Top 10 Iconic Men’s Tennis Players of All Time
Top 10 Iconic Men’s Tennis Players of All Time. Without a doubt, the tennis Open-era managed to give us some incredible champions. Many of them were so impressive that they turned into idols for budding players. After 1970 tennis moved from privileged to mainstream sports. It’s not easy to compare the players of different times to decide the best. There is a massive change in:
- Fitness standards
- Technology
- Skills
- Training
We made an effort to pick our Top 10 Iconic Men’s Tennis Players of All Time. We considered their period of play, Grand Slam wins, and ATP titles to prepare the list.
- Novak Djokovic
At the age of 35 years, Djokovic displayed the potential to bag more Grand Slam titles. More than 21 Grand Slam titles there under his belt. He ranks only behind Rafael Nadal who had 22 G. Slam. Djokovic maintained 373 weeks as rank 1 before slipping down from one. Novak truly deserves a position in the list of the top 10 greatest of all time. He turned into a professional player in the year 2003. There are 88 career titles in his kitty. It includes:
- 9 Australian
- 3 US Open
- 7 Wimbledon
- 2 French Open
- Rafael Nadal
Rafael is popular as “The King of Clay.” There are 22 grand slam titles in his kitty. Presently the no 1 player is an inspiration for many. His immediate rivals include Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.
He is one of the finest clay court players of tennis. His 14th win in the French Open in 2022 proved this fact. But a rib injury made Rafa withdraw from Wimbledon 2022 semi-finals. But we are sure to witness the comeback on the court soon.
There are a total of 92 career titles with him. It includes:
- 2 Australian
- 4 US Open
- 14 French
- 2 Wimbledon
He turned into a professional player in 2001.
- Roger Federer
Roger Federer is a name must-have in this list. Aged 40, he has the potential to compete with perfection on the court. He maintained his Rank 1 for 310 weeks. It was a definite sign of a brilliant player. It will not be wrong to say that Novak, Nadal, and Roger are players at par. He started playing professional tennis in 1998. As per records, his prize money counts as $130,594,339. He won 103 career titles. It includes:
- 6 Australian
- 5 US Open
- 1 French
- 8 Wimbledon
4. Rod Laver
It might be difficult to analyze his performance against current players. Rod turned professional in 1962. He retired from professional cricket in 1979. During his era, he maintained Rank 1 for 7 years continuously. Is that not enough to include him in this list? He won 200 career titles, and it’s the highest on record. His first grand slam was as an amateur. The total prize money earned by him was $1,565,413. Rod was part of the Tennis Hall of Fame: 1981. The achievements include:
- 3 Australian
- 2 French
- 2 US Open
- 4 Wimbledon
- Pete Sampras
Pete’s position in tennis history is unique. Many find it difficult to judge his supremacy in the sport. The reason is that he won just three out of four Grand Slam events in his career. He used to be comfortable playing on hard courts and grass. Pete turned into a professional player in 1988. Sampras, was the heartthrob of many women, during his era.
Pete retired from tennis in 2002. He was the best player of that time. For 6 consecutive years, he maintained Rank 1. 14 grand slams in his era, and was a big record. His record shows:
- 2 Australian
- 5 US Open
- 7 Wimbledon.
All that he missed was a French Open Title. But does that put a question on his tennis talent? His earned Prize money counts to $43,280,489. Sampras was part of the Tennis Hall of Fame: in 2007.
- Bjorn Borg
Bjorn is one such player who ruled the court in the 1970s.
Wimbledon was one such grand slam ruled by Borg. He won the title for 5 consecutive years (1976- 1980).
Borg bagged 11 Grand slams in his brief career in tennis. He became a professional player in 1973. His Grand Slam includes:
- 3 Wimbledon
- 4 US Open
Bjorn retired in 1983. He was just 26 at that time. In his kitty, there were 101 career titles. It’s enough to call him one of the best players of all time. The earned prize money was $3,655,751. He was part of the Tennis Hall of Fame: in 1987.
- Ivan Lendl
This Czech player is known for his extraordinary serves.
He was a prominent player in the 1980s.
Ivan remained world No 1 for 4 consecutive years. It was a big record in his era of tennis.
Ivan remained a quiet player, and his serves used to speak. He started playing professional tennis in 1980.
Lendl retired in 1994. Total 144 career titles. It includes:
- 2 Australian
- 3 US Open
- 3 French
His earned prize money of Ivan was $21,262,417. He was part of the Tennis Hall of Fame: 2001.
8. Andre Agassi
Another heartthrob for many remained Andre Agassi. His looks and servings were a combo pack for tennis lovers. Agassi was one of the finest strikers of his time. He started playing professional cricket in 1986. Andre ruled the court for 20 years and retired in 2006. Total 61 titles he earned in his tenure. It consists of 8 Grand Slams. The titles include:
- 4 Australian
- 2 US Open
- 1 French
- 1 Wimbledon
He won Olympic gold in 1996. Earned prize money for Agassi, is $31,152,975. He was part of the Tennis Hall of Fame: in 2011. He was one such athlete who did enough for his community. His wife is another legendary tennis player Steffi Graf.
9. John McEnroe
Jimmy was a different kind of player of his time. He was known for his fiery attitude with often bad-boy actions. Many loved him and equally hated him.
But, below the belt was a powerful tennis player. His biggest rivalry was with Jimmy Connors. He turned into a professional player in 1978. In 1992 he retired with 105 career titles. The titles include:
- 3 Wimbledon
- 4 US Open
His earned career prize money was $12,547,797. John was part of the Tennis Hall of Fame: 1999.
10. Jimmy Connors
How can we miss the name of John McEnroe’s best rival? Yes, our last name on the list is Jimmy Connors. He remained the most dominating player of his time. In 1974 he bagged 3 Grand Slams.
The French Open got banned for him. It was because of his World Team Tennis association. He managed to maintain an impressive career in tennis.
His ATP tour titles of 109 are still intact. He started playing professional tennis in 1972 and retired in 1996. In total, he won 147 career titles. Jimmy’s earned career prize money was $8,641,040. He was part of the Tennis Hall of Fame: 1998.
The above 10 players deserve to be on the list. Many more new players are showing their excellence in this segment. With time the list will change with new names.