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. Rod Lavers career is unique because of his success and crossover from amateur to professional and subsequent success during the Open Era. Hopefully, the combination helps explain why we ranked players as we did while providing a jumping-off point for future debate. In 1984, he had a stellar year with his only finals appearance at the French Open and titles at Wimbledon and the US Open. Top ten ranked male tennis players. Forums. 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. Net Worth. 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. Trinity turned tenniss California dream into a nightmare. Tennis. However, against Djokovic, he trails slightly by 28-30. He broke the top 100 following a run to the Lyon semifinals in 2018. Born on March 7, 1960, in Ostrava, Czechoslovakia, Ivan Lendl had an impressive career that began in 1978 when he turned pro. Before the Bryans, the Woodies, and Mac and Fleming, there was Stan Smith and Stanford transfer Bob Lutz. Novak Djokovic has won 19 singles Grand Slams and was ranked world number 1 in 2011. They promptly lost, but the team went 24-0 and won the national championship, and Mac won the singles. 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. College Tennis Rankings - USTA He was most recently in the Australian Open quarterfinals. 5/28/2021. He has 98 career titles and 20 Grand Slam Singles Title including 8 Wimbledon, 6 Australian Open, 5 US Open, and . At the time, the Cardinal (who would go on to win the NCAAs that year) were ranked #1, Trinity #2. You have entered an incorrect email address! Every generation produced great tennis stars, dating all the way back to the 1890s. In 1974, Navratilova played on tour and won her first title at the age of 17. John McEnroe. And collegian Arthur would go on to become an icon. 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. Regardless of your stance, the weight of specific stats or accomplishments will undoubtedly influence the ranking of players. HONORABLE MENTIONS: Over the years there have been many fantastic teams. 8. Furthermore, the surface can play a huge role in a players success against another. In that case, Federer may have won significantly more titles because he gave up so many to both of these players. Best Tennis Players Of All Time - Our Top10 List In 2022 - Tennis Hunters Venus Williams (Born: June 17, 1980) Venus Williams is an American professional tennis player. Serena Williams is one of the greatest Tennis players of all time, male or female. The greatest male tennis player of the last 50 years - the Guardian Dick Butkus. In the 1970s, Lavers dominance in Grand Slam events diminished due to his commitments with the National Tennis League and World Champion Tennis tours, where he remained dominant. For example, as black athletes, Serena and Venus Williams overcame unprecedented challenges growing up to break into tennis. Then again, insanity has never stopped us before. Throughout the years, there have been many great tennis players who have made a name for themselves. Throughout her career, she won 43 titles and had a career record of 525-115 for a winning rate of 82%. 10. 8 - Andre Agassi. The year after, John McEnroe earned his first Grand Slam title at the US Open in 1979, which he defended for the following two years in 1980 and 1981. Although it would be a few years before her next Grand Slam title in 2002, Serena has claimed 23 throughout her ongoing career. He liked to play from the baseline and go for big shots, even when most of tennis was still serving and volleying. Three collegians with St. Louis connections made their mark on college tennis Chuck McKinley, Arthur Ashe and a feisty fellow named Jimmy Connors. Access available rankings data at ITA. When it came to team competition, King helped lead the United States to 11 victories, four of which she was the captain. 8. Johnson anchored the Trojans to four consecutive NCAA Team Championships and collected two NCAA Singles Championships for himself. 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. Moreover, 9 of Novak Djokovics and 6 of Roger Federers Grand Slam titles came on this surface. For example, Bjrn Borg played professional tennis for roughly ten years, while Jimmy Connors played for more than double that at 24 years. 1 ranking and, to date, has held that position for 319 weeks. Trinity, 1972 The 16 best college baseball players since 1999 | NCAA.com He is currently ranked No. After qualifying at ATP Masters 1000 Cincinnati, Wolf reached a career high ranking of 143. Greatest college players of all time. In 1971, Goolagong managed to reach the world No. Given enough time, another player will come along that does what many now believe to be impossible. He became world No. Overall, his list of accomplishments is beyond impressive, and for years, it looked as if no one would ever come close to matching his success on the court. In March 1991, Seles replaced Stefi Graf as world No. He started his professional career in 2003 and soon after becoming professional, Djokovic started a journey of success that continues. 1. Tennis Strategy by Grant Grinnell. 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 . She holds three Gold medals in doubles with her sister Venus and earned a singles gold at the 2012 London Olympics. References. The Bruin was named an ITA All-American in singles and doubles. 1. 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. Its relatively easy to identify who deserves to be near the top of the list for the best male tennis players of all time. I hope you enjoy the resources. Not surprisingly, the 78 team had some feisty moments. Here is our review of the best college players of all time 2023 rankings; #1. Heres the beauty of college tennis a supremely individual sport becomes a wonderful team endeavor. Graf earned 22 Grand Slam titles throughout her career, including four at the Australian Open, six at the French Open, seven at Wimbledon, and five at the US Open. USC, 1962-1964 Advantage: Federer. List of the best men's tennis players from 2000s, listed by popularity with photos of the players when available. View the full college tennis rankings below and favorite to save your list of top mens tennis colleges. 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. Since turning pro, Anderson has won six titles and reached the finals of both Wimbledon and the US Open. During that match he didnt drop a set. Beyond his success in singles, its also worth noting his accomplishments in doubles, where he had 78 titles, an 87.7% win record, and ranked No. 8, and the considerable Brian Gottfried, ,who rose to No. Top 10 Greatest Men's Tennis Players of All Time As a senior he got it right he beat Fred Stolle to win Wimbledon without dropping a set. Peter Smiths Trojans won four straight NCAA team titles. Connors won the singles in 71. Before finishing his career as a Buckeye, Wolf won the schools first ITA Mens All-American Singles Championship and was named an ITA All-American in singles. Top Tennis Players Ever. 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. 3. 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. The Best Tennis Players of All Time (Top 10 Male + Female) Stanford, 1998 Bob and Mike Bryan, Ryan Wolters, Paul Goldstein, Alex Kim, At Wimbledon we asked Bradley Klahn, Whats the best college team of all time? He blurted out, Its got to be the Stanford team with the Bryans and Paul Goldstein that only lost three points all year. Team Player - 5. Where To Find The Country's Top Tennis Academies - Forbes The last comment and 13 other comment(s) need to be approved. Vernon Gholston, the powerhouse defensive end, easily claims the title. He has six Grand Slam titles in the Open Era, with an additional six before. Toward the end of 2003, Henin managed to find her way to the world No. He was also a great doubles player, holding the #1 ranking in the world in singles and doubles at one point in his career. In 2019, Koepfer made his Grand Slam debut at Wimbledon. 1 in the singles and doubles Oracle ITA Rankings. 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) Chris Evert was born in 1954; she is an American professional tennis player. Now it's time for . Compared to last year, her UTR has even improved considerably, well done Daevenia! The Ohio State University. Connors also holds eight Grand Slam titles, with one at the Australian Open, two at Wimbledon, and record-tying five at the US Open. May she call herself the best player on the team. Throughout her career, she held that ranking for a total of 332 weeks, second only to Stefi Graf. The official rankings page for college tennis including teams, singles and doubles. 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. Serenas first title came in early 1999, and later that year, she also claimed her maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open. Ashe won the singles, and then the doubles with Ian Crookenden. Please try logging back in or call customer support at 1-800-990-8782 for assistance. She followed up those results with an excellent 2007, where she won the French Open for the third consecutive year and the US Open. Guillermo Vilas and the Top 25 South American Players in Tennis History Nadals career started early. Although Stefi didnt play doubles frequently, she has a womens Grand Slam to her name, which she earned in 1988 alongside Gabriela Sabatini. Grand Slams Won: 2. 6. Depending on a players ranking, that extra cash can be crucial. 10. Lutz won the NCAA singles in 67, but lost the 68 final to Smith. The deep team included Jeff Austin, two Argentinian Davis Cup players, two Kreisses Mike and Bob and two Cornells Ron and Steve. Husband to Steffi Graf, a shoo-in for one of the top spots in the best female tennis players of all time, Agassi comes in at number 8 on the tennisbros.com's list. Wolf turned professional a little over a year ago in July of 2019. 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. Its a crucial factor because the sport is constantly changing and evolving. During the tennis boom, nobody was bigger, and he had rivalries with Bjorn Borg, Jimmy Connors, and Ivan Lendl at some point. 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. 10. Vernon Gholston - 6'3, 260 lbs. 1 in the Oracle ITA Singles Rankings a first for the program. 58 and now is Stanfords popular coach. In 2001, he claimed his first significant singles title, and he also managed to make it to the quarterfinals of the French Open that year. 5. 1 Margaret Court in a small clay court tournament held in Charlotte, NC. Perhaps this is a bit low for some, but its very hard to compare eras that are so far apart. Stanford, 1973-1974 Tennis Channel/USTA College Tennis Top 25. UCLA, 1965-1966 Charlie Pasarell, Arthur Ashe, Ian Crookenden. He was named the ACC Freshman of the Year becoming only the 6th Cavalier to earn the honor in the programs history. He led his nation to its only Davis Cup final. John McEnroe was perhaps the sweetest recruiting plum in college history. To date, hes the only player to achieve that feat twice in his career, and only five players on the mens and womens side have won a calendar Grand Slam. 1 singles slot his junior season, Norrie also claimed TCUs season singles winning percentage record. As of now, he shares his record Grand Slam titles with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. No problemo. Top 100 College Football Players Of All Time - sporcle.com Many will argue that of the top players, head-to-head performance should carry significant weight. He finished his collegiate career ranked No. He has a 16-24 record against Nadal and an 18-20 record against Djokovic. Top 10 Greatest Tennis Players (Male) of All Time - Sports Virsa Joe is the best Tennis Pro I've ever had. Just making it into the top 25 is Lleyton Hewitt. However, winning a Grand Slam in 2014, 2015, and 2016 put him in the top 25. Stanford, 1978 John McEnroe, Matt Mitchell, Bill Maze, Peter Rennert, Lloyd Bourne. The result earned her a total of 129 titles, 67 that were during the Open Era. 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. Born on December 21, 1954, Chris Evert is an American tennis player who competed from 1972 1989. In addition to his Grand Slam success, Federer has claimed 103 ATP titles, the most ever behind Jimmy Connors in the Open Era. Top 100 College Football Players Of All Time Quiz - By forrestsancomb. 6/22/2021. 1 ranking, and she earned this spot for a total of 260 weeks throughout her career. However, the divide makes it particularly tough to compare player accomplishments. Its just humanly impossible., 9. 1 ranking for longer than any other player in history at 345 weeks and currently has 85 titles to his name. In their 34 meetings, his record was 14-20. 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 . 2023 by Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA). But something happened in the last 20 years. Where would Serena Williams rank in male rankings? - Quora 1, and she held that position for 178 weeks throughout her career. He was part of the winning team in 1978, 1979, 1981, 1992, and 1992. Yea, if a tennis player is not in the top 50 by 18 they'll never make it. 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. Most Jacked Athlete in Every Sport | Muscle Prodigy Fitness Required fields are marked *. Do we believe player A holding the number one ranking for 20 more weeks is more valuable than player Bs five additional titles? Some, such as prize money and whether they were left or right-handed, are there for fun. For all those reasons, this is a justifiable choice. Andre Agassi is one of the best tennis players of all time, capturing the hearts of fans with his flamboyance, fierce competitiveness, and pure. 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. 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 . 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%. ***Title totals include pre and post Open Era where relevant. Rankings. 1 for 270 total weeks through his career. After going 21-1 at the No. He finished with 14 Grand Slams and 64 career titles, and he was nearly impossible to beat on grass courts and very fast hard courts. Best Men's Tennis Players of All Time - Ranker All Rights Reserved. In 1998, she won her first WTA tournament, which she followed up with a few additional titles that year. Best Men's Tennis Colleges | NCSA Power Rankings 2022 Born in Belleville, IL, in 1952, Jimmy Connors is an American tennis player who turned pro in 1972 at the age of 20. Furthermore, in the coming years, I believe Djokovic will only further cement his position here. Hes only reached the quarterfinals twice, and has never been beyond that. 2. In 1962, Margaret Court achieved a career-high ranking of world No. Read Also: Top 15 Best College Tennis Teams Ever 2022 Ranking. Chris Evert was once known for 1,309 appearances, a record number. He made his ATP Tour debut reaching the quarterfinals at 2020 Delray Beach. College Tennis Rankings Bradley was an ITA Scholar Athlete, an ITA All-American in singles and doubles, and a fierce competitor. A great doubles player on top of singles, hes one of the most well-rounded players of his era. While still at USC, he managed to win three doubles Grand Slams and reach two other Slam finals. John McEnroe is another of the greatest male tennis players of all time. This question a few years ago was Federer and Federer only, but now he has company. In team competition, Serena helped the United States to a win in 1999 at the Fed Cup. Greatest Tennis Players 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. 10+ Best Tennis Players of All Time | Men & Women + Stats