One of the most fast-evolving games in today’s world full of sports fans that have captured the attention of millions of characters worldwide is Tennis. It was around the 1970s when Tennis displayed more of a mainstream sport than a sport for the furnished, especially in the United States. Several ages of players have come and gone amongst them; some players have stood in the spotlight during their tops while some just got fade away.
While some professionals have several era-open records, it’s somehow tricky to differentiate players of different eras in whatever sport due to technology developments and higher qualification standards. Selecting the best among the greatest is a big deal even though we can agree on observing the three of the most famous player ever in history, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic.
Here’s a list of the ten most prominent Tennis players of all time.
-
Table of Contents show
Roger Federer
Listing the great tennis players and not considering Roger Federer is something not pleasant. Born in the early year of 1981 in Bottmingen, Switzerland, Federer indeed has managed to prove himself as a legendary tennis athlete of all time in his 23 years long professional run.
His 20 Grand Slam trophies and 310 weeks rank make him worthy at no. 1 on the list of famous Tennis athletes of all time. Even at the age of mid-39, he is still overwhelming and playing at the highest levels. He has a record under his name, signifying ranked number one in the world for not less than 237 consecutive weeks, that is from 2004 to 2008.
Career Highlights
Begun Career: 1998
Standing: Current Playing
Career prize payment: Not less than $129,946,683
103 career ownerships
20 Grand Slam Singles Honours: 1 French, 5 U.S. Opens, 8 Wimbledon 6 Australian,
2. Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal sits at no. Two on the list of leading Tennis players of all time. Born in the early year of 1986 in Spain, Nadal, also attributed to by the name of “Rafa” and “The King of Clay,” now has 20 Grand Slam titles on his honor at just the age of 34. His superb performance on clay courts has gained him the title of “The King of Clay”, Rafa.
He gained the 2008 Olympic Gold Medal at Beijing Summer Olympics. His 2020 French Open ownership gives him 20 Grand Slams Championships tieing him with the lender in the list Roger Federer for most Grand Slams of all time. If he hadn’t gone into the recurring tendinitis in his knees and wrist fractures, he indeed would have gained more Grand Slam Championships to his name.
Career Highlights
Started Profession: 2001
Status: Current Playing
Career prize money: not less than $123,482,764
86 career titles
20 Grand Slam Singles Titles: 13 French, 4 U.S. Opens, 1 Australian, 2 Wimbledon
The 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist – Beijing Summer Olympics
3. Novak Djokovic
Known to be the unique player to complete the occupation Golden Masters(which he has done not less than twice), Novak Djokovic is undoubtedly on the list of most popular Tennis players of all time. Born in the late year of 1987, in Belgrade, S.R. Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia, Novak has numerous records under his title, notably the only athlete to win all of the “Big Titles” on the new ATP Tour, i.e., all four Grand Slam competitions, all nine ATP Masters competitions, and the ATP Finals.
In his professional run of just 18 years, he keeps a record for being No. 1 for a total of 318 weeks and ending as year-end No. 1 on six occasions. With his works in Tennis, he has made his way to seeking “Big Three”, the three men who have controlled men’s Tennis for not less than a decade, including Great Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
He is currently still ranked as world No. 1 by the Association of Tennis Professionals(ATP). He has acquired the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award more than four times and is also a beneficiary of the Order of Karađorđe’s Star, of the Order of St. Sava, and the Order of the Republika Srpska.
Career Highlights
Started Career: 2003
Status: Current Playing
Career prize money: not less than $145,861,177
82 career titles
18 Grand Slam Singles Titles: 5 Wimbledon, 3 U.S. Opens, 9 Australian, 1 French Open
4. Serena Williams
Widely considered to be one of the most famous tennis players of all time, Serena Williams holds numerous records, including the most Grand Slam trophies in singles, duplicates, and mixed doubles merged among active players. She is even the previous world No. 1 in women’s singles tennis.
Born in the year of 1981 in Saginaw, Michigan, U.S., Williams has relinquished a milestone in her 25 years-long occupations. She is even the most current female player to have endured all four Grand Slam singles trophies simultaneously(season 2002–03 and season 2014–15).
She has won an account of 13 Grand Slam singles trophies on hard court, the Open Era experience for most titles acquired at the Australian Open, and with 39 Grand Slam trophies, put her joint-third on the all-time list and second in the Open Era.
She is also ranked at No. 7 in the world by the WTA as of February 22, 2021.
Career Highlights
Started Career: 1995
Status: Current Playing
Career prize money: Not less than $94,236,271
73 career titles
23 Grand Slam single Titles
5. Rod Laver
An Australian retired tennis player, Rod Laver, is universally regarded to be one of the most famous tennis players of all time. Born in the mid-year of 1938, Laver began his professional career in the early year of 1963, gaining 200 single titles; the most titles in tennis records in his career run of not longer than 16 years.
Laver was also rated world No. 1 in nine different years, which is a history in Tennis, and was ranked No. 1 for another four years from 1964 to 1970. He has won not less than 11 Grand Slam singles trophies also is the second and last male contestant to win each grand slam twice behind Roy Emerson. In celebration of him, “The Laver Cup Tournament” and “The Rod Laver Arena” are entitled after him.
He was also drafted into the Tennis Hall of Fame in mid-1981.
Career Highlights
Started Career: 1962
Retired for Tennis: 1979
Career prize money: not less than$1,565,413
200 career titles
11 Grand Slam Singles Titles: 2 French, 2 U.S. Opens, 3 Australian, 4 Wimbledon
9 Pro Slam Singles Titles: 4 Wembley Pro, 1 French Pro, 3 U.S. Pro, 1 Wimbledon Pro
Inducted into Tennis Hall of Fame: Mid-1981
6. Pete Sampras
Pete Sampras is on the table of most famous Tennis players of all time, sitting at no. 6. Born in the year of early 1971, in Washington, D.C., U.S., Sampras began his career in the year of 1988, gracing the only man in the open era to have obtained the final Grand Slam competition at which he competed.
In his 15 years-long occupations, he won 14 Grand Slam singles trophies with 64 singles trophies in total. He relinquished world No. 1 in 1993 and held that spot for a total of not less than 286 weeks. With his accurate and powerful serve in the game, he gained the nickname “Pistol Pete”.For his participation in tennis history, he was drafted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in mid-2007.
Career Highlights
Started Career: 1988
Retired from Tennis: 2002
Career prize money: Not less than $43,280,489
64 career titles
14 Grand Slam Singles: 7 Wimbledon, 2 Australian, 5 U.S. Open
Inducted into Tennis Hall of Fame: Early 2007
7. John McEnroe
Known for his shot-making and hard volleying skills, John McEnroe is unquestionably one of the most prestigious Tennis players of all times. Born in the early year of 1959, John began his career in mid-1978, earning the ATP Player of the Year Award and the ITF World Champion three times separately: 1981, 1983, and 1984 in his professional run of not less than 20 years.
He has acquired seven Grand Slam singles trophies and 105 career titles, becoming the world No. 1 ranking in great both singles and doubles. His most famous winning singles’ end-year championships were at the World Championship Tennis(WCT) Finals and the Masters Grand Prix.
One of the most memorable and praised matches ever in Wimbledon history involves his epic battles with arch-rival Jimmy Connors and his sad five-set loss to Bjorn Borg in the 1980 Wimbledon final. He was drafted into the Tennis Hall of Fame in late 1999.
Career Highlights
Started Career: 1978
Retired: 1992
Career prize money: Not less than $12,547,797
105 career titles
7 Grand Slam Singles Titles: 4 U.S. Open, 3 Wimbledon
Inducted into Tennis Hall of Fame: late 1999
8. Bjorn Borg
The first male player ever to win 11 Grand Slam singles trophies and 5 Wimbledon titles ever in the Open Era was none other than the great Bjorn Borg. Born in the late year of 1956, Borg began his career in late 1973, and just in occupancy of 10 years, he held various histories, including the first player to win six French Open singles trophies.
He is also the only one to obtain the French Open and Wimbledon finals for three straight years. He is supposed to have been the No. 1 player in the world for (the years 1977-80). The long-blonde-haired Borg dominated Tennis in the mid-1970s even dominated Wimbledon, winning the trophy five sequential years from 1976 to 1980. Borg was also the first player of the current era to win not less than ten majors.
He was drafted into the Tennis Hall of Fame in late 1987.
Career Highlights
Started Career: 1973
Retired: 1983
Career prize money: Not less than $3,655,751
101 career titles
11 Grand Slam Singles Titles: 5 Wimbledon, 6 French
Inducted into Tennis Hall of Fame: late 1987
9. Jimmy Connors
Regarded to be amongst of the most famous tennis players of all time, Jimmy Connors indeed makes an easy way up to the table. Born in the year of 1952 early, Connors made his decision to play Tennis in the middle of the year 1972 and never allow anyone down with his life-changing decision. Having endured a top Association of Tennis Professionals(ATP) rating for a then-record 160 back-to-back weeks from 1974-1977, he surely did control the early 1970s tennis world. He is even the first male athlete to be No. 1 for not less than than 200 weeks.
In his productive career run of 24 years, Connors holds three famous Open Era men’s singles records of 109 titles, 1,557 matches performed, and 1,274 match triumphs. He has not less than 147 career titles and about 8 Grand Slam Singles Titles, making him one of the favorite tennis players ever in history. He, along with Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe, was the then male-dominating player of their time.
Connors was recruited into the Tennis Hall of Fame in Mid-1998.
Career Highlights
Started Career: 1972
Retired: 1996
Career prize money: Not less than $8,641,040
147 career titles
8 Grand Slam Singles Titles: 2 Wimbledon, 5 U.S. Open 1 Australian
Inducted into Tennis Hall of Fame: mid-1998
Considered to be among of the best female tennis athletes of all time, Martina Navratilova ranks at no the table. Having her profession started in the early year of 1975, Martina holds various historical records, including the unique player in history to have held the top place in both singles and doubles for not less than 200 weeks in her 31 years long career run till 2006.
She is also among of just three women ever to have achieved a Career Grand Slam in women’s singles and doubles. She even endures the records for most singles (not less than 167) and doubles titles (177) in the Open Era.
Career Highlights
Started Career: 1975
Retired: 2006
Career prize money: Not less than $21,626,089
59 career titles
18 Grand Slam single Title
