10 - Jimmy Connors. 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. She also won a bronze medal at the Summer Olympics in Syndey, Australia. 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. For starters here are our top ten mens teams. Ma Long. Top Tennis Players Ever. He won it in 1974 and reached the finals in 1975, so he certainly missed out on some golden opportunities. Lutz won the NCAA singles in 67, but lost the 68 final to Smith. He only won five Grand Slams, but thats because he was playing right during the start of the Open Era. Not too long after, in 1962, Laver became the second man after Don Budge to achieve a calendar-year Grand Slam, winning all four major tournaments in a single year. She followed up those results with an excellent 2007, where she won the French Open for the third consecutive year and the US Open. Jung was awarded the prestigious ITA Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship Award his junior season for his outstanding play and leadership. These unique accomplishments certainly add weight to a players bid for consideration as one of the best players. Additionally, he holds the record for more wins at 1,274 than any other player in the Open Era. 1 Roger Federer Roger Federer (born 8 August 1981) is a Swiss former professional tennis player who is currently ranked world No. He is a three-time Olympic gold medalist (2016, 2020, 2020), three-time . And he won the singles at the 63 US Nationals at Forest Hills. ITA Mens All-American Singles Championship, US Open Singles Draw Features Six Former Women Collegiate Athletes, Coach Masterclass The ITA & Coach Governance, College Tennis In the Community: Teams Give Back In The Month of February, The Power of Community Davidson Kozlowski [Coaches Podcast], Division I Mens Collegiate Tennis Rankings sponsored by Tennis-Point February 28. During his career, John McEnroe was also highly successful at the Davis Cup, where he helped revive the United States. 63 heading into the US Open. Combine that with his dominance as world No. 124. 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. A Wimbledon finalist while at USC, he was ranked as high as No. Djokovic: 10. A helpful place to start when considering who might make a list of the best players of all time are the challenges we face making comparisons. Henin would claim seven Grand Slam titles, one at the Australian Open, four at the French Open, and two at the US Open. After going 21-1 at the No. 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. That was only his sophomore year. Since turning pro, Anderson has won six titles and reached the finals of both Wimbledon and the US Open. Seles claimed her final Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in 1996 and was a successful player until 2003, although her official retirement didnt come until 2008. 1 through 4 and gladly made sacrifices for a team that went 28-0 and scored 26 shutouts. At age 25, Norrie is entering his prime, and has reached a career-high ranking of 41 in the world. For a guy who is so well known for his outbursts on and off the court, some forget just how good he was. In some cases, this may be true, but as weve discovered, it becomes somewhat nuanced and isnt always cut and dry. 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. Connors won the singles in 71. 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. She also made it to 11 other Grand Slam finals, where her opponent defeated her. Never again would such a tiny school achieve so much. Steve Johnsons collegiate career is the stuff of legends. Some players have significantly longer careers than others. She holds seven titles at the Australian Open, three at the French Open, seven at Wimbledon, and six at the US Open. Johnson has finished the past six seasons ranked in the Top 100. Roger Federer. His success started in the 1980s with numerous titles and his first Grand Slam victory over John McEnroe at the French Open, a year McEnroe was virtually untouchable. 15. She holds 14 Grand Slam titles in doubles and two in mixed doubles. Shop official NCAA team and championship gear . John McEnroe Tennis Academy at SPORTIME Randall's Island. As fans, many of us have our favorite players we appreciate for their style of play, how they present themselves, their off-court demeanor, and a variety of additional criteria. Women's Tennis. For 18 of 19 years Trinity University, with just 1,800 students, was ranked in the top four. In-depth Resources Smith, the Leaning Tower of Pasadena, went on to win Wimbledon and the US Open and become No. 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%. Some rules are different, i.e., on-court coaching is allowed on the WTA tour outside of the Grand Slam events. For most coaches, the recruiting process begins with academics. With the average age of tennis players at the top of the professional game increasing each year - the world's top three are aged 33, 32 and 38 respectively - there is no longer a sense of . 5. 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? Not surprisingly, Stanfords Dick Gould, who was said to reload rather than recruit, managed to get him to drop by the Farm for one historic season. He spent the most weeks at number one in the world, and has finished as the year-end #1 seven times. He became the first player from South America to ever win a Grand Slam event on the mens side. He claimed three Grand Slams and five ATP Masters titles with significant wins against his two biggest rivals, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. He is one of the few players to achieve the career Golden Slam, meaning that he won all four Grand Slams and Olympic gold. Bob won the singles championship yet he was only their No. Learn more about available mens tennis scholarships and mens tennis camps in your area. Roger Federers most significant rivalries in his career are Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Outside of singles, Navratilova has one of the most impressive doubles careers in history. Bjrn Borg resides in Monte Carlo, Monaco, but was born in Sweden on June 6, 1956. He made history winning his second Grand Slam title in 2013, as he broke the long cold streak for British tennis players at Wimbledon. Top Men's Tennis Programs. 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. 24) Ralph Sampson (Virginia) College Averages: 16.9 points, 1.2 assists, 11.4 rebounds. 3 in the world and was the only player to win NCAA singles and doubles titles back to back. He became world No. That year, Laver claimed the Wimbledon title. Without a doubt, shes one of the greatest female tennis players ever. 1 in the world, but was only No. Find the Countries of Europe - No Outlines Minefield. However, only 62 of these occurred in the Open Era, so she doesnt have the achievement during this period. On the surface, ranking the best male and female tennis players of all time might appear like an easy task. Agassi also managed to earn himself a career Super Slam, which he is the only player to hold, and a Golden Slam, the latter of which has only been matched by Rafael Nadal. In 65, even without Pasarell, the Bruins broke USCs three-year stranglehold on the championships. Track & Field (O) - Men . Girons national championship made him the 11th Bruin to win the NCAA Singles title. 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) Chris Evert was born in 1954; she is an American professional tennis player. However, as it stands now, I think Federer is more deserving of this spot. 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. Popular Quizzes Today. top 50 players 2023; 1 player in the world. 3. Swiss player Roger Federer, the greatest player of all time is easily justifiable. Serena didnt return to compete again on the professional tour until 1997 when she was 16, and although it was slow going to start the year, she defeated two top 10 players in November. ***Title totals include pre and post Open Era where relevant. 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. 1 and 2 in singles and doubles, and won back-to-back singles titles in 11 and 12. Whos on our list for the best male or female tennis players of all time? Most can only . Jan 9, 2013 . In 2003, Henin claimed her first Grand Slam title at the French Open, making her the first Belgian ever to win a Grand Slam. Novak Djokovic has held the No. He has proven his talent for over 20 years and is still competing at the very highest level. The left-hander could spin the ball anywhere, and had put-away volleys that were unseen at the time. 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. He broke the top 100 following a run to the Lyon semifinals in 2018. 6 in Lance Tingay's amateur rankings. Rod Lavers career is unique because of his success and crossover from amateur to professional and subsequent success during the Open Era. -Search for former college tennis stars on the men's professional tour. <br><br>After completing my Master's degree at Minnesota, I . Despite that, she did compete in a professional tournament that year but didnt perform well. When evaluating the best tennis players ever, some people believe its necessary to consider a players ability to compete in doubles because its an essential discipline that the sport has to offer. Similarly, all of his Wimbledon titles were consecutive from 1976 -1980. Furthermore, she helped the United States win eight Fed Cup titles, including six consecutive from 1977-1982. 1 ranking and, to date, has held that position for 319 weeks. Top ten ranked male tennis players (1912-1972) He was first ranked No. He was known . 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%. Career titles: 42. The US Open will be Jungs first tour-level event since the resumption of the ATP Tour. From 2000 to 2009, tennis had some of the greatest men's tennis players of all time.These are some of the most talented 2000s tennis players to ever live, so if you're a fan of tennis and are aspiring to play tennis professionally then these people should be your idols. However, while tennis is now an active sport in the Summer Olympics, it wasnt always that way. In addition to her results in singles, Chris Evert also achieved success in doubles with three Grand Slam titles. In 1968, the Open Era began, which allowed professional players to compete in Grand Slam events. List of ATP number 1 ranked doubles tennis players. Where does your favorite college tennis teams and players rank across the country and the world? However, as far as Grand Slam titles go, his record-tying 20 include one at the Australian Open, two at Wimbledon, and four at the US Open. The Serbian greatest tennis player Novak Djokovic is ranked 2nd in the list of greatest tennis players of all time. Every generation produced great tennis stars, dating all the way back to the 1890s. With that said, his achievements are thoroughly impressive, especially considering the short timeline of his career. Moreover, 9 of Novak Djokovics and 6 of Roger Federers Grand Slam titles came on this surface. By the time he was 21 years old, he already had a U.S. Open and Wimbledon title to his name. Just making it into the top 25 is Lleyton Hewitt. And college tennis has changed so drastically that it's insane to try to come up with an all-time collegiate top 10. Vernon Gholston, the powerhouse defensive end, easily claims the title. George Toleys 62-64 USC teams werent exactly that. 1 in doubles. Throughout the years, there have been many great tennis players who have made a name for themselves. In 2003, Federer claimed his first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon, one of 20 and a record he shares with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Below youll find our selection, along with some data points that highlight why these female tennis players deserve to make our list. Although it would be a few years before her next Grand Slam title in 2002, Serena has claimed 23 throughout her ongoing career. USC, 1962-1964 - Dennis Ralston, Rafael Osuna, Bill Bond, Tom Edlefsen, Ramsey Earnhart, Chuck Rombeau. Andre Agassi is one of the best tennis players of all time, capturing the hearts of fans with his flamboyance, fierce competitiveness, and pure. Similarly, is it more impressive that a player wins a Grand Slam at the age of 16 or 35? Georgia tennis and John Isner go hand in hand. We have compiled this list of 10 best tennis players of all time. 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. These days, the Olympics hold quite a bit of significance related to a players overall success and perception. Of course the level of tennis is the other major factor. However, it wasnt until 1992 that he earned his first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon, playing Goran Ivanievi in a tough five-set match. Dad Racket was created exclusively as a one-stop resource to answer all your tennis questions. I have actually included 11 players here with two greats tied for the 10th position. 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. 1 in the Oracle ITA Singles Rankings a first for the program. No.1 in 1991. During the 13 years that she won at least one Grand Slam event, she was absent from the event seven times. 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. Despite his success, he had a unique relationship with the slams. Furthermore, Federer has six year-end championship titles to his name, while Nadal has none. 1 Stefi Graf. In total, Goolagong won 86 titles, with 68 of them coming in the Open Era. Trinity, 1962-1965 He played college tennis for the University of Southern California (USC) and won the NCAA singles . When it comes to the best female tennis player of all time, many consider the case to be closed due to the sheer dominance of Serena Williams in recent years. Over the span of his collegiate career, Anderson was named an ITA Singles All-American three times and an ITA Doubles All-American twice. 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. Once told he was too clumsy to be a Davis Cup ball boy, Stan went on to win seven Davis Cups. The big reason why thats the case is that Rafael Nadal won them all during his prime. He currently sits at No. Over the course of four seasons, Johnson was named an ITA All-American seven times. Your Safe Play Approval Expires in $(daysToExpire) days! Its a crucial factor because the sport is constantly changing and evolving. He captured his first professional singles title at the Godfrey Futures by taking the day over Rudy Siwy. 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. Interestingly, McEnroes only collegiate loss came in a match at Trinity against his former U.S. Open doubles partner, Larry Gottfried. Her most notable record related to Grand Slam titles was her 1970 performance, where she won all four Grand Slam events in the calendar year. 57 after reaching the third round in Barcelona in 2019. Hottest Female Athletes. In the fall of his senior season, Isner won the ITA All-American Doubles Championships and the ITA National Indoor Doubles Championships. 37 in the world. Many will argue that of the top players, head-to-head performance should carry significant weight. 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. He has six Grand Slam titles in the Open Era, with an additional six before. Finally, how convincing of a defeat over a player throughout their head-to-head meetups might be worth considering. 6. John Whitlinger, Jim Delaney and Chico Hagey (who a few weeks earlier had been Stanfords No. The Bruin was named an ITA All-American in singles and doubles. Hoping to get recruited for mens tennis? Stanford, 1973-1974 3. These character traits, when combined, will produce exceptional, top-tier results, as evidenced by the accomplishments of the coaches and their tennis programs. Hed just won the French Open mixed doubles with Mary Carillo, reached the Wimbledon semis, and dazzled during the summer of 77. In 2006, Kevin Anderson and Ryan Rowe became only the third Illinois duo to capture the NCAA Doubles Championship. This week we have been analysing the best male players of the past 50 years. Vote for the best, vote down any players you don't think deserve a spot up top and of course, feel free to rerank this list however you want. 220. In the three years that followed, Seles was dominant, winning six of the eight Grand Slam events in 1991 and 1992.