Tennis is a very old game. The historical record shows the French playing some version of tennis as far back as the 12th Century. This jeu de paume involved smacking a ball around, with your palm as the contact surface. Over time, this game adopted rackets and became 'real tennis'.
That 'sport of kings' was the world's first racket sport. As enthusiasm for playing it grew around the world, each region gave this game its own name. In England and Australia, we call it royal tennis and we play it on an indoor court. Now, we present the very best players in tennis' recent history; the kings (and queens) of this game.
| 🎾 Player | ⏲ Years active | 🏆 Most remarkable feat |
|---|---|---|
| Iga Świątek | 2016 - present | Longest winning streak of 21st century, with 37 matches |
| Novak Djokovic | 2003 - present | The G.O.A.T! |
| Rafael Nadal | 2001 - present | Longest time to contest a Grand Slam |
| Roger Federer | 1998 - 2002 | Most Guinness World Records entries for any discipline: 30 |
| Rod Laver | 1963 - 1979 | Winning 38 titles at 30+ years |
| Billie Jean King | 1968 - 1990 | Winning the Battle of the Sexes Founding the WTA |
| Margaret Court | 1960 - 1977 | Most women's Singles wins ever: 192 |
| Martina Navratilova | 1974 - 2006 | Winning 18 matches against #1 players |
| Serena Williams | 1995 - 2022 | Earning the most prize money of any female player. |
| André Agassi | 1986 - 2006 | 21 consecutive US Open tournaments |
| Björn Borg | 1973 - 1993 | Won 63 titles before turning 25 years old |
| Chris Evert | 1972 - 1989 | First female player to earn $1M |
| Steffi Graff | 1982 - 1999 | 377 weeks as #1 player |
| Pete Sampras | 1989 - 2008 | 90% win rate on grass courts |
| Monica Seles | 1989 - 2008 | Being the youngest-ever tennis Champion |
Iga Świątek
Years Active: 2016 - present
Played: Right-handed
Stands Alone In:
1. Youngest woman to complete the Sunshine Double
2. Youngest player to win 4 Women's Singles title
3. Longest 21st Century winning streak
Iga took the tennis world by storm in 2016, and has hardly turned loose of it since then. She turned pro at 15 years old, and quickly climbed the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) ranks. She claimed, and kept, the top spot for 125 weeks. She and her nearest rival, Aryna Sabalenka, have been alternating the WTA's top two spots for the past three years
Novak Djokovic
Years Active: 2003 - present
Played: Right-handed
Stands Alone In:
1. 428 weeks at # 1
2. 123 wins over Top 5 players
3. 8x ITF World Champion
4. 8x ATP Player of the Year
Speculation runs rampant over whether Mr Djokovic is the greatest tennis player of all time. There's no doubt he's one of today's greatest tennis players in the world, male or female. His unrivalled 24 Grand Slams are proof of such, as are the record 428 weeks he spent as the world's #1 player.
Rafael Nadal
Years Active: 2001 - present
Played: Left-handed
Stands Alone In:
1. 14 Singles titles at French Open
2. 912 consecutive weeks as Top 10
3. 19 cons. seasons winning 1+ title
4. Longest time to contest a Grand Slam: 2012 Australian Open, against Djokovic
Even if you're not a tennis fan, you must know that Rafael Nadal is a G.O.A.T. among these male tennis players' names. They're renowned not just for their on-court prowess but also their lives and doings off the courts. Whether retired or active, they are the greatest names in men's tennis.
Roger Federer
Years Active: 1998 - 2002
Played: Right-handed
Stands Alone In:
1. 100+ match wins in 2 Majors
2. 346 consecutive weeks as Top 2
3. 237 consecutive weeks at #1
4. Most Guinness World Records (30)
As gracious a player as he was, Roger had tennis rivalries. Most notably with Nadal and Djokovic, but also with Andy Murray and Andy Roddick. Still, they couldn't keep him from amassing 20 Grand Slams and a record number of titles. Starting from the 2005 Wimbledon tournament to the 2007 US Open, he remained either a runner-up or the winner of every event he played.
Discipline and training are key elements of tennis, and these top players are a testament to it. Finding tennis lessons gold coast, Sydney, or anywhere in Australia is simple and quick thanks to Superprof.
Rod Laver
Years Active: 1963 - 1979
Played: Left-handed
Stands Alone In:
1. 198 career titles
2. 286 career finals
3. Winning 18 titles in 1 season
4. 55 career indoor titles
5. Winning 38 titles at 30+ years
Rod had a well-publicised rivalry with fellow Aussie player Ken Rosewall. They faced off across 164 matches in an era that did not feature Open tournaments. Rod Laver made such a mark on the sport that a trophy cup and arena were named in his honour. If you dream of playing tennis at the Rod Laver Arena, find tennis coaching near me to improve your game!
Billie Jean King
Years Active: 1968 - 1990
Played: Right-handed
Stands Alone In:
1. Most Singles matches: 125 (1 season)
2. Most Singles match wins: 112 (1 season)
3. Most matches won: 192 (1 season)
4. Oldest Singles title winner:
at 39 years, 7 months
If the Big Three male players redefined tennis, Billie Jean singlehandedly revolutionised the sport. Her much-publicised Battle of the Sexes match, against the reigning tennis star Bobby Riggs, broke the gender barrier in tennis. Ms King founded the WTA, to assure women's rights to fair competition in tennis. Today, she continues to fight for women's rights, on and off the courts.
Margaret Court
Years Active: 1960 - 1977
Played: Right-handed
Stands Alone In:
1. # of Singles Grand Slam titles (24)
2. # of overall Grand Slam titles (64)
3. Most Major titles in a decade
4. 90.6% Grand Slam Match win rate
5. 21 Australian Grand Slam titles
6. 21 Grand Slam Mixed Doubles titles
7. Most women's Singles wins: 192
To play tennis well, athletes must have speed, precision, and power. These are skills and traits that all the greatest female tennis players possess, Margaret Court included. Her tennis record still stands today, though Serena Williams threatened to unseat her. Margaret retired with a total of 192 career singles titles, including 18 in a single year on the WTA Tour.
Martina Navratilova
Years Active: 1974 - 2006
Played: Left-handed
Stands Alone In:
1. 8 WTA Tour Championships
2. 167 Singles titles
3. 177 Doubles titles
4. 1660 career matches played
5. 390 career tournaments played
6. 18 match wins against #1 players
Martina started her tennis career representing Czechoslovakia but moved to the US when she was 18. Her stepfather, a tennis coach, started her training when she was six, but she'd been batting around tennis balls since she was four. Her grandmother may have had an influence; she too was a tennis player.
Serena Williams
Years Active: 1995 - 2022
Plays: Right-handed
Stands Alone In:
1. 367 Grand Slam match wins
2. Singles Career Golden Slam
3. Doubles Career Golden Slam
4. 10+ Grand Slams in 2 separate decades
4. Most prize money (female players)
Serena made her professional debut in 1995 when she was 14 years old. Her sister, Venus, was her primary rival but, together, they defeated many others on the courts. Serena has amassed 73 singles titles and 23 doubles titles.
Together, Serena and Venus boast a long list of prizes, titles and accolades. Throughout her career, Serena earned twice as much as her sister and won three times as many singles Grand Slams.
Venus Williams
Venus debuted at 14 years old, too, one year earlier than her sister. Venus won 49 singles titles and 22 doubles titles. Like her sister, Venus won gold in singles and doubles in the 2000 and 2012 Olympics.
The Williams sisters rank among the best sibling pair in sports history. This powerhouse duo started their tennis training young, and stuck with it throughout their careers. Both of them left a record that will be hard for future tennis players to beat.
Together, the Williams sisters have also won 22 doubles titles, making them one of the most successful tennis duos in history.
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André Agassi
Years Active: 1986 - 2006
Plays: Right-handed
Stands Alone In:
1. 21 consecutive US Open tournaments
2. 61 Miami Masters match wins
3. 71.6% Australian Open win rate
4. 61 Miami Open match wins
5. 19 consecutive Miami Open wins
André not only broke many tennis records, but he also established many 'firsts'. He was the first male player to attain a Career Golden Slam, and a Career Super Slam. He managed to do so in the same year. To date, only Novak Djokovic has equalled that feat.
Career Golden Slam: all Majors titles, plush Olympic Gold over the course of a player's career.
Career Super Slam: all Majors titles, the Tour finals, and the Olympic Gold Medal over the course of a player's career.
Björn Borg
Years Active: 1973 - 1993
Plays: Right-handed
Stands Alone In:
1. Holding a 92.73% win rate.
2. Winning 63 titles before 25 years old
3. A 90%+ win rate for 5 years
4. 3 consecutive Channel Slam wins
This Swedish tennis player was an absolute sensation on the courts. He was the first male player in nearly a century to claim six Wimbledon finals in row (1976-1981). Tennis fans had to wait until 2003 for Roger Federer to break that record.
Chris Evert
Years Active: 1972 - 1989
Plays: Right-handed
Stands Alone In:
1. Winning one+ titles for 13 years.
2. Reaching 5 cons. finals in all Majors
3. 94.28% win rate on clay courts
4. First to reach 1 000 match wins
5. First female player to earn $1M
Chris Evert's career winning percentage (94.55%) is still the WTA record to beat. Her career Singles matches winning percentage (89.97%) remains the highest ever, for male and female players. Chris Evert, along with her tennis rival Martina Navritolova, dominated women's tennis throughout the 1970s-80s.
Steffi Graff
Years Active: 1982 - 1999
Plays: Right-handed
Stands Alone As:
1. the female Golden Slam winner.
2. 100% win rate across three seasons
3. 89.67% overall win rate
4. Holding 4 or more titles at all Majors
5. Defeating the top 3 seeded players in the same tournament
6. 377 total weeks as #1 player
Steffi holds the record for the third-most Singles titles (22), after Margaret Court (24) and Serena Williams (23). She further distinguished herself by winning a Golden Slam in a single calendar year (1988). To date, she is the only tennis player, male or female, to win all Major Singles tournaments four times.
Pete Sampras
Years Active: 1989 - 2008
Plays: Right-handed
Stands Alone As:
1. 8 consecutive finals wins.
2. 90% win rate on grass courts
3. At 19 years old, the youngest-ever US Open Champion
4. Holding 2 Grand Slam Cup titles
5. 88.75% match win rate
Pete's career spanned 14 years, during which time he won a Grand Slam in his teens, twenties, and his thirties. Only Rafael Nadal and Australian player Ken Rosewall matched that feat. To this day, Pete remains the youngest US Champion ever, having won his title while still in his teens.
Monica Seles
Years Active: 1989 - 2008
Plays: Left-handed
Stands Alone With:
1. 3 consecutive Australian Open and French Open titles at the same time.
2. 33 cons. Australian Open wins
3. At 16 years old, the youngest-ever tennis Champion
Hers might be this sport's greatest 'what if' tale. Monica was at the top of her game when a deranged Steffi Graf fan stabbed her. Presumably, if she were out of the way, the rabid fan's beloved Steffi would rise to the top of the ranks. Still, delusions aside, Monica's eight Grand Slams before turning 20 leave us wondering what impact she might have had on the sport.
Is your tennis favourite on our list? You might wonder why we included these tennis greats, and excluded other legendary players.
We chose our featured athletes in no particular order, and with no special intent. Each of these players is remarkable for their game and their tennis contributions. Each overcame particular struggles to deliver peak performances time and again.
In closing, dare not leave off Roy Emerson, one of Australia's greatest tennis players. He predates most of the players on this list but still ranks among the best tennis players of all time.
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