Top 5 Tennis Players of All Time

Since the Open era began in 1968, men's tennis has seen remarkable rivalries, captivating matches and seemingly flawless players.

Here are 5 of the greatest male tennis players of all time.

1. Roger Federer - Federer tops the list as a 17-time Grand Slam winner, and 6-time ATP World Tour Finals winner. The Swiss star spent 285 weeks at the No.1 spot in the rankings. His versatile and effortless game has won him all four Grand Slams, including 7 Wimbledon, 5 U.S. Open, 2 French Open, and 4 Australian Open titles. Many critics and tennis fans were unsure of his position as the greatest of all time until he captured his first Roland Garros title in 2009. Though he did not face Rafael Nadal, the most dominant clay court player in the tournament, he solidified his place at the top after he claimed the French Open crown. Additionally, he is the only male player in history to have reached the finals of each Grand Slam at least five times.

2. Rafael Nadal - Nadal is arguably the greatest clay court player of all time with 9 French Open titles. He won 64 tournaments in his career so far. he has win all four Grand Slams - he has 14 titles - all while facing competition from greats such as Federer and Novak Djokovic. He also holds a coveted Olympic gold medal from the 2008 Beijing Games. Even more impressive, Nadal maintains an outstanding 23-10 head-to-head record against Federer.



3. Pete Sampras - Sampras won 14 Grand Slams including 7 Wimbledon, 5 U.S. Open, and 2 Australian Open titles. Sampras held the world No. 1 ranking for a record 286 weeks. His serve was one of the best the game has ever seen, and his calm and collected demeanor allowed him to dominate for years. His fierce rivalries with Andre Agassi and Patrick Rafter thrilled tennis fans. Despite all his accomplishments, he was never able to win a French Open title or reach the final of the tournament.

4. Jimmy Connors - Connors played in an era which consisted on players such as John McEnroe, Ivan Lendl, and Bjorn Borg and he still managed to win 8 Grand Slam titles. He won 109 tournaments in his career, more than any other player in tennis history that includes Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Pete Sampras.

5. John McEnroe - McEnroe was a 7-time Grand Slam winner & won total of 77 Singles titles plus won total of 71 Doubles titles. McEnroe had unforgettable and entertaining rivalries with players such as Jimmy Connors and Ivan Lendl, which brought publicity to the sport. McEnroe possessed remarkable touch, which also allowed him to be an excellent doubles player. In addition to his seven singles titles, McEnroe also won nine doubles Gram Slams.


Novak Djokovic is not in the top 5 but maybe in time he will win more.