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Hes a winner of three Grand Slam titles, and has shown that he can beat the best of the best when it matters most. 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. 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. In total, Goolagong won 86 titles, with 68 of them coming in the Open Era. Stanfords young 95 team included Jeff Salzenstein, Scott Humphries and Paul Goldstein, who like Steve Johnson, played on four championship teams. Pasarell was a superb player, a powerful political force, and, as the desert prince who created the Indian Wells tournament, a game changer. 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. Borg won 11 Grand Slam titles, six at the French Open and five at Wimbledon. Evert won two titles at Wimbledon, seven at the French Open, three at Wimbledon, and six at the US Open. If not for Federer, he likely would have won a few more trophies along the way. 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. In honor of the US Open kicking off today, we are highlighting their legendary collegiate careers that prepared them for this moment. The longevity of Jimmy Connors career has boosted him a bit, but its hard to put him any higher than this. For of the French Open titles were back to back from 1978 1981. Born on July 16, 1942, in Australia, Margaret Court is a right-handed tennis player who played with a one-handed backhand and holds some of the most significant records in womens tennis. Share your location for a more tailored experience. USC, 2011-2013. A bit of a late bloomer, Wimbledon has been his only weak Grand Slam of his career. He was named the ITA Player of the Year in his final two seasons. Despite his record against Nadal, I give Federer the edge in my list of the all-time best tennis players for a few reasons. Led by Dick Stockton, who became world No. By the time he was 21 years old, he already had a U.S. Open and Wimbledon title to his name. In his short career, Bjorn Borg was able to accomplish a lot. However, he wouldnt play his first ATP tour event until 2004, and hed claim his first ATP title in 2006. 368. When I was a young kid and teenager, he was incredible at learning how I learn and making me the . Grand Slams Won: 2. She holds three Gold medals in doubles with her sister Venus and earned a singles gold at the 2012 London Olympics. . He holds the joint-record for the most grand slams in history and has consistently dominated the court since he turned pro in 1998. His first biggest win of his career came in 2012 as he defeated Jurgen Melzer in five sets. He won 8 Grand Slam titles, an Olympic gold medal, spent 101 weeks as the world number one, and received over $31 million in . That statistic would show how consistently the . 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. They almost won the 72 NCAAs. Born in Belleville, IL, in 1952, Jimmy Connors is an American tennis player who turned pro in 1972 at the age of 20. Theres only a handful of players who have done that, and Mats Wilander is one of them. Here are the ten best tennis players of all time. 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. 124. If youre looking through the mens singles draw for the 2020 US Open, you might come across some former collegiate mens players 14 to be exact. The Tour de Frances loss was tennis gain. List of the best men's tennis players from 2000s, listed by popularity with photos of the players when available. Stanford, 1998 UCLAs 76 team featured Brian Teacher, Peter Fleming, Ferdi Taygan and John Austin. Even though he never won Wimbledon, he did win the Australian Open when it was on the grass. 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. List of ATP number 1 ranked doubles tennis players. Like many players in his time, Bjrn only played the Australian Open once during his career, which potentially limited his Grand Slam count. However, this list is based more on how players fared against the competition, as well as their overall play. Forty of his 44 career tournament wins all came on dirt. He would then win another Wimbledon title in 2016. He goes into the event ranked No. Jimmy Connors reached the world No. 75.9%. M Men W Women. The second-best Rafael in tennis history was ranked No. Meinerz is a more recent addition to the NFL, having signed for the Denver Broncos in 2021.The guard is 6 foot 3 inches tall and 320 lbs. Although many people would agree on the data, qualities, or attributes that make one player better than others, theres ultimately personal opinion injected. If youve never considered whos deserving as the greatest player of all time, we hope our list at least serves as a helpful starting point, including some of the things worth keeping in mind when making your list. 5. In a 23 year career spanning four decades, the Swiss has spent a combined 310 weeks at world no.1 and holds the longest streak at world no 1. in Open Era history, having topped the ATP rankings for a four and a half year period (237 weeks) from 2004 to . The Art of Doubles by Pat Blaskower. Writer Frank Deford suggested Toleys fellow coaches might well consider scheduling a separate tournament of their own at that asylum in Hartford., 2. He took home a total of three French Open titles, and became an icon in Brazil for his consistent play. Unfortunately, that would be the only two career Grand Slams for him. 5 ranking. Born on June 1, 1982, Justine Henin is a Belgium tennis player who turned pro in 1999 at 17. The Ohio State Buckeyes men's and women's varsity teams are among the best in the NCAA, too. Given enough time, another player will come along that does what many now believe to be impossible. 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. Hed just won the French Open mixed doubles with Mary Carillo, reached the Wimbledon semis, and dazzled during the summer of 77. 4. By mistake, the kid was sent a tennis racket. 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. Perhaps at another point, well consider the group as a whole. 3 player. -The ITA lists the top teams and players in the country at all levels of college tennis. Trinity, 1972 Dick Stockton, Brian Gottfried, Bob McKinley. They were so good that when, in an Arizona windstorm, they lost their one doubles point of the year, the usually benign Gould let er rip. Each of the 14 left a legacy at their school and in the greater scope of college tennis. 1 and 2 in singles and doubles, and won back-to-back singles titles in 11 and 12. He has proven his talent for over 20 years and is still competing at the very highest level. In 65, even without Pasarell, the Bruins broke USCs three-year stranglehold on the championships. BTW: Whitlinger beat Hagey to claim the singles crown, and would coach Stanford for a decade. Since leaving Fort Worth, Norrie has reached as high as No. Home > Opinion > 10+ Best Tennis Players of All Time, Improve your game alongside our community of tennis players. 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. The big reason why thats the case is that Rafael Nadal won them all during his prime. Our writers made the case for Djokovic, Pete Sampras, Rafael Nadal, Bjorn Borg and Roger Federer. Compilation of the top singles points from matches featured on this channel during the 2020 college tennis season. Keep reading for a list of the 10 best American female tennis players of all time. 8, and the considerable Brian Gottfried, ,who rose to No. In 2006, Kevin Anderson and Ryan Rowe became only the third Illinois duo to capture the NCAA Doubles Championship. He finished his career with eight Grand Slams and 109 titles, and he helped shape the modern game with his style of play. During the four years Dominik Koepfer spent at Tulane, he set records and recorded firsts for the Green Wave. Visit the following rankings sites to find out. "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. Three collegians with St. Louis connections made their mark on college tennis Chuck McKinley, Arthur Ashe and a feisty fellow named Jimmy Connors. Popular German former tennis player Boris Becker is ranked number ten on the list of the greatest tennis players in history. 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. Passion - 6. USC, 1962-1964 - Dennis Ralston, Rafael Osuna, Bill Bond, Tom Edlefsen, Ramsey Earnhart, Chuck Rombeau. 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. In total, Nadal has claimed an unprecedented 13 French Open titles. It wasnt until 2004 that hed win his first singles ATP title. USC, 1962-1964 She is the only player in history to win nine titles at Wimbledon. 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. The NCAA tennis championships began in 1883 on the courts of a Hartford insane asylum. When it came to team competition, King helped lead the United States to 11 victories, four of which she was the captain. He also has the most variety of Grand Slam titles, winning at least two at every major championship. Pistol Pete never had clay-court success, which is what will ultimately keep him out of the top spot. Fourteen Former Mens Collegiate Players in US Open Singles Draw. The argument is that no single player controls the outcome of a given doubles match, let alone a teams performance throughout an entire tournament. Yet if you lose a top player, all can be lost. -Search for former college tennis stars on the men's professional tour. For starters here are our top ten men's teams. However, while tennis is now an active sport in the Summer Olympics, it wasnt always that way. 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. 1 the most ever. 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. She followed up those results with an excellent 2007, where she won the French Open for the third consecutive year and the US Open. Without a doubt, Kings most successful years were from 1966 to 1975. Their No. 1. Another perhaps less visible or challenging factor to consider, especially when looking back at players in history, is a deep understanding of the adversity or difficulties a player had to overcome during their career. Check out the Men's tennis worldwide rankings for 2023, here at ESPN.com. He claimed three Grand Slams and five ATP Masters titles with significant wins against his two biggest rivals, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Lutz won the NCAA singles in 67, but lost the 68 final to Smith. Others claim that John whos often said to be the seventh-best player ever was the most talented college player of all time. 6. He was first ranked No. In their 34 meetings, his record was 14-20. Shed only lose one more match the entire year to Navratilova, going an astounding 75-2 for the year. 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. She holds an astounding 177 career titles, including 31 Grand Slam victories. Nakashima turned pro ranked No. The team they beat Earnhart and Bond were also Trojans. 1 and helped the US win the 63 Davis Cup. And college tennis has changed so drastically that it's insane to try to come up with an all-time collegiate top 10. British standout Cameron Norrie set numerous records during the three years he played for the Horned Frogs. At age 25, Norrie is entering his prime, and has reached a career-high ranking of 41 in the world. Discussion Boards 1 in the Oracle ITA Singles Rankings a first for the program. 1 player for the first time after defeating his rival Roger Federer to take his first Wimbledon title, and since then has held that position for 209 weeks throughout his career. Winning Grand Slam titles on three different surfaces can be a huge challenge. The game has changed so much throughout the years, making it virtually impossible to make direct comparisons. As a senior he got it right he beat Fred Stolle to win Wimbledon without dropping a set. Evert is the only female tennis player to have won seven titles at the French Open. Many would say that this is the year Novak Djokovic finally took over as the greatest tennis player of all time. 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. For example, Bjrn Borg played professional tennis for roughly ten years, while Jimmy Connors played for more than double that at 24 years. A Wimbledon finalist while at USC, he was ranked as high as No. The Australian reached #1 at a very young age, and his overall career success started younger than most players in general. 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. Federer: 11. Regardless, shes well deserving of the title as one of the best female tennis players of all time. Your Safe Play Approval Expires in $(daysToExpire) days! She held that position for a record 377 weeks during her career, with 186 consecutive weeks, a record she shares with Serena Williams. 24) Ralph Sampson (Virginia) College Averages: 16.9 points, 1.2 assists, 11.4 rebounds. For as much as people talk about the Big Three or Big Four of this current era, Stan Wawrinka deserves mentioning as well. In 72, four of the eight quarterfinalists Stockton, Gottfried, McKinley and Paul Gerken were Trinitonians. He made the decision to turn pro in December of 2019. Hes very close, and having 20 Grand Slams to his name will keep his name in the discussion for quite a while. 20 in the world, and Pakistani Haroon Rahim. Join the conversation with other members of the community. Wed love to hear from you in the comments below. Novak Djokovic has won 19 singles Grand Slams and was ranked world number 1 in 2011. The beauty of Andre Agassis game allowed him to excel on all different surfaces. 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. Its perfectly fine to say that Roger Federer is the best tennis player of all time. And as fabulous as USCs singles lineup was, their doubles teams with Bill Bond, Tom Edlefson and Ramsey Earnhart were even stronger. The Serbian greatest tennis player Novak Djokovic is ranked 2nd in the list of greatest tennis players of all time. Heading into the 2020 US Open, he ranks No. He captured his first professional singles title at the Godfrey Futures by taking the day over Rudy Siwy. He and Lutz won five Slam titles. During the 2019 US Open, he reached the fourth round after upsetting No. During the summer, Venus also claimed her first and only singles gold medal at the Olympics in Sydney. Rankings. Table of Contents show. Popular Quizzes Today. However, out of all the finals he reached, he only won eight Grand Slams. 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. John McEnroe is another of the greatest male tennis players of all time. She was so successful across multiple disciplines that she swept Grand Slam titles in singles, doubles, and mix doubles at the same tournament five times, referred to as the Triple Crown in tennis. List of male doubles tennis players. 6. 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. The greatest tennis player of all time is Roger Federer. 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. 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%. Newsflash: The Bryans became the best doubles team in history. USC, 1962-1964 Dennis Ralston, Rafael Osuna, Bill Bond, Tom Edlefsen, Ramsey Earnhart, Chuck Rombeau. USC was led by Steve Johnson, who won 72 straight matches, was ranked No. The left-hander from the United States finished his career with seven Grand Slams, and he became an icon in the sport fairly early on. Steve Johnsons collegiate career is the stuff of legends. No American has won a Grand Slam singles title in men's tennis since 2003, when Andre Agassi won the French Open to complete a career Grand Slam and Andy Roddick won his lone . Definitely. He has won 15 ATP Tour titles. Johnson has finished the past six seasons ranked in the Top 100. Andre Agassi turned pro in 1986 at the age of 16 and, in two short years, rocketed to a ranking of world No. 1. Henin would claim seven Grand Slam titles, one at the Australian Open, four at the French Open, and two at the US Open. 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. One of the most dominating seasons ever. Andre Agassi. 1. Rafa by Rafael Nadal, John Carlin. The greatest tennis player of all time has to be none other than Roger Federer. In 1968, the Open Era began, which allowed professional players to compete in Grand Slam events. Heres another hypothetical example to consider: Again, which player is more impressive. In July of 2002, Serena first hit the world No. In the so-called open era of tennis, which began in 1968, players from 20 different nations won a Grand Slam title. Overall, Nadal has 88 titles to his name, with an astounding 62 of those coming on clay. 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. Yea, if a tennis player is not in the top 50 by 18 they'll never make it. Never again would such a tiny school achieve so much. Thats certainly not something to diminish, but everyone is going to evaluate that lopsided performance differently. Although identifying the challenges doesnt remove subjectivity, it allows us to keep those factors in mind and ensures we weigh them accordingly when establishing a ranking. However, Evert posted a handful of impressive results as early as 1970 while competing as a junior, including a win over world No. Born on June 14, 2969, Steffi Graf is a German tennis player. 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. But they faced off in a dicey semi against each other in the NCAA championships and then had to play doubles together. He spent the most weeks at number one in the world, and has finished as the year-end #1 seven times. During those years, he claimed eight titles at three of the biggest professional tournaments, the US Pro, French Pro, and Wembley Pro. Potential student-athletes must meet minimum standards or benchmarks for acceptance into their particular school, with GPA, SAT scores, ACT scores taken into account. 3. Brandon Nakashima | University of Virginia. The Bruin was named an ITA All-American in singles and doubles. Dad Racket was created exclusively as a one-stop resource to answer all your tennis questions. 4. In 2003, Henin claimed her first Grand Slam title at the French Open, making her the first Belgian ever to win a Grand Slam. As a professional, Isner has continued his excellence. Your email address will not be published. In total, Sampras claimed 64 titles, 762 wins, and had a 77.4% win record. 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. 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. However, it wasnt until 1974 that Borg captured his first French Open title at the age of 18. Stefi Graf retired from professional tennis in 1999 and earned her spot in the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2004.
