Over the years the sport of tennis has seen some of the most iconic athletes ever take to the court and leave. Their mark on the game but for the greatest among the greats welcome to who's number one in this post we will take you through a journey to meet the top 10 tennis players of all time. Exploring their accolades and achievements as well as What makes each of them unique and the best of them.
10 John McEnroe
John McEnroe Mcenroe was known for his exceptional servant volley style of play and his fiery personality on the court. He was born in 1959 in Germany though he was American and started playing tennis at a young age he went pro in 1978 and retired in 1992. Mcenroe's career saw him win Seven Grand Slam titles including three Wimbledon titles and four U.S open Titles he won 77 career singles titles and 78 career doubles titles in his career which made him the male tennis player with the most combined titles won in the open era he was ranked number one in singles for 170 weeks and number one in doubles for 269 weeks Mcenroe used his exceptional footwork and quick reflexes to get to the net and finish points quickly he also had a very powerful service which allowed him to win many free points on his service games he was also known for his fiery personality and his tendency to argue with umpires and officials. It was this competitive nature among other things that made him a fan favorite.
9 Andre Agassi
Andre Agassi an athletic freak Andre Agassi was a master of powerful groundstrokes born in 1970 in Las Vegas Agassi won eight grand slam titles including four Australian Open titles and two U.S Open titles one Wimbledon title and one French Open title. He won 60 career singles titles and was number one for 101 weeks Agassi's career spanned 20 years from 1986 to 2006. Agassi had exceptional speed and Athleticism. He was a master of the Baseline game using his powerful ground strokes to dominate opponents from the back of the Court. He was also known for his exceptional return of serve which allowed him to break opponent serves on a regular basis off the court Agassi was known for his Flamboyant fashion sense in his philanthropic work.
8 Jimmy Connors
Born in 1952 in Illinois
Jimmy Connors was an exceptional competitor and had a great all-around game his
career spanned 24 years from 1972 to 1972 to 1996 1996 and it saw him on eight
grand slam titles including five U.S open titles two Wimbledon titles and one
Australian Open title. Due to his long career he currently still holds numerous
records he is the player who has won the most career singles titles ever in the
open ERA with 109 and 164 finals and he is the one that has won the most
singles games with 1274 games won he is also the player that has remained in
the top five for more weeks in history remaining there for 705 weeks. He was
also ranked world number one for 268 weeks Connor stood out thanks to his exceptional
fighting spirit he was known for his Never Say Die attitude and his ability to
come back from seemingly impossible positions. He had a Brash and outspoken
personality which sometimes landed him in hot water with fans and officials.
7 Ivan Lendl
Ivan Lendl had an exceptional Baseline game and a powerful serve he was born in 1960 in the Czech Republic and played professionally from 1978 to 1994. Lendl won eight grand slam titles including three U.S open titles Three French Open titles and two Australian Open titles he was ranked world number one in singles for 270 weeks and 194 singles Titles. Lendl is the only man in professional tennis history to have a match-winning percentage of over 90 percent in five different years 1982 1985 1986 1987 and 1989. What made Lendl stand out from other players was his exceptional physical conditioning in his mental toughness. He was known for his rigorous training regimen and his ability to stay focused and composed under pressure Lendl was known for his reserved and serious demeanor which sometimes made him seem unapproachable to fans in the media. For more Click here now
6 Bjornborg Bjorn Borg
Bjornborg was known for his exceptional calm and cool demeanor on the court he was born in 1956 in Sweden. Despite being so high on the list he only played professionally from 1973 until 1982 when he shockingly retired at the young age of 26. He made some comebacks in the years that followed but never at his previous level in his short career board won 11 Grand Slam titles of which six were French Open titles and five were Wimbledon titles. He won 64 career singles titles and he is the only player ever to win the channel slam which involves winning the French Open. The Wimbledon title in the same calendar year three times in 1979 Ford became the first player ever to earn more than one million dollars in prize money in a single season. What made Borg Stand Out was his ability to stay calm and composed under pressure. He was also a master of the clay Court game using his exceptional footwork and precision to dominate opponents on Clay courts would Borg have become the greatest tennis player ever had he not retired so early that's a big what-if in the history of tennis.
5 Rod Laver
Rod Laver was born in 1938 in Queensland Australia Rodney Laver won 11 Grand Slam titles including three Australian Open titles two French Open titles four Wimbledon titles and two U.S open titles in a career that spanned from 1962 to 1979. He won 200 career singles titles the most ever and is the only man in history to win the Grand Slam twice in singles which involves winning all four major championships in a calendar year. He did it in 1962 and 1969 and the latter remains the only time a man has done so in the open era labor had an exceptional all-around game and an ability to adapt to any playing surface he was a master of the Servan Volleyball game and the Baseline game. He had a humble and gracious demeanor and his exceptional skill and dedication to the sport have made him a true legend
of tennis.
4 Pete Sampras
Pete Sampras of Greek descent Petro Sampras was born in 1971 in California's 14-year career which lasted from 1988 to 2002 saw him win 14 Grand Slam titles which was an all-time record at the time of his retirement of 14 titles seven were Wimbledon titles five were U.S open titles and two were Australian Open titles. He also won 64 career singles titles and held the number-one position for 286 weeks which is the third most all-time he also has an open ERA record of six consecutive years and number-one rankings from 1993 to 1998. What made Sampras stand out from other players was his exceptional servant volley game and his Mastery of the Grass Court game using his powerful serve and quick reflexes to dominate opponents on Wimbledon's Fast courts off the court Sampras was known for his quiet and reserved personality.
3 Roger Federer
The Swiss tennis Legend recently retired in 2022 after 24 years of playing professionally. He was born in 1981 in Basel and started his pro career in 1998 a career that would see him win 20 grand slam titles including a record eight Wimbledon titles six Australian Open titles five U.S open titles and one French Open title. He also won 103 career singles titles second ever only to Jimmy Connors by age 27 he had surpassed Semper's career record of 14 Grand Slam titles Won throughout his career Federer was ranked number one for 310 weeks including a record 237 consecutive weeks. He is the second-longest reigning number-one in tennis history and he is the only tennis player in history to hold five or more titles in three of the four grand Slams Federer had an effortless style of play and an exceptional all-around game. He was a master of the seven volley game and had a gracious and humble demeanor which made him a fan favorite
around the world.
2 Rafael Nadal
TOP 2 Rafael Nadal was born in 1986 in Mallorca Spain Rafael Nadal is one of the only two still active players on this list. He made his debut in 2001 at 15 years old and so far his career has seen him be ranked world number one for a total of 209 weeks including a record 912 consecutive weeks in the top 10 never having left the top 10 from April 2005 to March 2023 Nadal has won 22 Grand Slam titles including a record 14 French Open titles for U.S open titles two Wimbledon titles and two Australian Open titles. He has also won 92 career singles titles and his 81 consecutive wins on Clay is the longest single surface win streak in the open era he is undoubtedly the clay King for over a decade Nadal has dominated men's tennis along with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic as the big three collectively considered by many to be the three greatest male tennis players of all time Nadal is one of only two men to complete the career golden Slam in singles after defeating Djokovic in the 2010 U.S Open final then 24-year-old Nadal became the youngest man in the open era to achieve the career Grand Slam and the first man to win Majors on three different surfaces hard grass and clay in the same ear called the surface to slam what makes Nadal stand out from other players is his exceptional physical conditioning in his grinding style of play he is a master of the clay Court game using his exceptional footwork and Powerful topspin to dominate opponents on Clay courts
1 Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic and we arrive at the number one spot held by the other still active player Novak Djokovic Djokovic was born in 1987 in Belgrade Serbia. He has been competing professionally since 2003. Now why is Djokovic in front of Federer and Nadal well Djokovic's career has seen him win a record 22 Grand Slam titles tied with Nadal including a record 10 Australian Open titles five Wimbledon titles three U.S open titles and three French Open titles. He has also won 93 career singles titles and is the only man in tennis history to be the reigning champion of the four majors at once across three different surfaces. He is also the first man in the open era to achieve a double career Grand Slam in singles and the only player to complete x2 Career Grand Slams the career Golden Masters and singles by Career Golden Masters winning all of the nine Masters Tournaments which he has done twice he has held the number one ranking for a record 383 weeks and Counting as he is currently the world's number one the second in the ranking is Federer with 310 weeks what makes Djokovic stand out from other players is his exceptional mental strength. With his versatility on the court as well as his incredible Talent off the court Djokovic is known for his quirky personality and his dedication to Fitness and Nutrition. He is a vegan and has written a book about his plant-based diet which he believes has helped him stay healthy and perform at a high level for years.
We arrive at the end of the list who do you think is the greatest tennis player of all time do you agree with us and think it is the hard King Djokovic or do you think it is the clay King Nadal or perhaps the grass King Federer What do you think.
