There have been many players across the generations who have been regarded as the best tennis players ever. All the differing opinions on what makes someone the best is what makes the debate exciting.
The modern game has gone further than the old in terms of technology, athleticism and nutrition, but accomplishments from any time are nonetheless as impressive. Many players can legitimately have a stake in being one of the best, and below we try to make sense of which ones stand above the others as the best tennis players in history.
Criteria for rankings
To be able to rank the players, a set of criteria should be established to define the players in the list so that they can be comparable. In this ranking, the criteria used are:
- Performance and achievements
- Influence on the game
- Consistency and longevity
- Awards and recognitions
So below, you can see our list of who are the ten best tennis players of all time.
The 10 Best Tennis Players in History
10. Bjorn Borg
Grand Slam titles: 11
Bjorn Borg won 11 Grand Slams, and you wonder what could have been if he had not retired at 26. Borg was an ice-cold competitor whose rivalries with Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe were some of the most poignant cultural moments of the '70s and '80s, not just in tennis. He was the first player to earn more than $1 million (US) in prize money in a single season and is still revered as one of the greatest players to this day.
9. Margaret Court
Grand Slam titles: 24
Margaret Court has the joint-most Grand Slam titles across men's and women’s tennis. Her record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles is only matched by Novak Djokovic, and she is one of only three players to achieve a career ‘Boxed Set’ — winning the singles, doubles, and mixed doubles titles at all four Grand Slams. Court was dominant in the amateur and Open eras and will be known for revolutionising the way women trained in tennis.
8. Rod Laver
Grand Slam titles: 11
Rod Laver was the most successful player of his generation. He was world number one for seven years running, won 200 singles titles across his amateur and professional careers, the most won by any tennis player, and won the calendar Grand Slam twice, being the only man to do so in the Open Era. Now he has a court named for him at Melbourne Park, which hosts the Australian Open.
7. Pete Sampras
Grand Slam titles: 11
A winner of 14 Grand Slam titles, Pete Sampras ruled the men's game in the 90s. He finished the year as number one in the world six consecutive times, being so good with his serve-and-volley style. Sampras has the record of being the youngest male singles champion at the US Open, which he won shortly after he turned 19.
6. Martina Navratilova
Grand Slam titles: 18 (singles)
Martina Navratilova is one of those rare breeds now that dominated both singles and doubles tennis. She is another one of the three players to win a ‘Boxed Set’, and overall, she won 59 Grand Slam titles in total across singles and doubles, the most combined major titles in history. Navratilova was the women’s number one in singles for 332 weeks and in doubles for 237 weeks, making her the only player ever to top both rankings for over 200 weeks.
5. Steffi Graf
Grand Slam titles: 22 (singles)
Steffi Graf is considered one of the greatest tennis players ever for her dominance across all surfaces. Graff won 22 Grand Slam singles titles, only bettered by four players, all of whom are on this list. In 1988, Graf became the first Golden Slam champion — winning all four Grand Slams and Olympic gold— but what makes Graf special is that she is the only person to win the Golden Slam in a calendar year. Graff also held the World Number One ranking for 377 weeks, the longest in history for any player, male or female.
4. Rafael Nadal
Grand Slam titles: 22
The clay court titan, Rafael Nadal, is one of three men who encapsulated tennis over the past two decades. Nadal has won 22 Grand Slams, 14 of which came at the French Open, the most anyone has ever won a single Grand Slam title. Nadal’s explosive left-handed game and finesse were unseen before him, and he will be a player spoken about for decades to come.
3. Roger Federer
Grand Slam titles: 20
For many, Roger Federer was the most beautiful tennis player ever seen. His effortless style made tennis look chic and graceful, he really was something special. He has 20 Grand Slam titles and will always be remembered for making Wimbledon his home. Potentially, we may never see anyone who plays like him again, and he could arguably be number one or two on this list easily.
2. Serena Williams
Grand Slam titles: 23
Serena Williams truly changed the game and revolutionised women's tennis. She was an icon on and off the court, winning 23 Grand Slam singles titles, the most in the Open Era for women, and 73 WTA singles titles overall. A career that spanned over three decades, Williams played competitive tennis and frequently returned to World Number One after injuries, setbacks, and even motherhood. The greatest woman to ever grace tennis.
1. Novak Djokovic
Grand Slam titles: 24
The man who stands atop the men’s tennis world is Novak Djokovic. He has the most titles, he was men’s number one for a record 428 weeks across a record 13 different years, and finished the year as number one a record eight times. He is the only male player who has been the reigning champion of all four majors at once across three different surfaces. He is a living legend and, like Federer and Nadal, encapsulated tennis for the past two decades.
Debates and the Evolution of the Sport
Some players deserve honourable mentions after missing out on this list. Chris Evert, Monica Seles and Billie Jean King all have an amazing portfolio of titles and were amazing players in the women’s game. Ivan Lendl, Andre Agassi, Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe are all legends of the men’s game, and their contributions to tennis cannot be understated.
The men’s game has gone on leaps and bounds in the last twenty years, seeing dominance like never before with Federer, Djokovic and Nadal. We may never see the likes of these three again, and the void they have left, and will leave in Djokovic’s case, will be hard to fill. Let alone what Serena left after she retired, with her dominance of the women’s game being another standard that may never be matched again.
The world of tennis is entering a stage of flux at the moment, but as fans, this is exciting, showing us new stars like Carlos Alcaraz, Jannick Sinner, Coco Gauff, Aryna Sabalenka, and Iga Swiatek who can all take the game to the next level in the years to come.