tennis players of all time, Agassi comes in at number 8 on the tennisbros.com's list. 11 - Boris Becker. Moving on to the list comes the 15 best tennis players of all time with three bonus ones. Grand Slams Won: 2. 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. The number 1 in our best table tennis players list is a Chinese player, Ma Long. The Australian reached #1 at a very young age, and his overall career success started younger than most players in general. Now decades after his passing, he still remains one of the biggest faces for the fight against AIDS. When she was 9, she moved with her family (including fellow tennis great and sister Venus) to Florida. Like Rod Laver, Ken Rosewell came along when the Open Era was just beginning. Frazier Tommy #4. In the Olympics, Roger Federer has a silver and gold medal. However, he was also banned or chose to skip out on the French Open from 1974 1978 due to his World Team Tennis association. UCLAs 76 team featured Brian Teacher, Peter Fleming, Ferdi Taygan and John Austin. Smith, the Leaning Tower of Pasadena, went on to win Wimbledon and the US Open and become No. 1 ranking for the first time, which he retained for 109 weeks throughout his career. In addition to her gold medal in the 1988 Olympics, she earned a bronze in doubles that year. Laver had the distinction of the greatest tennis player of all time at one point, but the way tennis changed from a playing and business perspective hurt him. Most can only . However, he wouldnt play his first ATP tour event until 2004, and hed claim his first ATP title in 2006. In 1984, he had a stellar year with his only finals appearance at the French Open and titles at Wimbledon and the US Open. Born on March 7, 1960, in Ostrava, Czechoslovakia, Ivan Lendl had an impressive career that began in 1978 when he turned pro. The greatest tennis player of all time is Roger Federer. A year later, in 1987, Stefi Graf won her first Grand Slam tournament at the French Open, defeating Martina Navratilova, another top player and world No. 1 for 270 total weeks through his career. The big reason why thats the case is that Rafael Nadal won them all during his prime. She followed up those results with an excellent 2007, where she won the French Open for the third consecutive year and the US Open. During those years, he claimed eight titles at three of the biggest professional tournaments, the US Pro, French Pro, and Wembley Pro. Net Worth. Greatest Tennis Players of All Time. Yet if you lose a top player, all can be lost. 3. For example, suppose Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic never showed up in tennis. *Please note that not all the stats included above are relevant for consideration as the best player ever. Beyond her success in singles, Venus achieved stellar results in doubles with fourteen Grand Slam titles and three gold medals. Sin, Sorrow and the Fall of Roger Federer at Wimbledon, Life is Beautiful The Buzz From Down Under, Amanda Anisimova and the Random Cruelty of Sport, Novak Djokovic The Return of the Prodigal Son, Forget the Yips Sabalenka Rips On Laver Aryna, Knowing Novak: Behind the Curtain of the Complex, Controversial Mountain GOAT, The Not-So-Happy Slam: Pro-Putin Ferocity in Melbourne, How Ben Shelton Is Taking Tennis by Storm, Down Under Downers Iga and Coco Crash Out, Bring It On Young Americans Soar in Melbourne, Murray Hailed, Novak Heckled At The Not Always Happy Slam, Mackie McDonald Knocks Out Hobbled Rafa Nadal. USC was led by Steve Johnson, who won 72 straight matches, was ranked No. Quinn Meinerz. John McEnroe. Thai-Son Kwiatkowski | University of Virginia. In his short career, Bjorn Borg was able to accomplish a lot. 1 Margaret Court in a small clay court tournament held in Charlotte, NC. Grand Slam events are best of five for men and best of three for women and are usually regarded as highly significant when ranking players. Although its a challenging exercise to rank the best tennis players of all time, male or female, its a fun process that wed encourage fans to consider and dig into to develop their opinions. Although people attempt to remove personality from consideration when narrowing their list of the best tennis players, its often a factor, especially when considering narrowly matched players like the Big 3. Throughout her career, she won 43 titles and had a career record of 525-115 for a winning rate of 82%. 1 ranking for longer than any other player in history at 345 weeks and currently has 85 titles to his name. Sampras is well known for his rivalry with fellow American Andre Agassi, and it was unique because of Sampras dominant serve and Agassis return. Rodrigues Finishes as NCAA Singles Runner-Up. Vernon Gholston - 6'3, 260 lbs. Federer: 11. The argument is that no single player controls the outcome of a given doubles match, let alone a teams performance throughout an entire tournament. The beauty of Andre Agassis game allowed him to excel on all different surfaces. 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. Norrie received a scholarship from Texas Christian University and played tennis for the Horned Frogs from 2014 to 2017, becoming the top-ranked college player in the nation. Do we believe player A holding the number one ranking for 20 more weeks is more valuable than player Bs five additional titles? Still, the teams best singles players roommates Dennis Ralston and Rafael Osuna played each other in the US Nationals for three straight years and together won the 60 Wimbledon doubles crown. But in 73 they didnt just lose one top player, they lost their top two. 15 Best Table Tennis Players of All Time [2023 Update] In total, Goolagong won 86 titles, with 68 of them coming in the Open Era. Matches featured in this video: Daniel Cuk. 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. 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. Current D2 and D3 Players in the NFL (2022 Update) | NCSA 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. Writer Frank Deford suggested Toleys fellow coaches might well consider scheduling a separate tournament of their own at that asylum in Hartford., 2. Outside of singles, Navratilova has one of the most impressive doubles careers in history. Ramanathan Krishnan (born 11 April 1937) is a retired tennis player from India who was among the world's leading players in the 1950s and 1960s. He is one of the few players to achieve the career Golden Slam, meaning that he won all four Grand Slams and Olympic gold. Its up to any individual to determine how they perceive these factors when ranking the greatest players of all time. 1; 2; First Prev 2 of 2 Go to page. 6. Our writers made the case for Djokovic, Pete Sampras, Rafael Nadal, Bjorn Borg and Roger Federer. These unique accomplishments certainly add weight to a players bid for consideration as one of the best players. Here are D1baseball.com's picks for the best college baseball players of the 64-Team/Super Regional Era. However, he never managed to win the French Open, where his best result was a semi-final appearance in 1996. Stefen Edenberg (born 19 January 1966) is a former Swedish world number 1 tennis player in singles and . However, only 62 of these occurred in the Open Era, so she doesnt have the achievement during this period. Born on August 12, 1971, Pete Sampras is an American tennis player who was considered by many to be the best tennis player of all time at his retirement. She held that position for a record 377 weeks during her career, with 186 consecutive weeks, a record she shares with Serena Williams. 63 heading into the US Open. Novak Djokovic has held the No. Awards: 3x National College Player of the Year, 3x ACC Player of the Year, ACC Rookie of the Year, 3x . NCSA analyzed over 880 four-year colleges with men's college tennis programs across four division levels (D1, D2, D3 and NAIA) to develop a list of the Best Men's Tennis Colleges for Student-Athletes.. 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 . In some cases, this may be true, but as weve discovered, it becomes somewhat nuanced and isnt always cut and dry. Heading into the 2020 US Open, he ranks No. Although it would be a few years before her next Grand Slam title in 2002, Serena has claimed 23 throughout her ongoing career. 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. 1 ranking for the first time in 1968. He is a three-time Olympic gold medalist (2016, 2020, 2020), three-time . Everyone else, I believe, would benefit greatly from . . Sharing the all-time Grand Slam men's singles titles record is Roger Federer, from Switzerland. In March 1991, Seles replaced Stefi Graf as world No. As a result, what one player could accomplish playing tennis in the 1950s is fundamentally different from the 2000s. Regardless, shes well deserving of the title as one of the best female tennis players of all time. On the surface, ranking the best male and female tennis players of all time might appear like an easy task. Bob won the singles championship yet he was only their No. Winning Ugly by Brad Gilbert, Steve Jamison. -These polls use voters to determine the best 25 men's and women's teams in Division I. Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Rankings-Rankings Homepage-The ITA lists the top teams and players in the country at all levels of college tennis. In 2006, Kevin Anderson and Ryan Rowe became only the third Illinois duo to capture the NCAA Doubles Championship. Wed love to hear from you in the comments below. Its just a matter of what is weighed most importantly in tennis. Depending on a players ranking, that extra cash can be crucial. In college at Ohio State, Gholston bench pressed a team-high 455 pounds and squatted 405 pounds for twenty reps. Trying to figure out the 25 greatest tennis players of all time can seem like a daunting task for a lot of people out there. Tennys Sandgren | University of Tennessee. Top 10 Greatest Tennis Players (Male) of All Time - Sports Virsa In recent years, he has won many big titles back to back, surpassing the track record of other great players like Waldner. When considering the best tennis players of all time, its tempting to rank male and female tennis players right alongside each other. No.1 in 1991. In 65, even without Pasarell, the Bruins broke USCs three-year stranglehold on the championships. Go. 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. A. andfor Legend. He was twice a semifinalist at Wimbledon in 1960 and 1961, reaching as high as World No. He didnt have as long of a prime and some of the others on this list, but he could beat anyone in a single match. For example, as black athletes, Serena and Venus Williams overcame unprecedented challenges growing up to break into tennis. Stefanos Tsitsipas Tennis Racket What Does He Use? He won the 1995 French Open, but he dominated in plenty of tournaments on clay courts as well. Discussion Boards 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. 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. Top 100 College Football Players Of All Time Quiz - By forrestsancomb. 8, and the considerable Brian Gottfried, ,who rose to No. DI Women's Tennis Rankings - ITA | NCAA.com 9. In 1896, the inaugural Olympics took place, and tennis was an official sport. Furthermore, Federer has notched 1,251 match wins with a winning rate of 81.98%. He was first ranked No. In this article, well share our selection of the greatest players of all time, but well also discuss the challenges when ranking and why theyre important to keep in mind. Their No. 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. Not a lot of people talk about him currently, but he was as tough a player as any in his prime. Heres the beauty of college tennis a supremely individual sport becomes a wonderful team endeavor. As reigning NCAA Singles champion, he made a tour-level debut at the 2010 US Open as a wildcard. Throughout the years, there have been many great tennis players who have made a name for themselves. <br><br>After completing my Master's degree at Minnesota, I . The 10 Best American Female Tennis Players of All-Time 10 - Jimmy Connors. Tennis. A few years later, in 1978, Navratilova won her first singles Grand Slam title at Wimbledon, defeating Chris Evert. 9. Despite that, she did manage to win a singles gold medal at the Athens Summer Olympics. "Playing college tennis, no, but going to university after tennis, yes, that was always the plan," Dabrowski said. Ken Rosewall. 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. He was named the ITA Player of the Year in his final two seasons. McDonald was named an ITA All-American in singles for three straight years. Longevity is another factor to consider. Perez-Somarriba Named ITA National Player of the Year. So let's get started! Bjrn also won 66 titles. Trinity, 1962-1965 Chuck McKinley, Cliff Buchholz, Frank Froehling. During the 2019 US Open, he reached the fourth round after upsetting No. In that case, Federer may have won significantly more titles because he gave up so many to both of these players. The USA tops the list with 52 victories, more than twice as many as the next best country - Sweden.. For years they were at the heart of the US Davis Cup team. There are really no holes in Federers game, other than having just one French Open title. 120. He was an American tennis player who won a total of 77 career titles in his playing years. 3. 1. To be clear, we dont perceive one tour as better or worse than the other. And college tennis has changed so drastically that it's insane to try to come up with an all-time collegiate top 10. The list of his accomplishments in tennis goes on and on. Coming off his NCAA titles, McDonald was awarded a wildcard into the 2016 US Open. When Boris Becker was on grass or indoor carpet courts, it was nearly impossible to beat him. For more information on the NCSA Power Rankings, visit our press kit or email us. She holds an astounding 177 career titles, including 31 Grand Slam victories. ranking, but despite her success, she only held that post for two weeks throughout her career. #5 Waves Clash with Top-Ranked North Carolina in NCAA Semifinals. In his prime, Andy Murray was every bit as good as any of the Big Three tennis players. Andre Agassi had one of the longest careers of any of our top-ranked mens tennis players at a thoroughly impressive 20 years. 1 and helped the US win the 63 Davis Cup. Men and women dont compete against each other in singles. Forums. As a result, looking back at players like Bjrn Borg, who has a thoroughly impressive resume, only played the tournament once in 1974 as a 17-year-old, which gave him limited opportunities to further add to his Grand Slam count of 11. Rankings. Popular Quizzes Today. Born in Serbia on May 22, 1987, Novak Djokovic is currently my pick for the best mens tennis player of all time. The Tour de Frances loss was tennis gain. Ashe won the singles, and then the doubles with Ian Crookenden. 1 ranking in February 2004 and has held that ranking for a total of 310 weeks 237 of which were consecutive weeks where he was virtually unbeatable. Hed add a record-tying 20 Grand Slam titles to his name with tremendous success at all of the tournaments, including nine at the Australian Open, two at the French Open, six at Wimbledon, and three at the US Open. Unique to Agassi, he missed out on some golden opportunities to increase his slam count, choosing to skip the Australian Open for six years from 1986 to 1994 and Wimbledon for 62 years from 1988 to 1990. Throughout their careers, the two played 34 times, and Sampras won 20 of those matches. She also won the Australian Open to start 1993 before a deranged fan stabbed her in April.