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Top 10 Greatest Tennis Players of All Time | ATP Legends

July 18, 2021 By Sourav

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Over a billion fans follow tennis worldwide, making it one of the most-watched sports on earth. Additionally, it is among the sports that generate vast amounts of revenue. A rise in attention is not primarily due to the dynamics of tennis. Throughout the years, there have been key players who have created a lot of excitement and dominated the game. Here we discuss the greatest tennis players of all time.

In the modern era, tennis is a popular sport included in many major sporting events, including the Olympic Games, Common Wealth Games, and many others. There are some best tennis players, even more, who glorify this sport.

Greatest Tennis Players – All-Time Ranking

10. Ivan Lendl (Czechoslovakia / USA)
9. Andre Agassi (United States)
8. Bill Tilden (United States)
7. Rod Laver (Australia)
6. Björn Borg (Sweden)
5. Roy Emerson (Australia)
4. Pete Sampras (United States)
3. Novak Djokovic (Serbia)
2. Rafael Nadal (Spain)
1. Roger Federer (Switzerland)

Honorable Mention

11. Jimmy Connors (United States)
12. Boris Becker (Germany)

Don’t Miss

• Greatest Tennis Players – All-Time Infographics
• FAQs regarding Tennis Legends

 

Tennis is not just one of the most popular sports but also among the richest sports of all time. It has seen some of the greatest female tennis players which we have already ranked. And now, we will reveal the greatest stars in the history of ATP. So, check out! 

10. Ivan Lendl (Czechoslovakia / USA)

 

Active Career: 1978 - 1994
Total Prize Money: $21,262,417
Career Record: 1068–242 (81.5% Win)
Total Career Titles: 94

A former world number one player in singles tennis and winner of eight Grand Slam singles titles, Ivan Lendl, is one of the best tennis players of all time. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal later won more grand slam championships than he did. During the 1980s, he was a dominant player in tennis, and in the early 1990s, he stayed among the top competitors in the game.

Ivan reached the top of the tennis world on 28 February 1983. And he reinforced this position the following year by defeating John McEnroe in the 1984 'French Open' final. For 270 weeks spanning four years, he topped the charts from 1985 to 1987 and 1989 to 1989. He is a Czechoslovakian by birth but later took up US citizenship.

Moreover, Pete Sampras and Ivana share the record of competing in a Grand Slam final each year for 11 consecutive years. The ace tennis player John McEnroe had achieved the same 12 year-end championships that he did before he established the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). His wins in the 'Masters Grand Prix,' 'WCT Finals,' and Grand Prix Super Series' earned him 22 titles.

Ivan won over 1000 singles matches during his career, which Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer share. He won 94 titles in singles. His other achievements include his 2001 induction into the "International Tennis Hall of Fame." Later, Ivan became the coach of Andy Murray in 2012.

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9. Andre Agassi (United States)

Active Career: 1986 - 2006
Total Prize Money: $31,152,975
Career Record: 870–274 (76.0% Win)
Total Career Titles: 60

The former professional tennis player Andre Agassi won several USTA junior titles before his turn pro at the age of 16. The 1992 Wimbledon tournament was Agassi's first Grand Slam title. In 1994, he won the US Open and, in 1995, the Australian Open. But sadly, he is also among the most controversial tennis stars as he confessed about his drug abuse during 1997 tennis season.

Having slumped for several years, Agassi returned to winning form with wins at the U.S. Open and the French Open in 1999. In 2006, he stepped down from the competition. The remarkable career of Agassi makes him one of the greatest tennis players in the USA.

In 1996, Agassi won his only significant victory at the Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia, winning the gold medal for men's singles in the men's singles competition. Agassi became the fifth man to win the Grand Slams on three different surfaces during the 1999 French Open.

His title at the U.S. Open in September confirmed he was back in great shape, and he regained his number one ranking at the end of 1999. Then, in 2001, Andre won his third Australian Open. Recurring wrist problems limited the 2002 season, but he won his fourth Open in 2003. 

8. Bill Tilden (United States)

Active Career: 1931 - 1946
Total Prize Money: -N/A-
Career Record: 1425–372 (79.3% Win)
Total Career Titles: 138

The Legendary "Big Bill" Tilden played tennis for the United States. He was born in 1893 and died in 1953. In the period 1920-1925, Tilden held the number one position for six years. Among his 14 Major singles, titles are 10 Grand Slams, one World Hard Court Championship, and three major professional titles.

It was in 1920 that Tilden became the first American to win Wimbledon. During his career, he shared a U.S. championship title with Bill Larned and Richard Sears, taking home seven titles independently. Tilden is known as one of the greatest tennis players ever.

During his 20-year amateur career, from 1911 to 1930, Tilden won 138 of 192 tournaments, dominating the world of international tennis during the first half of the 1920s. At the U.S. National Championships, he set records for career match wins and career winning percentage.

As a result of his dominance at the 1929 U.S. National Championships, Tilden achieved another first when he reached ten finals at one Grand Slam event. As of 2017, Roger Federer was the only player to get an eleventh Wimbledon final, surpassing Lendl's ten grand slam finals at the time.

7. Rod Laver (Australia)

Active Career: 1963 - 1979
Total Prize Money: $1,565,413
Career Record: 1473–407 (78.4% Win)
Total Career Titles: 198 (Pre-Open Era)

He was born on 9 August 1938 in Sydney, Australia. Mr. Laver was an Australian tennis player. During his career, Laver held the No. 1 ranking in nine different years is an all-time record for the game. Between 1964 and 1970, Laver ranked first globally, a span of five years before and three years after the Open Era began in 1968. He is also the player with most wins in tennis career during the pre-open era.

As an amateur, he was rated No. 1 in 1961 and 1962. Rod is still known as one of the greatest tennis players of all time. Tennis legend Rod Laver has won the most singles titles in history with 198. For seven consecutive years (1964–70), he won at least ten titles per year, the record for all-time men. His game was outstanding on all surfaces of his time, including grass, carpet, wood, clay, and hard.

For five years before the Open Era, Laver was prohibited from playing these tournaments, despite winning 11 Grand Slam singles titles. Only Rod Laver has achieved the Grand Slam in singles twice, in 1962 and 1969. In the Open Era, only one other man has successfully tackled such a task.

A major title is won by every male player twice (before Roy Emerson and after Novak Djokovic). The seven-time Grand Slam champion won eight Pro Slam titles, including the 1967 Pro Grand Slam. While his contribution to Australia's Davis Cup titles was as significant as the majors, he contributed to five titles for Australia during the Davis Cup era.

6. Björn Borg (Sweden)

Active Career: 1973 - 1993
Total Prize Money: $3,655,751
Career Record: 654–140 (82.4% Win)
Total Career Titles: 66

A former Swedish No. 1 tennis player, Björn Rune Borg, was born in 1956. In the Open Era, he was the first man to win 11 consecutive Grand Slam singles titles (six at the French Open and five at Wimbledon). Despite playing in four US Open finals, he never won the tournament. His five Wimbledon titles make him the first male to achieve that feat in the open era.

Borg is known as one of the greatest tennis players because of his remarkable career. His impressive performances and achievements are the reason for his popularity in tennis cricket. With his four consecutive French Open titles from 1978-81, Borg has a perfect record in the French open finals (6–0).

At the French Open Finals, he has the fourth-best record, behind Pete Sampras (7–0 at Wimbledon finals), Novak Djokovic (9–0 at Australian Open finals), and Rafael Nadal (13–0). As a male player, Borg has appeared in the finals of both the French Open and Wimbledon four consecutive times (1978-81). His three consecutive wins (1978–80) made him the only man to win both.

From 1977 to 1981, Borg spent 109 consecutive weeks at the top of the ATP rankings. The Association of Tennis Professionals website lists him as having won 77 titles at top-level singles and four titles at top-level doubles. During the 1979 award ceremony for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year, Borg won the Overseas Personality award. 

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5. Roy Emerson (Australia)

 

Active Career: 1953 - 1983
Total Prize Money: -N/A-
Career Record: 1325-380 (77.7% Win)
Total Career Titles: 110

Former tennis player Roy Stanley Emerson AC won 12 Grand Slam singles titles, and 16 Grand Slam doubles titles, adding up to 28 Grand Slam titles. He retired in 1977 after being born on 3 November 1936. Having won titles at all four Grand Slam events in singles and doubles, he is the only male player to complete a Grand Slam career.

Three male players (Rod Laver, Novak Djokovic, and Roger Federer) complete the double Grand Slam in singles. In terms of major titles won by male players, he holds the record with 28. Three times he ranked number one in the world, starting in 1964, 1965, and 1967.

As the first male player to win 12 majors, Emerson set a record for most major titles won in a single season. Until Pete Sampras passed him in 2000, he held the record for 30 years. In addition to the six titles he won at the Australian Open, Novak Djokovic also won seven titles there in 2019. He named himself one of the greatest tennis players with his career achievements.

Emerson won five of those titles consecutively (1963–67), a still-standing record. Emerson is one of only five tennis players ever to win multiple slam sets in two disciplines. Throughout his career, Emerson won a record eight Davis Cups. During the pre-Open Era, he did not turn pro, unlike many of his contemporaries.

4. Pete Sampras (United States)

Active Career: 1988 - 2003
Total Prize Money: $43,280,489
Career Record: 762–222 (77.4% Win)
Total Career Titles: 64

Former professional tennis player Petros "Pete" Sampras, born in 1971, was born in Washington, DC. Professionally, he began playing tennis in 1988 and finished in 2002 at the US Open. Sampras defeated long-term rival Andre Agassi in a Grand Slam final. He is one of the few men to have won the final Grand Slam event of the Open Era.

Most of the tennis analysts dubbed him as one of the greatest male tennis players in Wimbledon ever to grace the court. As a singles player, Sampras won a total of 14 Grand Slam titles during his career, seven Wimbledon titles. With two Australian Opens and five US Open titles, Pete holds the Open Era record.

Furthermore, his victory at Wimbledon (2000) was the last by an American male player, making him one of the greatest tennis players in the world. His total of 64 singles titles is in the era of the Open Era. He first held the No. 1 spot for 286 weeks (third all-time), making him one of the greatest tennis players of the open era.

It was his six consecutive No. 1 ranking in the Open Era between 1993 and 1998. Right-handed, he played singlehandedly with a solid and precise backhand, earning him the nickname "Pistol Pete." A year after he was inducted into the Hall of Fame, he won the Olympic gold medal.

3. Novak Djokovic (Serbia)

 

Active Career: 2003 - Present
Total Prize Money: $149,810,010 (Till 2021)
Career Record: 963–195 (83.2% Win)
Total Career Titles: 84

The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) ranked Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic as the World No. 1 in men's singles tennis until 2014. In the history of professional tennis, he is one of the greatest players. At one point, he held the top position for 270 weeks. Not just the prime dominating force in the current tennis scenario, he is also one of the most important sportsmen right now.

In addition to his enviable achievement of winning 17 Grand Slam titles, Djokovic has won eight 'Australian Open titles, five "Wimbledon," three 'US Opens," and a "French Open." Known for his exceptional talents, he has set many records throughout his career.

He holds the record of being the only player to win the "Australian Open" singles title three times in a row from 2011 to 2013. In 2015, he won the fourth "Grand Slam" title in a single calendar year. Six tags in a single season set a record for him in 2015. It is yet another 'open era' record created by Novak, who has won four straight ATP World Tour Finals.

In the ATP World Tour Masters 1000, he is the only player to complete a golden career master. In addition to his many awards and honors, he has also received the 'Order of the Republic of Serbia,' the 'Order of Karadore's Star,' and the 'Order of St. Sava.

 

2. Rafael Nadal (Spain)

 

Active Career: 2001 - Present
Total Prize Money: $124,937,195 (Till 2021)
Career Record: 1027–208 (83.2% Win)
Total Career Titles: 88

Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal Parera, born 3 June 1986, plays for the Real Madrid team. The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) ranks him in the world No. 3, and he has been no. 1 in ATP rankings for 209 weeks, including five times as year-end No. 3. 1. Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal share the all-time record of 20 Grand Slam men's singles titles, while Nadal has won 36 Masters 1000 men's singles titles.

In particular, he holds a tournament record of 13 French Open championships. Nadal is also known for his dominance on clay, having won 62 of his 88 singles titles on the surface. No other player has won more than 81 consecutive matches on a single surface during the Open Era. Including 26 titles in ATP Masters events, they are making him one of the greatest tennis players. Not just that, he is also the highest-paid tennis players of all time.

All credit goes to his unparalleled skills on clay court; he is obviously the most successful tennis player in Roland Garros aka the French Open. Nadal is the only Big Three member to play with a left-handed grip. He has a powerful forehand, hitting it with extremely heavy topspin at difficult angles.

The player is one of the best at breaking serves, regularly appearing in the top five on tour in the return game. As a Laureus World Sportsman of the Year in 2011 and 2021, Nadal won the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award four times. He won two gold medals at the Olympic Games representing Spain, one in singles, one in doubles.

 

1. Roger Federer (Switzerland)

Active Career: 1998 - Present
Total Prize Money: $130,230,769 (Till 2021)
Career Record: 1248–274 (82.0% Win)
Total Career Titles: 103

Switzerland's Roger Federer, born 8 August 1981, is a professional tennis player. The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) has ranked him No. 8 in the world. In the men's singles division of Grand Slams, he has won 20 titles. ATP rankings have ranked Federer at No. 1 for 310 weeks - including 237 consecutive weeks - and he has been the year-end No. 1 five times.

Not just the supreme performer in current tennis scenario, he is also among the most respected athlete, all credit goes to his on-court grace and sportsmanship. ATP singles champion Federer has captured 103 titles, second-most all-time behind Jimmy Connors. Federer has also reached a record six ATP Finals.

Besides that, his legacy and popularity among fans make him one of the greatest tennis players ever in history. Federer is highly regarded among tennis fans due to his perceived effortlessness despite his versatility on all surfaces.

Federer gained notoriety for his general graciousness after transforming his on-court demeanor as a junior, winning the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award 13 times. Additionally, he has won five Laureus World Sportsman of the Year awards. Apart from competing, he played a crucial role in establishing the Laver Cup competition for teams. 

Honorable Mentions

11. Jimmy Connors (United States)

Active Career: 1972 - 1996
Total Prize Money: $8,641,040
Career Record: 1274–283 (81.8% Win)
Total Career Titles: 109

American tennis player James Scott Connors was born on 2 September 1952. For a record-breaking 160 consecutive weeks, he led the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) rankings from 1974 to 1977 and accumulated 268 weeks of success in his career. For the first time in the history of ATP, Jimmy won the crown for more than 200 weeks and became the first legend to achieve this feat.

A lengthy and prolific career has led to Connors holding three of the best men's singles records of the Open Era: 109 titles, 1,557 matches, and 1,274 games won. His achievements make him one of the all-time greatest tennis players.

His 1974 win was the second of his career in the Open Era, though he was not allowed to compete in the fourth, the French Open. 1982 was his year of the Wimbledon and US Open triumphs, along with 1974 and 1976 when he was ranked World-number one.

At 43 years old, he retired in 1996. The Jacksonville Open was his first tournament after turning professional in 1972. After refusing to join the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) in 1972, Connors got a reputation as a maverick. 

12. Boris Becker (Germany)

 

Active Career: 1983 – 1999
Total Prize Money: $25,080,956
Career Record: 713–214 (76.9% Win)
Total Career Titles: 49

Becker, former German world No. 1, played professionally for several years and marked himself to be one of the greatest tennis players ever. From the beginning of his career, he was successful. He won his first title at the age of just 17. During his heydays, he was one of the fittest male athletes with an attractive personality.

Aside from his Wimbledon title, he won two Australian Opens, one US Open, and three Australian Opens. A gold medal at the Olympics in doubles, three year-end championships, and 13 Masters Series titles were other honors he won.

Furthermore, in 1989, Boris was named both ATP and ITF Player of the Year. Having appeared in seven Wimbledon finals makes him the first male to achieve that feat. There are 14 countries in which Becker won singles titles.

His induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame occurred in 2003. As well as playing on the World Team Tennis, he occasionally plays on the senior tour. Additionally, Boris commented for BBC during Wimbledon.

Final Words

We hope you liked the list of our greatest tennis players ever. Feel free to tell us in the comment box about the list. We appreciate your feedback.

 

Greatest Tennis Players – All-Time Infographics

 

FAQs regarding Greatest Tennis Legends

Q. Who is the greatest tennis player of all time?

Roger Federer is the legend. It ranked 100 tennis players as among the greatest ever, both men and women, and named him at the top.

Q. Who are the best tennis players in ATP?

Novak Djokovic, with 12,113 points in his career, is known at the top of the list. The others are Daniil Medvedev, Rafael Nadal, and Stafanos Tsitsipas.

Q. Who is the No 1 tennis player?

Currently ranked number one with 12,113 career points, Novak Djokovic is the man.

Q. Which tennis player has won the most Grand Slam titles?

Roger Federer named himself at the top with 20 Grand Slam titles.

Q. Who is better, Federer or Nadal?

At least at the beginning of his career, Nadal's serve was one of the worst in tennis. Federer unquestionably has a better serve than Nadal's. Nadal lost just one set to Novak Djokovic in the finals of the U.S. Open last year. The effort he put into improving both his game and serve was noticeable.

Q. Who is better, Nadal or Djokovic?

It has been 58 times since the two have faced each other. Djokovic leads 30–28. The final score is 15-13 in Djokovic's favor. Among all those matches, Nadal leads 10-7, with 17 of them taking place at Grand Slams.