1 and a winning 30-28 record over Nadal and a 27-23 record over Federer, and I consider him to be the greatest male tennis player of all time. References. In 2002, Venus ascended to the world No. UCLAs Arthur Ashe and Charlie Pasarell were the most impactful roomies in tennis history. For 18 of 19 years Trinity University, with just 1,800 students, was ranked in the top four. Find the US States - No Outlines Minefield. Weeks at number 1: 72. Nakashima turned pro ranked No. She holds seven titles at the Australian Open, three at the French Open, seven at Wimbledon, and six at the US Open. Pistol Pete never had clay-court success, which is what will ultimately keep him out of the top spot. He would then win another Wimbledon title in 2016. He was a strong all-around player who could dominate in doubles as well. 3 in men's singles tennis by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). Your email address will not be published. A linchpin in the Cavaliers three straight NCAA Team Championships. He is currently ranked No. 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. 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. 7. He has six Grand Slam titles in the Open Era, with an additional six before. 5. Serena Jameka Williams was born on September 26, 1981 in Saginaw, Michigan. Dad Racket was created exclusively as a one-stop resource to answer all your tennis questions. UCLA, 1970-1971 Jimmy Connors, Jeff Borowiak, Haroon Rahim. 10 - Jimmy Connors. 7) all stepped up at USCs new tennis center to take Stanfords first title, in what would become a dynastic run of 17 championships. During the NCAA team tournament, he won all three of his singles matches and all four of his doubles matches. Keep reading for a list of the 10 best American female tennis players of all time. A bit of a late bloomer, Wimbledon has been his only weak Grand Slam of his career. You might find a players ability to compete at a high level for an extended period more impressive than a shorter career, even if one player in each camp ended up with nearly the same number of titles. 3. Two years later, in 2008, Djokovic claimed his first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open defeating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Regardless, shes well deserving of the title as one of the best female tennis players of all time. During the 13 years that she won at least one Grand Slam event, she was absent from the event seven times. This incredible player started his professional career young and won six of his first major singles at 17. However, she remained competitive through her later years, even becoming the oldest player on the WTA tour to win a title at 39. 6/22/2021. 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. 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. Djokovic is younger than the players #2 and #3 players on the list, and the most likely to add Grand Slams to his rsum. Born on June 1, 1982, Justine Henin is a Belgium tennis player who turned pro in 1999 at 17. Graf became the worlds No. From 2004 to 2007, Federer asserted significant dominance winning 11 of the 15 Grand Slam events during this period. Find the Countries of Europe - No Outlines Minefield. Roger Federer. 1 and helped the US win the 63 Davis Cup. However, only 62 of these occurred in the Open Era, so she doesnt have the achievement during this period. In 65, even without Pasarell, the Bruins broke USCs three-year stranglehold on the championships. Seles claimed her final Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in 1996 and was a successful player until 2003, although her official retirement didnt come until 2008. Also explosive were the results: They were NCAA champions. In his final season, he was named the Big 12 Player of the Year another first for the program. 1 in doubles. In 2006, Kevin Anderson and Ryan Rowe became only the third Illinois duo to capture the NCAA Doubles Championship. WTA Tour-WTA Homepage-See which former college tennis student-athletes are in the women's professional . He has proven his talent for over 20 years and is still competing at the very highest level. Unfortunately, he had a relatively short prime, as injuries cut his career short compared to the others. 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. Norrie holds the mens singles title at the inaugural Oracle ITA Masters. Girons national championship made him the 11th Bruin to win the NCAA Singles title. Top 10 Greatest Men's Tennis Players of All Time: 10. 1. She is the only player in history to win nine titles at Wimbledon. This week we have been analysing the best male players of the past 50 years. That same year she also claimed the US Open title. The Australian reached #1 at a very young age, and his overall career success started younger than most players in general. UCLAs 76 team featured Brian Teacher, Peter Fleming, Ferdi Taygan and John Austin. Given enough time, another player will come along that does what many now believe to be impossible. During her career, Seles won 53 titles and ended with a winning record of 595-122. 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. Instead, these tournaments only allowed amateurs to play, and these players didnt receive prize money. Born on October 18, 1956, in Czechoslovakia, Martina Navratilova also competed as a US citizen after receiving her citizenship in 1981. As challenging as it is to make a list of the best female tennis players of all time, there has to be a cutoff, despite many other players significant achievements. He used his size and athleticism to get to the net, and that helped him win six Grand Slams. Shop official NCAA team and championship gear . Impressively, Evert was also the runner-up at 16 Grand Slams. She holds an astounding 177 career titles, including 31 Grand Slam victories. Evert won two titles at Wimbledon, seven at the French Open, three at Wimbledon, and six at the US Open. He has won 15 ATP Tour titles. 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. He was the schools first champion since 2000. 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. For example, Bjrn Borg played professional tennis for roughly ten years, while Jimmy Connors played for more than double that at 24 years. Would have to argue that the 2007 UGA team, led by John Isner, that went 32-0, only lost 1 point in NCAAs, had the #1 singles player and #1 doubles team in the country, the US Open Jr Doubles Champs at #3 deserves to be in the Top 10. In 2012 he won the silver in London, and in 2008 he won the Gold in Beijing. Just a couple of decades ago, many labeled Pete Sampras as the greatest tennis player of all time. Furthermore, and appeared in the finals of nearly every one of these events except the Wembly Pro in 1963 and won all three events in 1967 a professional Grand Slam. In team competition, Serena helped the United States to a win in 1999 at the Fed Cup. However, out of all the finals he reached, he only won eight Grand Slams. 4. They almost won the 72 NCAAs. 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. He started playing professional tennis in 1998 and was dominating the sport after defeating Andre Agassi at the US Open in 2005. Chris Evert was once known for 1,309 appearances, a record number. Since turning pro, Anderson has won six titles and reached the finals of both Wimbledon and the US Open. In 1967, she played at the Australian Open, her first Grand Slam event. 6 in Lance Tingay's amateur rankings. Andre Agassi is one of the best tennis players of all time, capturing the hearts of fans with his flamboyance, fierce competitiveness, and pure. May she call herself the best player on the team. On the ATP Tour, Tennys has achieved a career-high of No. As reigning NCAA Singles champion, he made a tour-level debut at the 2010 US Open as a wildcard. This fact was significant because these were arguably his peak years, winning five of his eight Grand Slam titles during this time and denying him the opportunity to complete a Grand Slam that year when he won all other majors. For a guy who is so well known for his outbursts on and off the court, some forget just how good he was. In addition to her gold medal in the 1988 Olympics, she earned a bronze in doubles that year. But for years Trinity did not win an NCAA title because Wimbledon was scheduled at the same time. Moreover, the Dutch is in place #59 of the best college tennis players of the moment, her highest ranking ever. (Skip to the end of the article to view our top 10 list if you have want to save time). Rankings. For 12 years the collegiate championships had been Prime Time for LA either USC or UCLA won. Monica Seles returned to the French Open a year later after a solid start to the season and captured her first Grand Slam victory defeating world No. 3. ITA. In addition to her first Grand Slam title, she also claimed the worlds No. For example, which of the following hypothetical players is better: Theres no doubt the Grand Slam events are the most prestigious and challenging for a player to win. In the fall of his senior season, Isner won the ITA All-American Doubles Championships and the ITA National Indoor Doubles Championships. Additionally, he holds the record for more wins at 1,274 than any other player in the Open Era. 10. Nadal is perhaps one of the most interesting players to analyze regarding his performance on clay 13 of his 20 grand slam titles are on this surface, and 62 of his total 88 titles on clay. 1. 17 in singles and No. Furthermore, Federer has notched 1,251 match wins with a winning rate of 81.98%. Popular Quizzes Today. Heres another hypothetical example to consider: Again, which player is more impressive. The Australian reached #1 at a very young age, and his overall career success started younger than most players in general. King returned the following year and made it to the third round. Throughout her career, she won 43 titles and had a career record of 525-115 for a winning rate of 82%. Greatest college players of all time. 1 ranking and, to date, has held that position for 319 weeks. 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. Cameron Norrie | Texas Christian University. 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. However, he wouldnt play his first ATP tour event until 2004, and hed claim his first ATP title in 2006. 1 for the first time, a position he held for a total of 170 weeks throughout his career. The greatest Australian mens tennis player ever now has an arena named after him in Melbourne. 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. He made history winning his second Grand Slam title in 2013, as he broke the long cold streak for British tennis players at Wimbledon. She also had an impressive career record of 704-165, winning 81% of her matches. For more information on the NCSA Power Rankings, visit our press kit or email us. Sampras would claim five total US Open titles, two Australian Open titles, and seven Wimbledon titles for a total of 13 Grand Slam victories. Peter Smiths Trojans won four straight NCAA team titles. 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. Throughout the years, there have been many great tennis players who have made a name for themselves. A Terrible Splendor by Marshall Jon Fisher. 10. In addition to his Grand Slam success, Federer has claimed 103 ATP titles, the most ever behind Jimmy Connors in the Open Era. However, it wasnt until 2000 when Venus would capture her first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon, one of seven total five at Wimbledon and two at the US Open. 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. The number 1 in our best table tennis players list is a Chinese player, Ma Long. 5 player Peter Rennert would reach No. The team won two titles, in 70 (sans Jimbo) and in 71. Despite that success, he found the majority of his dominance on hard courts. Much like Lendl, he sometimes gets overlooked for just how many finals he made without winning the title. Then, in 1992 at the Barcelona Summer Olympics, she claimed silver in singles. 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. 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. 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. Awards: 3x National College Player of the Year, 3x ACC Player of the Year, ACC Rookie of the Year, 3x . document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for visiting my site. 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. As a perfect example, hes made five finals at the Australian Open, but never hoisted the final trophy. She narrowly missed that feat before the Open Era in 1965, only losing in the French Open finals. 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. 1 womens tennis player in August of 1987, not long after her first Grand Slam title and final appearances in Wimbledon and the US Open. She held that position for a record 377 weeks during her career, with 186 consecutive weeks, a record she shares with Serena Williams. Photo Credit: @Wimbledon. He has a 16-24 record against Nadal and an 18-20 record against Djokovic. He was named the ITA National Mens Senior Player of the Year a first for the program. In 2019, Koepfer made his Grand Slam debut at Wimbledon. He made his ATP Tour debut reaching the quarterfinals at 2020 Delray Beach. Hes very close, and having 20 Grand Slams to his name will keep his name in the discussion for quite a while. McEnroe earned himself 7 Grand Slam titles four at the US Open and three at Wimbledon. 10. Born on August 12, 1971, Pete Sampras is an American tennis player who was considered by many to be the best tennis player of all time at his retirement. During the summer, Venus also claimed her first and only singles gold medal at the Olympics in Sydney. She was one of the best female tennis players when she won 18 Grand Slam titles and 157 other titles during her playing career. Pasarell did the same in 66. 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. Fourteen Former Mens Collegiate Players in US Open Singles Draw. ranking, but despite her success, she only held that post for two weeks throughout her career. Opening Round Complete at the 2023 ITA Division III Womens Indoor 2023 Division III Womens National Team Indoor Championship: Dates, Locations, Streaming, College Tennis In the Community: Teams Give Back In The Month Anthony Montero Named ITA Director of Officiating and General Counsel, Berry College Head Mens and Womens Tennis Coach, John McEnroe Tennis Academy (JMTA) at SPORTIME Immediate Tennis Professional/Coach Openings. The now 39 year old, also holds the record for the most weeks as number one (310). His first biggest win of his career came in 2012 as he defeated Jurgen Melzer in five sets. Goulds takeaway: You never say never, but there is no way a team will ever do what this team did. 8 Grand Slam Singles Titles: 4 Australian, 2 French, 2 US Open. Georgia tennis and John Isner go hand in hand. 3 behind Jeff Borowiak, who would become No. Indeed, the Buckeyes are just as attractive to aspiring college . Wolf turned professional a little over a year ago in July of 2019. First, he only played the Australian open twice throughout his entire career. Ken Rosewall. He was the greatest clay-court player of all time until Rafael Nadal hit the scene, but it was his all-around game that caught attention from the very beginning. One of the most dominating seasons ever. In the three years that followed, Seles was dominant, winning six of the eight Grand Slam events in 1991 and 1992. Trinity, 1962-1965 He was also a great doubles player, holding the #1 ranking in the world in singles and doubles at one point in his career. The longevity of Jimmy Connors career has boosted him a bit, but its hard to put him any higher than this. Despite that, she did manage to win a singles gold medal at the Athens Summer Olympics. 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. Depending on a players ranking, that extra cash can be crucial. Even though he never won Wimbledon, he did win the Australian Open when it was on the grass. The following year the pair fell just short of repeating their doubles title falling to Middle Tennessee State duo Marco Born and Andreas Siljestrm. Career titles: 42. Here is our review of the best college players of all time 2023 rankings; #1. Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the essential meaning of best as: By definition, the word best is subjective. 7. John McEnroe. Any list of outstanding male tennis players should include names like Roger Federer, John McEnroe, Rafael Nadal and Bjrn Borgas these guys are easily the top tennis players. 1 ranking for the first time and held it for a total of 286 weeks throughout his career. 220. 1 Margaret Court in a small clay court tournament held in Charlotte, NC. Home Bracket Singles Bracket Doubles Bracket. 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. However, winning a Grand Slam in 2014, 2015, and 2016 put him in the top 25. 37 in the world. 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. 101 after qualifying at Cincinnati. He and Lutz won five Slam titles. Wed love to hear from you in the comments below. Looking back on the history of Grand Slam events, the Australian Open is a bit of an outlier. Learn with comprehensive resources to help you improve your game. Every generation produced great tennis stars, dating all the way back to the 1890s. -These polls use voters to determine the best 25 men's and women's teams in Division I. Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Rankings-Rankings Homepage-The ITA lists the top teams and players in the country at all levels of college tennis. Rafa by Rafael Nadal, John Carlin. Newsflash: The Bryans became the best doubles team in history. This article lists the tennis players who have won the most tour-level professional tournament titles since the Open Era began in 1968. Learn more about available mens tennis scholarships and mens tennis camps in your area. Smith, the Leaning Tower of Pasadena, went on to win Wimbledon and the US Open and become No. Winning Ugly by Brad Gilbert, Steve Jamison. Stockton edged Gottfried to win the singles championship. They lost maybe two singles matches all year and a doubles point. Mike Bryan added, What we did in the 97-98 season will never be done again. During the 2019 US Open, he reached the fourth round after upsetting No. 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. 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 . 8. Stefi Graf retired from professional tennis in 1999 and earned her spot in the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2004. 120. One of the most challenging elements to establishing a list of the best players of all time is that all of the most accomplished players didnt play tennis or compete at the same time. Your email address will not be published. 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. After going 21-1 at the No. 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. In the Olympics, Roger Federer has a silver and gold medal. talent. 1 ranking for 67 consecutive weeks, which is quite an achievement. Sharing the all-time Grand Slam men's singles titles record is Roger Federer, from Switzerland. He currently sits at No. He liked to play from the baseline and go for big shots, even when most of tennis was still serving and volleying. Despite his success, he had a unique relationship with the slams. Video History Championship Info. However, when narrowing it down to the best of the best, here are the top 10 best tennis players of all time. The King of Clay is thought of by some as the greatest tennis player of all time. Erase the USA (No Outlines) 3. John Whitlinger, Jim Delaney and Chico Hagey (who a few weeks earlier had been Stanfords No. Longevity is another factor to consider. First, the age and timing of head-to-head matchups can significantly influence the eventual record between two players. With that said, there is still time for Nadal, and I do believe if his body can hold up, he can overtake Federer. Toward the end of 2003, Henin managed to find her way to the world No. Andre Agassi is the only other player to accomplish this feat. Federer: 11. USC was led by Steve Johnson, who won 72 straight matches, was ranked No. Throughout their careers, the two played 34 times, and Sampras won 20 of those matches. Top ten ranked male tennis players (1912-1972) Many will argue that of the top players, head-to-head performance should carry significant weight. In 1999, Venus saw quite a bit of additional success, which would push her year-end ranking to No. 15 Best Tennis Players of All Time. Can you imagine Federer and Nadal on the same college team? Swiss player Roger Federer, the greatest player of all time is easily justifiable. However, despite significant success over the next few years, King didnt win her first Grand Slam title until 1966 at Wimbledon. Over the course of four seasons, Johnson was named an ITA All-American seven times. Caroline Wozniacki. Ivan Lendl. Now let's look at how many weeks each player has been rated the No. 3. Shed only lose one more match the entire year to Navratilova, going an astounding 75-2 for the year. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Toward the end of 1982, Graf turned pro, and she played her first full season the following year at the surprisingly young age of 13. Honorable mention also to UGAs 1985 team whose #1 and #2 played the singles final. Then again, insanity has never stopped us before. Its challenging enough to reach reasonable conclusions on the best players without mixing the ATP and WTA tour. Jimmy Connors. However, in 2005, he earned his first Grand Slam singles title, winning the French Open to wrap up a dominant clay-court season and becoming one of only two male players to win the French Open on his first attempt. One of the greatest servers of all time, theres no telling what he could be able to do with modern technology to improve his game even more. 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. Others claim that John whos often said to be the seventh-best player ever was the most talented college player of all time. Hottest Female Soccer Players. Contact Us - Privacy Policy - Affiliate Disclaimer. Like Rod Laver, Ken Rosewell came along when the Open Era was just beginning. Yet if you lose a top player, all can be lost. Some rules are different, i.e., on-court coaching is allowed on the WTA tour outside of the Grand Slam events. In 1971, Goolagong managed to reach the world No. 1 ranking, and she earned this spot for a total of 260 weeks throughout her career. Do we believe player A holding the number one ranking for 20 more weeks is more valuable than player Bs five additional titles? Dick Butkus. Hes only reached the quarterfinals twice, and has never been beyond that. 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. Although singles tennis is the more popular discipline, playing doubles still carries significant weight and requires a unique skill set that many fans believe distinguishes one player from the next. Create a free account and explore my latest videos below, Before we dive into many of the nuances of ranking the best players of all time, lets get clear on what exactly we mean by best.. Then again, insanity has never stopped us before. The deep team included Jeff Austin, two Argentinian Davis Cup players, two Kreisses Mike and Bob and two Cornells Ron and Steve. Overall, Nadal has 88 titles to his name, with an astounding 62 of those coming on clay. While still at USC, he managed to win three doubles Grand Slams and reach two other Slam finals. Below youll find our selection, along with some data points that highlight why these female tennis players deserve to make our list. Some players have significantly longer careers than others. Top ten ranked male tennis players. In his final season with the Bruins, McDonald won not only the NCAA Singles Championships, but also the NCAA Doubles Championships with Martin Redlicki. 1 ranking in 1974, his strongest year on tour, and held the top spot for a total of 268 weeks. Before there was the King of Clay in Rafael Nadal, Thomas Muster held the distinction in the 1990s. Track & Field (O) - Men . He won it in 1974 and reached the finals in 1975, so he certainly missed out on some golden opportunities.