Here’re The 10 Best Tennis Players Of All Time In World

Do you ever wonder who are the best Tennis players of all time? If so, this article can help you know more about them in detail. 

The fans are always ready to argue over the best players of all time in any of the sports and tennis is no exception.

There are various ways to define the position of tennis players based on the expert opinions, number of titles, and cultural impacts. 

We’ve had the pleasure of reducing the number of ways to measure it. The top 10 tennis players of all time are listed here, along with how many grand titles they have won.

Top 10 Tennis Players Of All Time List

Here, we will provide you a table with a curated list of the greatest tennis players of all time along with their number of grand slams, countries, and the years for which they played. Also, we will mention the detailed information about each of these players below the table. So, to acquire the entire details, go through this blog until the end. 

1. Novak Djokovic

Following a lengthy battle with Federer, Djokovic’s recent victory at the US Open puts him first on the list and top in men’s tennis history. Novak Djokovic of Serbia, a comparatively latecomer to this exclusive group of tennis legends, has established himself as one of the world’s top players. He is lovingly known as Djoker.

Key Highlights

• Won a record 72 Big recognition, including 24 majors, 40 Masters, seven year-end trophies, and an Olympic gold medal, out of 99 singles titles.
• The only man in tennis history to hold the title of all four majors simultaneously on three distinct courts.
• He won his first major title at the Australian Open at the age of 20, breaking the 11-match major winning streak held by Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
• Won the bronze at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the gold at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
• Recipient of the Order of the Order of St. Sava, the Republika Srpska, and the Order of Karadorde Star.

2. Margaret Court

Margaret Court, also known as Margaret Smith Court, is a Christian preacher and former world tennis champion from Australia. Court returned to tennis later that year after giving birth to her first child in 1972, and in 1973 she won three major singles titles. Court was raised as a Roman Catholic, but in the 1970s, she became involved with Pentecostalism, and in 1991, she became a Christian minister under that tradition.

Key Highlights

• Won 64 major titles overall, including 24 women’s singles major titles.
• When she was just seventeen, she took home the first of seven consecutive Australian Open singles trophies. 
• Only three female athletes in history have won the “Boxed Set,” which consists of all major championships. Court is one of them. She is the sole tennis player to finish a double-boxed set.
• Additionally won the Fed Cup four times with Australia.
• In 1970, she won all four major singles titles, completing the Grand Slam.

3. Serena Williams

Serena Williams did everything in her power to leave a legacy filled with victories and records. Serena Williams is an exceptional player who possesses both physical strength and a keen understanding of the game. The American uses her strong and reliable serves as well as her destructive forehand and backhand groundstrokes to put her opponents to the challenge. She has been able to remain relevant throughout three generations because to this technique.

Key Highlights

• Won 23 Grand Slam singles championships for women.
• Earned the 1999 US Open, her first major singles championship.
• Won four gold medals at the Olympics.
• The only male or female singles player to win three Career Golden Slams—two in women’s doubles and one in women’s singles.
• Awarded the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year award four times, the Comeback of the Year award once, and the Sportsperson of the Year award from Sports Illustrated magazine in December 2015. 

4. Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer’s best buddy off the court, is one of the few athletes who can match Federer’s achievements. Originally from Mallorca, Spain, the southpaw became a professional in 2001. Nadal, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic, together referred to as the Big Three, were leading competitors in men’s tennis for almost twenty years. Nadal is commonly referred to as the King of Clay.

Key Highlights

• Achieved 22 Grand Slam men’s singles trophies, including a record 14 French Open titles. 
• 36 Masters championships, 63 of which were on clay courts, were among the 92 ATP-level singles trophies that were won.
• One of only three men who have ever achieved the singles career Golden Slam.
• In addition to being the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year in 2011 and 2021, Nadal was the recipient of the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award five times.
• He led Spain to five Davis Cup victories while playing for them, and he took home two gold medals from the Olympics. 

5. Steffi Graf

Graf showed consistency by being at the top of the charts for the longest period of any player, 377 weeks. German player Steffi Graf, who went pro in 1982, was well-known throughout the world for her skillful combination of quick footwork and forceful groundstrokes. She was one of the most successful players of her generation because of her adaptability to any playing surface.

Key Highlights

• Won 22 major singles trophies, which is the second-highest number of women’s singles victories since the Open Era began in 1968 and the third-highest total ever.
• The only tennis player, male or female, to have achieved the quadruple Career Grand Slam—winning every major singles competition at least four times.
• Third on the WTA’s all-time list, she has won 107 singles titles.
• Graf is also the recipient of three Olympic medals: one in singles in 1988, one in doubles in 1988, and one in singles in 1992.
• She spent 377 weeks at the top of the charts over her career.

6. Roger Federer

Without him, no list of tennis legends would be complete. Roger Federer’s smooth touch and amazing game captured the attention of the tennis world once he went pro in 1998. Wimbledon’s grass is the Swiss ace’s preferred surface, and he has mastered the art of winning Grand Slam titles over the years. Based on his performance, he regularly shot to the top of the tennis rankings.

Key Highlights

• Won his first major singles championship at Wimbledon in 2003 at the age of 21
• Earned 103 singles titles on the ATP Tour.
• After three straight runner-up finishes, she achieved the career Grand Slam at the 2009 French Open.
• Claimed a gold medal in Olympic doubles at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, a silver medal in the singles competition at the 2012 London Olympics.
• Won 13 Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Awards, and a joint-record five Laureus World Sportsman of the Year awards.

7. Halen Wills

Wills won every singles set she played between 1926 and 1932, earning her the title of women’s number one for eight years. Wills, who preferred to remain out of the spotlight, developed connections with movie stars and the royal family, making her the first American woman athlete to achieve international fame. Her elegant body and fluent movements won her admiration. She was a member of a new tennis trend, wearing her signature white visor and playing in knee-length pleated skirts instead of the lengthier ones of her predecessors.

Key Highlights

• Won thirty-one Grand Slam titles.
• Her match versus Suzanne Lenglen in February 1926 became known as the Match of the Century and was highly covered.
• Went on a winning streak of 180 games between 1927 and 1933.
• Wills is arguably the most accomplished tennis player of the 20th century
• Took home the gold medal from the Olympics in both the singles and doubles competitions.

Read More: Top 5 Best Bowlers In The World Ever

8. Martina Navratilova

Former professional tennis player Martina Navratilova, who is Czech-American, is renowned for her unbeaten streak and sharp talents. Navratilova became the most dominant player in women’s tennis after utilizing Yonex isometric midsize graphite-fiberglass composite racquets and following basketball player Nancy Lieberman’s workout regimen. She won the three major titles she went on to win in 1983 after falling in the fourth round of the French Open, the year’s first major event.

Key Highlights

• Won 59 major titles overall, including 18 major singles wins, 31 major women’s doubles titles, and 10 major mixed doubles titles.
• Dominated the first two-thirds of the 1980s in women’s tennis.
• Won 177 doubles titles and 167 top-level singles trophies, setting records during the Open Era.
• Achieved the Grand Slam in doubles and won a record six straight titles in singles in 1983 and 1984.
• Achieved the career Boxed Set, a career Grand Slam in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles.

9. Chris Evert

With a career winning average of almost 90%, Evert proved to be a reliable option. She has the record for winning the most Grand Slam titles and was the player of the year for seven years. For a large portion of the 1970s and 1980s, Evert and her fiercest opponent, Martina Navratilova, dominated women’s tennis. Following his retirement, Chris Evert started coaching and is currently an ESPN analyst. She also owns a tennis and sportswear company.

Key Highlights

• Won 18 major singles championships, including a joint-record six US Open trophies and a record seven French Open crowns.
• Has the record for winning at least one major title for the most consecutive years (13) in a row.
• Won three major doubles championships, two with Olga Morozova and one with Navratilova.
• Acknowledged with the Hall of Fame and given the Philippe Chatrier award.

10. Pete Sampras

American Sampras used to be the top tennis player in the world. He started playing professionally in 1988 and won the US Open in 2002 after overcoming longtime competitor Andre Agassi in the championship match. He was known as “Pistol Pete” for his accurate and forceful serve. For six years, he topped the global rankings and dominated both on hard and grass.

Key Highlights

• At the time of his retirement, the record of 14 major singles titles he had won during his career retained.
• Won 64 singles titles at the ATP Tour level overall.
• He was elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2007.

Summing Up

The “10 Best Tennis Players of All Time” are a collection of exceptional talent, determination, and creativity that have shaped the history of the game. With their successes and influence, tennis has been forever changed by leaders and contemporary icons alike. The unmatched skills, records, and sportsmanship of these best men tennis players and top women tennis players continue to motivate upcoming generations, ensuring that tennis will continue to be a worldwide symbol of excellence and passion for many years to come.

FAQ