$15 million. New posts Search forums. In 1999, Venus saw quite a bit of additional success, which would push her year-end ranking to No. She was also highly accomplished in doubles with 16 womens and 11 mixed doubles Grand Slam titles. There are tennis fans who sometimes forget just how dominant Jim Courier was during his prime. Connors' career spanned an incredible 24 years and saw him win 147 career titles including 8 Grand Slam titles. However, this list is based more on how players fared against the competition, as well as their overall play. In 2006, Henin was everywhere, making it to the finals of every Grand Slam tournament but only coming up with a win at the French Open. 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. Graf earned 22 Grand Slam titles throughout her career, including four at the Australian Open, six at the French Open, seven at Wimbledon, and five at the US Open. 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. NCSA analyzed over 880 four-year colleges with mens college tennis programs across four division levels (D1, D2, D3 and NAIA) to develop a list of the Best Mens Tennis Colleges for Student-Athletes. 9. McEnroe earned himself 7 Grand Slam titles four at the US Open and three at Wimbledon. Its just a matter of what is weighed most importantly in tennis. Another area that highlights Chris Everts thoroughly impressive career is her record of 1309-146, for a 90% win rate the second-highest of all-time behind Margaret Court, but the highest during the Open Era. In that case, Federer may have won significantly more titles because he gave up so many to both of these players. Norrie finished his collegiate career ranked No. Longevity is another factor to consider. Ma Long. He is also one of only two players to achieve a career Golden Slam winning all four majors and a Gold Medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He came back from two sets down to beat him 36, 26, 64, 75, 75. 5 player Peter Rennert would reach No. Although identifying the challenges doesnt remove subjectivity, it allows us to keep those factors in mind and ensures we weigh them accordingly when establishing a ranking. 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) Chris Evert was born in 1954; she is an American professional tennis player. Bob Bryan won the singles championship over Goldstein. Not a lot of people talk about him currently, but he was as tough a player as any in his prime. However, as it stands now, I think Federer is more deserving of this spot. Before finishing his career as a Buckeye, Wolf won the schools first ITA Mens All-American Singles Championship and was named an ITA All-American in singles. However, he also amassed the single best winning record for a single season going 62-7 for an absurd win percent of 89.9%. Join the conversation with other members of the community. UCLAs 76 team featured Brian Teacher, Peter Fleming, Ferdi Taygan and John Austin. -The ITA lists the top teams and players in the country at all levels of college tennis. John McEnroe is another of the greatest male tennis players of all time. Nadal: 8. 1 ranking for longer than any other player in history at 345 weeks and currently has 85 titles to his name. As a perfect example, hes made five finals at the Australian Open, but never hoisted the final trophy. I won't repeat it but answer the implicit question- it doesn't matter. talent. Top ten ranked male tennis players. At the time, the Cardinal (who would go on to win the NCAAs that year) were ranked #1, Trinity #2. The now 39 year old, also holds the record for the most weeks as number one (310). Hard, clay, and grass are significantly different surfaces, and while some players have had more success on specific surfaces, is it more compelling if a player manages to perform well on all of them? I am a former college tennis player that competed on a highly successful, top-10 Division I team at the University of Minnesota. There are really no holes in Federers game, other than having just one French Open title. But in 73 they didnt just lose one top player, they lost their top two. In 1998, she didnt earn any titles, but she saw plenty of success, including a top 20 ranking. However, against Djokovic, he trails slightly by 28-30. In the fall of his senior season, Isner won the ITA All-American Doubles Championships and the ITA National Indoor Doubles Championships. Much like Lendl, he sometimes gets overlooked for just how many finals he made without winning the title. 3. 18 Basilashvili. John McEnroe Tennis Academy at SPORTIME Randall's Island. Jimmy Connors. He broke the top 100 following a run to the Lyon semifinals in 2018. 10. After Margaret Court, who is the greatest female tennis player of all time with 64 Grand Slam titles (24 in singles, 19 in doubles and 21 in mixed doubles), the second greatest female tennis player of all time is Martina Navratilova, who has 59 Grand Slam titles (18 in singles, 31 in doubles, and 10 in mixed doubles). In addition to her results in singles, Chris Evert also achieved success in doubles with three Grand Slam titles. She played her final singles match in 1983 at the Australian Open. Interestingly, McEnroes only collegiate loss came in a match at Trinity against his former U.S. Open doubles partner, Larry Gottfried. WTA Tour-WTA Homepage-See which former college tennis student-athletes are in the women's professional . A Terrible Splendor by Marshall Jon Fisher. Our writers made the case for Djokovic, Pete Sampras, Rafael Nadal, Bjorn Borg and Roger Federer. 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. 3 player. For starters here are our top ten men's teams. Beyond her success in singles, Venus achieved stellar results in doubles with fourteen Grand Slam titles and three gold medals. You could even take it a step further and evaluate the perceived level of competition present at the tournaments where a player won or how convincingly they defeated their opponents during matches. 1 for 270 total weeks through his 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. He won a total of 16 Davis Cup titles in his 22 year spell as coach of the Australian Davis Cup Team between 1939 to 1967. 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. However, out of all the finals he reached, he only won eight Grand Slams. Greatest college players of all time. The Outsider by Jimmy Connors. Here are the ten best tennis players of all time. 6 in the world, beat Roy Emerson to reach the 63 US Nationals final, where he lost to Osuna. And as fabulous as USCs singles lineup was, their doubles teams with Bill Bond, Tom Edlefson and Ramsey Earnhart were even stronger. Mental toughness, confidence, and a positive attitude were also mentioned several times in the responses. Born in Belleville, IL, in 1952, Jimmy Connors is an American tennis player who turned pro in 1972 at the age of 20. 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. He made his ATP Tour debut reaching the quarterfinals at 2020 Delray Beach. Shed claim four additional titles at the Australian Open and another her final at Wimbledon again in 1980. Bjrn also won 66 titles. Not surprisingly, the 78 team had some feisty moments. He also won ten Grand Slams evenly spread out among each tournament and holds a joint record with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic for the most runner-up appearances at Grand Slam events totaling 11. Winning only one Grand Slam title might not be impressive to the average person, but Andy Roddick had the challenge of coming up through the ranks at the same time as Roger Federer. He has six Grand Slam titles in the Open Era, with an additional six before. 4. Top ten ranked male tennis players (1912-1972) 6 in Lance Tingay's amateur rankings. Weeks at number 1: 72. . The greatest male tennis player of all time is Roger Federer. 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.. Dad Racket was created exclusively as a one-stop resource to answer all your tennis questions. Stefi Graf retired from professional tennis in 1999 and earned her spot in the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2004. During that match he didnt drop a set. USC, 2009-2013 Steve Johnson, Yannick Hanfman, Robert Quiroz, Robert Farah. ITA. Mac and Bill Maze were the best doubles team in the country. With that said, there is still time for Nadal, and I do believe if his body can hold up, he can overtake Federer. As a senior he got it right he beat Fred Stolle to win Wimbledon without dropping a set. During the 13 years that she won at least one Grand Slam event, she was absent from the event seven times. 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 . "Playing college tennis, no, but going to university after tennis, yes, that was always the plan," Dabrowski said. 1. Born on June 1, 1982, Justine Henin is a Belgium tennis player who turned pro in 1999 at 17. Roger Federer. As if her success on the singles court wasnt impressive enough, Court was also highly accomplished in doubles with 19 womens doubles Grand Slam titles and 21 mixed doubles titles. He was also a great doubles player, holding the #1 ranking in the world in singles and doubles at one point in his career. Girons national championship made him the 11th Bruin to win the NCAA Singles title. USC, 1962-1964 - Dennis Ralston, Rafael Osuna, Bill Bond, Tom Edlefsen, Ramsey Earnhart, Chuck Rombeau. Wolf started his career with OSU as the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and ended it as the Big Ten Player of the Year. BTW: Whitlinger beat Hagey to claim the singles crown, and would coach Stanford for a decade. From ITA Player to Watch to ITA All-American in singles, Tennys anchored his name in the Volunteer history books. For more information on the NCSA Power Rankings, visit our press kit or email us. Top 10 Greatest Men's Tennis Players of All Time: 10. When there are significant gaps in achievements from one player to the next, its easier for people to agree on which player is the best. 1. First, the age and timing of head-to-head matchups can significantly influence the eventual record between two players. Andre Agassi turned pro in 1986 at the age of 16 and, in two short years, rocketed to a ranking of world No. Ramanathan Krishnan. He only won five Grand Slams, but thats because he was playing right during the start of the Open Era. Top 100 College Football Players Of All Time Quiz - By forrestsancomb. For as much as people talk about the Big Three or Big Four of this current era, Stan Wawrinka deserves mentioning as well. He goes into the event ranked No. 1 Margaret Court in a small clay court tournament held in Charlotte, NC. Against Federer, Nadal has an impressive 24-16 record. He finished his collegiate career ranked No. The team won two titles, in 70 (sans Jimbo) and in 71. His dominance at an older age shows just what he was possible of if he came along a little bit later. Pasarell from the heat and streets of Puerto Rico, Ashe from the segregated courts of Richmond, Virginia. Not surprisingly, they not only faced formidable foes but racism as well. Henin would claim seven Grand Slam titles, one at the Australian Open, four at the French Open, and two at the US Open. Of course, the point isnt to diminish the value of any players success at the tournament. Stefanos Tsitsipas Tennis Racket What Does He Use? As reigning NCAA Singles champion, he made a tour-level debut at the 2010 US Open as a wildcard. Team Player - 5. However, should we value player Bs three additional Grand Slam titles over player As 125 extra titles in total? Serenas first title came in early 1999, and later that year, she also claimed her maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open. Roger Federer. Learn with comprehensive resources to help you improve your game. Not having the same amount of success at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open probably contributes to him not getting some of the recognition he rightly deserves. He held a 15-4 singles record and a perfect 26-0 doubles record. He retired at the early age of 26 in 1984 and likely could have achieved significantly more if willing to continue competing. Career titles: 42. 10 - Jimmy Connors. <br><br>After completing my Master's degree at Minnesota, I . Just making it into the top 25 is Lleyton Hewitt. 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. The following year was one of her most impressive, winning all four Grand Slam events and a gold medal in singles at the Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. Without a doubt, shes one of the greatest female tennis players ever. For example, as black athletes, Serena and Venus Williams overcame unprecedented challenges growing up to break into tennis. 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. If we dont dig deeper to understand the quality of titles, we may undervalue a players achievements because a win at a 1000 level is significantly more impressive than a 250. View the full college tennis rankings below and favorite to save your list of top mens tennis colleges. Djokovic: 10. 21. In 1984, he had a stellar year with his only finals appearance at the French Open and titles at Wimbledon and the US Open. Additionally, he holds the record for more wins at 1,274 than any other player in the Open Era. 3. 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. Hes another casualty of the Roger Federer era, constantly going up against him and other greats during any deep runs in tournaments. Some rules are different, i.e., on-court coaching is allowed on the WTA tour outside of the Grand Slam events. A three-time All-American and one of . 57 after reaching the third round in Barcelona in 2019. Even though he never won Wimbledon, he did win the Australian Open when it was on the grass. A helpful place to start when considering who might make a list of the best players of all time are the challenges we face making comparisons. The King of Clay is thought of by some as the greatest tennis player of all time. My name is Gavin and I've played tennis for more than 30 years and love to share my knowledge about the sport. 10. He finished with 14 Grand Slams and 64 career titles, and he was nearly impossible to beat on grass courts and very fast hard courts. Her most notable record related to Grand Slam titles was her 1970 performance, where she won all four Grand Slam events in the calendar year. He was first ranked No. 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. However, at this stage in his career, Djokovic is particularly unique in that he continues to dominate and remain healthy, which means hes only going to extend his results and further cement his position as the greatest player ever to live. 1 ranking for the first time, a position he held for a total of 101 weeks during his career. Compared to last year, her UTR has even improved considerably, well done Daevenia! He has proven his talent for over 20 years and is still competing at the very highest level. Theres only a handful of players who have done that, and Mats Wilander is one of them. Johnson anchored the Trojans to four consecutive NCAA Team Championships and collected two NCAA Singles Championships for himself. Tennys Sandgren | University of Tennessee. Another factor that often arises when selecting the best players of all time is the depth of field or how many elite players were competing during any highly successful players time on tour. . Everyone else, I believe, would benefit greatly from . Federer is joint top as the player with most Grand Slam titles in the world (20) and is second behind Djokovic in most weeks spent at the World No.1 spot. Two years later, in 2008, Djokovic claimed his first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open defeating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. 2023 by Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA). During the 2019 US Open, he reached the fourth round after upsetting No. Now it's time for . 8 Grand Slam Singles Titles: 4 Australian, 2 French, 2 US Open. A bit of a late bloomer, Wimbledon has been his only weak Grand Slam of his career. However, as far as Grand Slam titles go, his record-tying 20 include one at the Australian Open, two at Wimbledon, and four at the US Open. Although theres certainly nothing wrong with the exercise, weve decided to maintain two separate lists. A lot of guys are more than happy to jump in to this question especially in the aftermath of US Open 2018 final fiasco (and Serena's claims on sexism) on. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. After qualifying at ATP Masters 1000 Cincinnati, Wolf reached a career high ranking of 143. Over the course of four seasons, Johnson was named an ITA All-American seven times. He started his professional career in 2003 and soon after becoming professional, Djokovic started a journey of success that continues. For example, some will believe its more impressive for a player to dominate across various surfaces and add that to the argument for why one player is better than another. In 2006, Kevin Anderson and Ryan Rowe became only the third Illinois duo to capture the NCAA Doubles Championship. Go. During the tennis boom, nobody was bigger, and he had rivalries with Bjorn Borg, Jimmy Connors, and Ivan Lendl at some point. For example, Bjrn Borg played professional tennis for roughly ten years, while Jimmy Connors played for more than double that at 24 years. To come to our conclusions and rank the best female tennis players of all time, we performed an in-depth analysis of the games most accomplished female athletes. Forums. He has 98 career titles and 20 Grand Slam Singles Title including 8 Wimbledon, 6 Australian Open, 5 US Open, and . 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. Playing from the baseline at a time when many were not, the left-hander found a way to play against the best in the world and win consistently. Furthermore, she contested 14 Grand Slam finals, where she was the runner-up. 3. In addition to the NCAA national championships his senior year, Kwiatkowski helped Virginia to the ITA National Team Indoor Championship. 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. List of male doubles tennis players. In 1967, she played at the Australian Open, her first Grand Slam event. Tennis Channel/USTA College Tennis Top 25. Stockton edged Gottfried to win the singles championship. USC was led by Steve Johnson, who won 72 straight matches, was ranked No. List of ATP number 1 ranked singles tennis players. As a senior, Isner led the Bulldogs to a perfect 32-0 record and the programs fifth NCAA Team Championship. Top Tennis Players Ever. Agassi also managed to earn himself a career Super Slam, which he is the only player to hold, and a Golden Slam, the latter of which has only been matched by Rafael Nadal. Goulds takeaway: You never say never, but there is no way a team will ever do what this team did. However, it wasnt until 1974 that Borg captured his first French Open title at the age of 18. UCLA, 1971 Rafa by Rafael Nadal, John Carlin. Dick Butkus. From 2000 to 2009, tennis had some of the greatest men's tennis players of all time.These are some of the most talented 2000s tennis players to ever live, so if you're a fan of tennis and are aspiring to play tennis professionally then these people should be your idols.