For such a small school to have two of your all-time top ten teams shows what an incredible job Clarence Mabry and later Bob McKinley did with limited resources. For example, Bjrn Borg played professional tennis for roughly ten years, while Jimmy Connors played for more than double that at 24 years. *Please note that not all the stats included above are relevant for consideration as the best player ever. He also has the most variety of Grand Slam titles, winning at least two at every major championship. However, out of all the finals he reached, he only won eight Grand Slams. Pasarell did the same in 66. Evert won two titles at Wimbledon, seven at the French Open, three at Wimbledon, and six at the US Open. Both Sandy Mayer, who weeks later reached the Wimbledon semis and would rise to No. Find the Countries of Europe - No Outlines Minefield. 1. Dad Racket was created exclusively as a one-stop resource to answer all your tennis questions. Without a doubt, Kings most successful years were from 1966 to 1975. However, Evert posted a handful of impressive results as early as 1970 while competing as a junior, including a win over world No. Writer Frank Deford suggested Toleys fellow coaches might well consider scheduling a separate tournament of their own at that asylum in Hartford., 2. Newsflash: The Bryans became the best doubles team in history. 57 after reaching the third round in Barcelona in 2019. By the time he was 21 years old, he already had a U.S. Open and Wimbledon title to his name. In recent years, he has won many big titles back to back, surpassing the track record of other great players like Waldner. The 2020 US Open will be Kwiatkowskis first tour-level event since the resumption of the ATP Tour. 10. In 1998, she didnt earn any titles, but she saw plenty of success, including a top 20 ranking. Heading into the 2020 US Open, McDonald is ranked No. In 1999, Venus saw quite a bit of additional success, which would push her year-end ranking to No. No other female tennis player has won eight. UCLAs 76 team featured Brian Teacher, Peter Fleming, Ferdi Taygan and John Austin. Theres no doubt that Gustavo Kuerten deserves mention on this list, but he is a specialist for the most part. The list of his accomplishments in tennis goes on and on. He used his size and athleticism to get to the net, and that helped him win six Grand Slams. 3. 6. These character traits, when combined, will produce exceptional, top-tier results, as evidenced by the accomplishments of the coaches and their tennis programs. 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. Hopefully, the combination helps explain why we ranked players as we did while providing a jumping-off point for future debate. Longevity is another factor to consider. However, throughout his career, Sampras got the best of him. 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. George Toleys 62-64 USC teams werent exactly that. Rod Lavers career is unique because of his success and crossover from amateur to professional and subsequent success during the Open Era. Over the course of four seasons, Johnson was named an ITA All-American seven times. 1 and 2 in singles and doubles, and won back-to-back singles titles in 11 and 12. Stefen Edberg. 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. We won 25 matches 7-0 and the other three matches were 6-1., That team was a dream to coach, added Gould. 1 player in the world. He was also a great doubles player, holding the #1 ranking in the world in singles and doubles at one point in his career. Stanfords young 95 team included Jeff Salzenstein, Scott Humphries and Paul Goldstein, who like Steve Johnson, played on four championship teams. Cameron Norrie | Texas Christian University. Stanford, 1973-1974 Some might think this pick is a bit controversial, but its hard to argue with the statistics. Matches featured in this video: Daniel Cuk. Somewhat surprisingly, tennis didnt make it back into the Olympics until 1988, 64 years later. 1. From 2004 to 2007, Federer asserted significant dominance winning 11 of the 15 Grand Slam events during this period. 3 in the world and was the only player to win NCAA singles and doubles titles back to back. 1; 2; First Prev 2 of 2 Go to page. Nakashima only spent one season with the Cavaliers before turning pro, but he made the most of his time. When I was a young kid and teenager, he was incredible at learning how I learn and making me the . As a senior he got it right he beat Fred Stolle to win Wimbledon without dropping a set. One of the most dominating seasons ever. List of the best men's tennis players from 2000s, listed by popularity with photos of the players when available. 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. In 1986, she won her first tournament defeating Chris Evert, one of the most dominant players at the time. Most can only . Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The greatest male tennis player of all time is Roger Federer. He won the 1995 French Open, but he dominated in plenty of tournaments on clay courts as well. 8 - Andre Agassi. Born on March 7, 1960, in Ostrava, Czechoslovakia, Ivan Lendl had an impressive career that began in 1978 when he turned pro. 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. Nadals career started early. Top Tennis Players Ever. By mistake, the kid was sent a tennis racket. Throughout his entire career, Djokovic has had 85 career titles. Hoping to get recruited for mens tennis? 1 and helped the US win the 63 Davis Cup. Some, such as prize money and whether they were left or right-handed, are there for fun. Finally, how convincing of a defeat over a player throughout their head-to-head meetups might be worth considering. 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. Off of clay, his main rivals are superior. Getting to Grand Slams finals was never an issue for Ivan Lendl. 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. Henin would claim seven Grand Slam titles, one at the Australian Open, four at the French Open, and two at the US Open. Bradley was an ITA Scholar Athlete, an ITA All-American in singles and doubles, and a fierce competitor. Tennis. As the game started to evolve, Stephen Edberg still heavily relied on the serve and volley. 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. Now, hes on tour and will play in the US Open this week. Johnson has finished the past six seasons ranked in the Top 100. Serena is not just force when playing individually. However, he never managed to win the French Open, where his best result was a semi-final appearance in 1996. He . Roger Federer. As a professional, Isner has continued his excellence. He won it in 1974 and reached the finals in 1975, so he certainly missed out on some golden opportunities. Although Stefi didnt play doubles frequently, she has a womens Grand Slam to her name, which she earned in 1988 alongside Gabriela Sabatini. She held that position for a record 377 weeks during her career, with 186 consecutive weeks, a record she shares with Serena Williams. Greatest college players of all time. 1952 Modesto Junior College Team, they beat Stanford , CAl, USF, they had Jerry DeWitts, Whitney Reed, Ralph Freund , Fritz Earle, Coach Fred Earle, DeWitts 22nd in the U.S, Whitney Reed 15th in U.S., also Stan Canter on team , 6th in junior singles in Eastern U.S., some rankings actually went up.Big Seven Champs. The Australian reached #1 at a very young age, and his overall career success started younger than most players in general. 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. Furthermore, she contested 14 Grand Slam finals, where she was the runner-up. However, winning a Grand Slam in 2014, 2015, and 2016 put him in the top 25. 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. 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. Bjrn Borg resides in Monte Carlo, Monaco, but was born in Sweden on June 6, 1956. During the NCAA team tournament, he won all three of his singles matches and all four of his doubles matches. Throughout her career, she held that ranking for a total of 332 weeks, second only to Stefi Graf. In 2008, Nadal became the worlds No. Many will argue that of the top players, head-to-head performance should carry significant weight. When she was 9, she moved with her family (including fellow tennis great and sister Venus) to Florida. First, he only played the Australian open twice throughout his entire career. Open by Andre Agassi. 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. 7. Just like last year, Daevenia can again call herself the best Dutch college tennis player this year. Hes a winner of three Grand Slam titles, and has shown that he can beat the best of the best when it matters most. He currently sits at No. However, as you get deeper into the rankings, narrowing down candidates becomes a bit more challenging. Born on June 14, 2969, Steffi Graf is a German tennis player. No problemo. Federer turned pro in 1998, and it didnt take long before his career began to pick up steam. talent. 1 ranking and, to date, has held that position for 319 weeks. 6. Andre Agassi. Although he competed at the French Open and Wimbledon in 1977, McEnroe officially turned pro in 1978. 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. I have actually included 11 players here with two greats tied for the 10th position. Furthermore, Federer has six year-end championship titles to his name, while Nadal has none. 1 singles slot his junior season, Norrie also claimed TCUs season singles winning percentage record. That year, Laver claimed the Wimbledon title. Johnson anchored the Trojans to four consecutive NCAA Team Championships and collected two NCAA Singles Championships for himself. When Boris Becker was on grass or indoor carpet courts, it was nearly impossible to beat him. The Ohio State University. He has proven his talent for over 20 years and is still competing at the very highest level. He led his nation to its only Davis Cup final. The Bruin was named an ITA All-American in singles and doubles. 1 ranking for 67 consecutive weeks, which is quite an achievement. Regardless, shes well deserving of the title as one of the best female tennis players of all time. 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. Shed claim four additional titles at the Australian Open and another her final at Wimbledon again in 1980. Jeremy on May 15, 2020: Joe is the best Tennis Pro I've ever had. In 1980, he became world No. Winning Ugly by Brad Gilbert, Steve Jamison. He was an American tennis player who won a total of 77 career titles in his playing years. 368. 163 which is a career record. He was known . He held a 15-4 singles record and a perfect 26-0 doubles record. However, she was denied the opportunity by the WTA due to age restrictions. 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. In 2002, Venus ascended to the world No. In 72, four of the eight quarterfinalists Stockton, Gottfried, McKinley and Paul Gerken were Trinitonians. He still walked away from the sport with three Grand Slam titles, and recently made a comeback to continue playing the game he loves. Cressys senior season was outstanding. Stanford's chest-bumping identical twins and all-time men's doubles champs Bob and Mike Bryan rank just behind McEnroe. Margaret Court retired in 1977 and earned a spot in the International Tennis Hall of fame in 1979. 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. 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. She also had an impressive career record of 704-165, winning 81% of her matches. Seles started her tennis career early at the age of 14 in 1988, but she officially turned pro the following year, where she won her first title and reached the semi-finals of the French Open, her first Grand Slam tournament. 1. Federer owns 15 more titles, over 100 extra weeks as world No. In 2006, Kevin Anderson and Ryan Rowe became only the third Illinois duo to capture the NCAA Doubles Championship. As reigning NCAA Singles champion, he made a tour-level debut at the 2010 US Open as a wildcard. Now decades after his passing, he still remains one of the biggest faces for the fight against AIDS. 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. Trinity, 1962-1965 Chuck McKinley, Cliff Buchholz, Frank Froehling. In doing so, Djokovic is only one of three players to have achieved a double career Grand Slam along with Roy Emerson and Rod Laver. Furthermore, not all titles are equal. Georgia tennis and John Isner go hand in hand. As a result, many players who are considered the greatest of all time didnt have an opportunity to compete at the Olympics, which is noteworthy when evaluating a players rank. 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. 1 for the first time, and she was able to maintain that position for a total of 221 weeks throughout her career. If most of a players head-to-head matches against Rafa fall on clay, he will likely have a losing record overall against him. 1 for 270 total weeks through his career. However, she didnt officially turn pro until 1975, when she was runner up at the Australian Open and French Open. She holds seven titles at the Australian Open, three at the French Open, seven at Wimbledon, and six at the US Open. Since leaving Fort Worth, Norrie has reached as high as No. Does it make him a better player for staying injury-free all those years, which enabled him to miss a tournament rarely and give him more opportunities to win? -Search for former college tennis stars on the men's professional tour. Furthermore, the surface can play a huge role in a players success against another. During the summer, Venus also claimed her first and only singles gold medal at the Olympics in Sydney. These days, the Olympics hold quite a bit of significance related to a players overall success and perception. Hes shown that he can play on other services as well, picking up a Grand Slam at the other three a total of eight times. 18 Basilashvili. His determination keeps him in any match. The Americans have fallen off the map. Do we believe player A holding the number one ranking for 20 more weeks is more valuable than player Bs five additional titles? The Tour de Frances loss was tennis gain. Heres another hypothetical example to consider: Again, which player is more impressive. Many would say that this is the year Novak Djokovic finally took over as the greatest tennis player of all time. Before there was the King of Clay in Rafael Nadal, Thomas Muster held the distinction in the 1990s. The team they beat Earnhart and Bond were also Trojans. His performances in 2015 and 2021 were equally impressive on many levels, both years earning three Grand Slam titles. Compilation of the top singles points from matches featured on this channel during the 2020 college tennis season. Perhaps at another point, well consider the group as a whole. 5 ranking. 41 after winning the Auckland title. Its relatively easy to identify who deserves to be near the top of the list for the best male tennis players of all time. 4. But something happened in the last 20 years. Combine that with his dominance as world No. Here are the ten best tennis players of all time. 1 ranking, and she earned this spot for a total of 260 weeks throughout her career. Since then, Court racked up more Grand Slam titles than any player in history male or female. Read Also: Top 15 Best College Tennis Teams Ever 2022 Ranking. Wolf turned professional a little over a year ago in July of 2019. 10. Conversely, some players like Roger Federer manage to go injury-free for the better part of their careers. In a period where Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe dominated the men's game, the Czech native managed . 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. 15 Best Tennis Players of All Time. 1 ranking for the first time, a position she held briefly throughout her career for a total of eleven weeks. John McEnroe was perhaps the sweetest recruiting plum in college history. Goolagong was also proficient in doubles with six Grand Slam victories and helped her country win three Fed Cup titles in 1971, 1973, and 1974. Heading into the 2020 US Open, he ranks No. I won't repeat it but answer the implicit question- it doesn't matter. 1 in the Oracle ITA Singles Rankings a first for the program. 15. However, this list is based more on how players fared against the competition, as well as their overall play. In that case, Federer may have won significantly more titles because he gave up so many to both of these players. On the surface, ranking the best male and female tennis players of all time might appear like an easy task. 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. 10. New posts Search forums. He played for UW-Whitewater and was the highest-drafted football player in college history, having been selected 98 th overall in the third round of 2021 NFL drafts. 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. 1. 5/21/2021. Moving on to the list comes the 15 best tennis players of all time with three bonus ones. 21 in the world. Losing 11 drops him a bit, but he was still a complete player nobody wanted to face in his prime. For 18 of 19 years Trinity University, with just 1,800 students, was ranked in the top four. 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. For starters here are our top ten men's teams. I hope you enjoy the resources. 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. He played college tennis for the University of Southern California (USC) and won the NCAA singles . Its worth noting she also competed during a period where many players didnt compete as often in the Australian Open. Billie Jean King. 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. "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. 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. She was one of the best female tennis players when she won 18 Grand Slam titles and 157 other titles during her playing career.