Over the course of four seasons, Johnson was named an ITA All-American seven times. In that case, Federer may have won significantly more titles because he gave up so many to both of these players. For starters here are our top ten mens teams. Kwiatkowski capped off a legendary collegiate career by winning the NCAA Singles Championships his senior year the fourth singles title in program history. He started his professional career in 2003 and soon after becoming professional, Djokovic started a journey of success that continues. Go. 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. J.J. Wolf was a force to be reckoned with for the Buckeyes. They promptly lost, but the team went 24-0 and won the national championship, and Mac won the singles. Moreover, the Dutch is in place #59 of the best college tennis players of the moment, her highest ranking ever. Video History Championship Info. During the four years Dominik Koepfer spent at Tulane, he set records and recorded firsts for the Green Wave. Heading into the 2020 US Open, he ranks No. 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. 10. -The ITA lists the top teams and players in the country at all levels of college tennis. Frazier Tommy #4. 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. In 1998, she won her first WTA tournament, which she followed up with a few additional titles that year. Steve Johnsons collegiate career is the stuff of legends. Roger Federers most significant rivalries in his career are Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Home Bracket Singles Bracket Doubles Bracket. 11 - Boris Becker. She is the only player in history to win nine titles at Wimbledon. To that end, here are a few additional women that didnt make the top ten, but we felt worth mentioning. Henin would claim seven Grand Slam titles, one at the Australian Open, four at the French Open, and two at the US Open. Bob Bryan won the singles championship over Goldstein. Tennis Channel/USTA College Tennis Top 25. However, out of all the finals he reached, he only won eight Grand Slams. -See which former college tennis student-athletes are in the women's professional tour. Career titles: 42. Born on October 18, 1956, in Czechoslovakia, Martina Navratilova also competed as a US citizen after receiving her citizenship in 1981. Hopefully, the combination helps explain why we ranked players as we did while providing a jumping-off point for future debate. The longevity of Jimmy Connors career has boosted him a bit, but its hard to put him any higher than this. Federer first claimed the world No. All Rights Reserved. 1 for 270 total weeks through his career. #5 Waves Clash with Top-Ranked North Carolina in NCAA Semifinals. 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. Before this year, professional tennis players who played tennis for money werent allowed to compete in many of the biggest tennis tournaments, including the Grand Slam events. There was USCs 58 squad, led by Perus Modesto Junior College transfer Alex Olmedo, who won the NCAA singles and doubles and led the US to the Davis Cup title. The now 39 year old, also holds the record for the most weeks as number one (310). She narrowly missed that feat before the Open Era in 1965, only losing in the French Open finals. These days, the Olympics hold quite a bit of significance related to a players overall success and perception. Born in Serbia on May 22, 1987, Novak Djokovic is currently my pick for the best mens tennis player of all time. He is one of the few players to achieve the career Golden Slam, meaning that he won all four Grand Slams and Olympic gold. George Toleys 62-64 USC teams werent exactly that. 163 which is a career record. Born on August 8, 1981, in Switzerland, Roger Federer is one of the most dominant players in the history of our sport with a massive number of impressive stats that will cement him as one of the greatest players of all time. Not having the same amount of success at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open probably contributes to him not getting some of the recognition he rightly deserves. Gould gave him space, and still says Mac was one of the most supportive team players hes ever had. The greatest tennis player of all time has to be none other than Roger Federer. Although Djokovic has the same number of Grand Slam titles as Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, his wins are the most diverse across the events showing that he can perform well in all conditions and on all surfaces. Djokovic turned pro in 2003. In addition to her results in singles, Chris Evert also achieved success in doubles with three Grand Slam titles. He finished his career with eight Grand Slams and 109 titles, and he helped shape the modern game with his style of play. She also had an impressive career record of 704-165, winning 81% of her matches. Despite the wound healing relatively quickly, the attack took its toll on Seles, who didnt return to the tour until 1995, resulting in her missing ten Grand Slam events during that time. When Boris Becker was on grass or indoor carpet courts, it was nearly impossible to beat him. 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 recent years, he has won many big titles back to back, surpassing the track record of other great players like Waldner. Perhaps this is a bit low for some, but its very hard to compare eras that are so far apart. But they faced off in a dicey semi against each other in the NCAA championships and then had to play doubles together. Against Federer, Nadal has an impressive 24-16 record. 9 - John McEnroe. The big reason why thats the case is that Rafael Nadal won them all during his prime. It was the most selfless team Ive hadIt was probably the best team in recent history. The top four players would alternate playing No. Some rules are different, i.e., on-court coaching is allowed on the WTA tour outside of the Grand Slam events. Nadal: 8. 10. Peter Smiths Trojans won four straight NCAA team titles. He was a strong all-around player who could dominate in doubles as well. I hope you enjoy the resources. 1 singles slot his junior season, Norrie also claimed TCUs season singles winning percentage record. Brandon Nakashima | University of Virginia. Another factor that often arises when selecting the best players of all time is the depth of field or how many elite players were competing during any highly successful players time on tour. Andre Agassi. Although there a virtually an endless list of data points one can use to compare these players, weve highlighted a handful of criteria that we believe help showcase why these titans of our sport made our list. 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. 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. In 1956, Laver started to pursue a career in tennis as an amateur and quickly established himself as a junior before winning his first Grand Slam singles title in 1960 at the Australian Championships, now the Australian Open. In 1968, the Open Era began, which allowed professional players to compete in Grand Slam events. Over the span of his collegiate career, Anderson was named an ITA Singles All-American three times and an ITA Doubles All-American twice. 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. During the 2019 US Open, he reached the fourth round after upsetting No. Mental toughness, confidence, and a positive attitude were also mentioned several times in the responses. In addition to her gold medal in the 1988 Olympics, she earned a bronze in doubles that year. The greatest Australian mens tennis player ever now has an arena named after him in Melbourne. Caroline Wozniacki. In the heart of the Depression, a hard-working Paris, Texas boy earned a bicycle from the Saturday Evening Post. Serenas first title came in early 1999, and later that year, she also claimed her maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open. Its just a matter of what is weighed most importantly in tennis. Although theres certainly nothing wrong with the exercise, weve decided to maintain two separate lists. Outside of singles, Navratilova has one of the most impressive doubles careers in history. Your Admin status expires in$(daysToExpire) days! But in 73 they didnt just lose one top player, they lost their top two. Massachusetts Institute of Technology - MIT, University of California - Los Angeles - UCLA, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo, 2002-2023 NCSA College Recruiting All Rights Reserved. She also won a bronze medal at the Summer Olympics in Syndey, Australia. Billie Jean King. Wed love to hear from you in the comments below. 3 behind Jeff Borowiak, who would become No. 6. She played her final singles match in 1983 at the Australian Open. But in 72, Trinity enticed USC to come to San Antonio for a dual match, dubbed the Super Bowl of Tennis. Read our weekly recap of the 5 most interesting things we dig up in tennis. 1. 7 in the world, and the injured Pat Dupre, who reached the 79 Wimbledon semis, were out. Home > Opinion > 10+ Best Tennis Players of All Time, Improve your game alongside our community of tennis players. 24) Ralph Sampson (Virginia) College Averages: 16.9 points, 1.2 assists, 11.4 rebounds. Borgs career was relatively short, especially compared to many other tennis players on our list. Once told he was too clumsy to be a Davis Cup ball boy, Stan went on to win seven Davis Cups. . 15 Best Tennis Players of All Time. 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. 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. Evert is the only female tennis player to have won seven titles at the French Open. USC, 1967-1968 However, throughout his career, Sampras got the best of him. Quinn Meinerz. The Tour de Frances loss was tennis gain. Before the Bryans, the Woodies, and Mac and Fleming, there was Stan Smith and Stanford transfer Bob Lutz. You have entered an incorrect email address! Its challenging enough to reach reasonable conclusions on the best players without mixing the ATP and WTA tour. Although its easy to get wrapped up in the accomplishments of current players, most will likely be impressed by what they learn and gain a deeper appreciation for the sport as a whole and the players that helped shape it. He finished his collegiate career ranked No. At age 25, Norrie is entering his prime, and has reached a career-high ranking of 41 in the world. Johnson reached No. 3. Born on July 31, 1951, Evonne Goolagong is an Australian tennis player whose results in the 1970s at the start of the Open Era have earned her recognition as one of the best to play the sport. Its relatively easy to identify who deserves to be near the top of the list for the best male tennis players of all time. WTA Tour-WTA Homepage-See which former college tennis student-athletes are in the women's professional . A lot of guys are more than happy to jump in to this question especially in the aftermath of US Open 2018 final fiasco (and Serena's claims on sexism) on. By the time he was 21 years old, he already had a U.S. Open and Wimbledon title to his name. 1 ranking for the first time, a position she held briefly throughout her career for a total of eleven weeks. His first biggest win of his career came in 2012 as he defeated Jurgen Melzer in five sets. Archie Griffin #3. 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. Longevity is another factor to consider. 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. World number 1 ranked male tennis players. 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. However, against Djokovic, he trails slightly by 28-30. Women's Tennis. Cressys senior season was outstanding. As a result, what one player could accomplish playing tennis in the 1950s is fundamentally different from the 2000s. Never again would such a tiny school achieve so much. Goldstein reached No. In his short career, Bjorn Borg was able to accomplish a lot. Djokovic: 10. List of ATP number 1 ranked singles tennis players. Erase the USA (No Outlines) 3. For example, if youre ranking two somewhat equally successful players, then their head-to-head records is an easy way to establish whos the better player. Before finishing his career as a Buckeye, Wolf won the school's first ITA Men's All-American Singles Championship and was named an ITA All-American in singles. Looking back on the history of Grand Slam events, the Australian Open is a bit of an outlier. Born November 22, 1943, in America, Billie Jean King has had a tremendous impact on the sport during and after her retirement. Trinity, 1972 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. Stefi Graf retired from professional tennis in 1999 and earned her spot in the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2004. 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. He liked to play from the baseline and go for big shots, even when most of tennis was still serving and volleying. 7) all stepped up at USCs new tennis center to take Stanfords first title, in what would become a dynastic run of 17 championships. At the time, the Cardinal (who would go on to win the NCAAs that year) were ranked #1, Trinity #2. Serena Williams. He is one of three men to end each of the last 10 years ranked in the top 20 and with 30+ wins. Like Evert, Navratilova won 18 Grand Slam singles titles, including three at the Australian Open, two at the French Open, nine at Wimbledon, and four at the US Open. I have actually included 11 players here with two greats tied for the 10th position. Roger Federer. 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. Winning Ugly by Brad Gilbert, Steve Jamison. Popular Quizzes Today. Furthermore, Federer has six year-end championship titles to his name, while Nadal has none. Despite that, he managed to win 72 of his 198 titles in the Open Era past the age of 30. 1 ranking for the first time, which he retained for 109 weeks throughout his career. 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. Amazingly, at UCLA, Jimbo often played No. Before retiring in 2020, this talented, beautiful Danish tennis player became the first Scandinavian woman to win big prize money and hold her No. A list that gives the top 10 tennis players of all time! Connors' career spanned an incredible 24 years and saw him win 147 career titles including 8 Grand Slam titles. Your email address will not be published. The argument is that no single player controls the outcome of a given doubles match, let alone a teams performance throughout an entire tournament. Jeremy on May 15, 2020: It doesnt make accomplishments from years past less impressive, relevant, or important, but its a factor that we should weigh when making comparisons. Nakashima turned pro ranked No. 3. Book. However, dig a little deeper, and its surprisingly nuanced, brimming with subjectivity and emotion. Serena Williams career continues, but injuries have hampered her success and the frequency that she competes. 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. 101 after qualifying at Cincinnati. First, he only played the Australian open twice throughout his entire career. She played a limited schedule for the following two years but accumulated a few solid wins, including her first top 20 victory in 1995. He retired at the early age of 26 in 1984 and likely could have achieved significantly more if willing to continue competing. (Skip to the end of the article to view our top 10 list if you have want to save time). 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. In college at Ohio State, Gholston bench pressed a team-high 455 pounds and squatted 405 pounds for twenty reps. Now, hes on tour and will play in the US Open this week. Barry Sanders #5. Similarly, all of his Wimbledon titles were consecutive from 1976 -1980. 5. 1. Her professional career started around the age of 16, and throughout her career, she achieved impressive results, perhaps most notably including her seven Grand Slam titles. 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. But for years Trinity did not win an NCAA title because Wimbledon was scheduled at the same time. He currently sits at No. Joe is the best Tennis Pro I've ever had. These days, the Australian Open is a staple and a guaranteed stop for every player who qualifies. UCLA, 1970-1971 Jimmy Connors, Jeff Borowiak, Haroon Rahim. Djokovic has also eclipsed the rapidly fading Nadal as the active player with the best chance to eclipse Federer for best ever, even if he has far to go in the major title tally (12 to Federer's 17). Plus John Isners Georgia Bulldogs, Kevin Andersons Illini and recent Virginia Cavalier teams all earned A+s. Throughout his entire career, Djokovic has had 85 career titles. To be clear, we dont perceive one tour as better or worse than the other. He has won 15 ATP Tour titles. 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. Without a doubt, Kings most successful years were from 1966 to 1975. 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. Evert won two titles at Wimbledon, seven at the French Open, three at Wimbledon, and six at the US Open. Born on December 21, 1954, Chris Evert is an American tennis player who competed from 1972 1989. In 1977, Borg reached the world No. 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. Bill Dwyre noted, They came from places that tennis does not. 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. 8. Steffi Graf is the only player in history, male or female, to achieve this feat in a calendar year. You have entered an incorrect email address! Throughout his career, Nadals most significant rivalries have come against the only two players I rank above him for the greatest male tennis players of all time. Perhaps at another point, well consider the group as a whole. After Giron made his debut at the 2014 US Open, he did not play another tour-level match until qualifying for 2018 Los Cabos. Marcos Girons debut at the US Open came in 2014 when he earned a wild card into the Grand Slam after winning the NCAA Singles Championships. Their loaded roster also included 77 collegiate champ Matt Mitchell. Andre Agassi turned pro in 1986 at the age of 16 and, in two short years, rocketed to a ranking of world No. He is certainly the best player ever on clay court, as his 14 French Open titles are likely never to be touched. In 1966, King became the world No. King returned the following year and made it to the third round. 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. However, her first Grand Slam victory came a few years later at the French Open in 1971, which she quickly followed up with a win at Wimbledon as well. During the tennis boom, nobody was bigger, and he had rivalries with Bjorn Borg, Jimmy Connors, and Ivan Lendl at some point. He held a 15-4 singles record and a perfect 26-0 doubles record. Australian Rod Laver was born on August 3, 1938, and players and fans widely regard him as one of the greatest players of all time. Additionally, he holds the record for more wins at 1,274 than any other player in the Open Era. He was an American tennis player who won a total of 77 career titles in his playing years. Trinitys No. The Australian reached #1 at a very young age, and his overall career success started younger than most players in general. Hes another casualty of the Roger Federer era, constantly going up against him and other greats during any deep runs in tournaments. Pasarell was a superb player, a powerful political force, and, as the desert prince who created the Indian Wells tournament, a game changer. Two years later, in 2008, Djokovic claimed his first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open defeating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. 7. 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. Throughout the years, there have been many great tennis players who have made a name for themselves. However, at this stage in his career, Djokovic is particularly unique in that he continues to dominate and remain healthy, which means hes only going to extend his results and further cement his position as the greatest player ever to live. New posts Search forums. Just a couple of decades ago, many labeled Pete Sampras as the greatest tennis player of all time. In July of 2011, Djokovic became world No. Since leaving Fort Worth, Norrie has reached as high as No. Serena Williams is one of the greatest Tennis players of all time, male or female. Billie Jean King is an icon in the tennis world, dominating her field for almost a decade as she won an astonishing 129 titles which included 12 Grand Slams. . Although her career has slowed, Venus Williams competes in a limited number of tournaments on the WTA tour and has not yet made it clear when she intends to retire. However, as those achievements narrow, its natural for individuals to introduce their opinion on various factors that should carry more weight making it more challenging for consensus. I have followed Joe to his company JXS Tennis Academy at Babson College and I love it. Given enough time, another player will come along that does what many now believe to be impossible. Some players have significantly longer careers than others. Required fields are marked *. She holds 14 Grand Slam titles in doubles and two in mixed doubles. . In the three years that followed, Seles was dominant, winning six of the eight Grand Slam events in 1991 and 1992. During his career, John McEnroe was also highly successful at the Davis Cup, where he helped revive the United States. Its a crucial factor because the sport is constantly changing and evolving. 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. New posts New profile . UCLA, 1965-1966 Charlie Pasarell, Arthur Ashe, Ian Crookenden. Since then, Court racked up more Grand Slam titles than any player in history male or female. 10. Andre Agassi had one of the longest careers of any of our top-ranked mens tennis players at a thoroughly impressive 20 years. Pistol Pete never had clay-court success, which is what will ultimately keep him out of the top spot. USC, 1962-1964 Goulds takeaway: You never say never, but there is no way a team will ever do what this team did. Here is our review of the best college players of all time 2023 rankings; #1. He and Lutz won five Slam titles. For years they were at the heart of the US Davis Cup team. The last comment and 13 other comment(s) need to be approved. 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. However, he wouldnt play his first ATP tour event until 2004, and hed claim his first ATP title in 2006. With that said, his achievements are thoroughly impressive, especially considering the short timeline of his career. One of the most dominating seasons ever. 9. Of course, Rafael Nadals career isnt over yet, and at 35 years old, he still has plenty of time to improve upon his standing as the best player of all-time against Roger Federer if he chooses to continue to compete for a few years. For example, Bjrn Borg played professional tennis for roughly ten years, while Jimmy Connors played for more than double that at 24 years. Learn more about available mens tennis scholarships and mens tennis camps in your area. The result earned her a total of 129 titles, 67 that were during the Open Era. However, he impressed once again, winning another calendar-year Grand Slam in 1969. Born on June 14, 2969, Steffi Graf is a German tennis player. Sharing the all-time Grand Slam men's singles titles record is Roger Federer, from Switzerland. In 1962, Margaret Court achieved a career-high ranking of world No. 1 and 2 in singles and doubles, and won back-to-back singles titles in 11 and 12. 1 in the world, but was only No. Greatest Tennis Players of All Time. Whos on our list for the best male or female tennis players of all time? Help us better understand the makeup of our tennis community. He also has the most variety of Grand Slam titles, winning at least two at every major championship. Where does your favorite college tennis teams and players rank across the country and the world? As if her success on the singles court wasnt impressive enough, Court was also highly accomplished in doubles with 19 womens doubles Grand Slam titles and 21 mixed doubles titles. He was part of the winning team in 1978, 1979, 1981, 1992, and 1992. Check out the Men's tennis worldwide rankings for 2023, here at ESPN.com. 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 .
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