10 Greatest Male Tennis Players of All Time
Who is the greatest male tennis player of all time?
For years, tennis fans argued about Pete Sampras, Rod Laver and Björn Borg.
Then came Roger Federer.
Then Rafael Nadal.
Then Novak Djokovic.
Suddenly the debate became even more difficult.
The greatest era in men's tennis history produced three players with legitimate claims to being No. 1 all time, while several earlier champions still have résumés that cannot simply be ignored.
Novak Djokovic Has the Numbers
If the ranking is based strictly on accomplishments, Novak Djokovic has an incredibly powerful case.
He won 24 Grand Slam singles titles, spent more weeks ranked No. 1 than any other male player and became the only man in the modern era to win each of the four Grand Slam tournaments at least three times.
Djokovic also finished with winning head-to-head records against both Federer and Nadal.
That is difficult to argue with.
His return of serve may be the greatest ever, his movement was extraordinary, and his ability to survive pressure situations became one of the defining characteristics of his career.
Roger Federer Changed Tennis
Statistics tell only part of the story.
Roger Federer made tennis look easy.
His serve, forehand, movement and one-handed backhand created a style that was both brutally effective and beautiful to watch.
Federer won 20 Grand Slam singles championships and dominated men's tennis through much of the 2000s before Nadal and Djokovic fully emerged.
He also expanded tennis's worldwide popularity and became one of the most recognizable athletes on Earth.
There is a difference between being the most accomplished and being the greatest. Federer remains a strong candidate under either definition.
Rafael Nadal Owned the Clay
Nobody has ever dominated one major tournament like Rafael Nadal dominated the French Open.
His 14 championships at Roland Garros may be one of the most astonishing records in sports.
Nadal finished with 22 Grand Slam singles titles and built his reputation on extraordinary endurance, competitive intensity and an ability to fight for seemingly every point as though it were championship point.
Calling him simply a clay-court specialist would be ridiculous. Nadal won every Grand Slam tournament and was elite on every surface.
But on clay, he was practically unbeatable.
What About Rod Laver?
Modern fans should be careful about automatically placing all modern stars above earlier champions.
Rod Laver won the calendar-year Grand Slam twice—once as an amateur in 1962 and again during the Open Era in 1969.
Even more remarkable, Laver lost several prime years of Grand Slam eligibility because professionals were not permitted to compete in the majors before the Open Era.
How many major championships might he have won otherwise?
We'll never know.
Pete Sampras also deserves enormous respect. His 14 Grand Slam titles were once considered the ultimate standard, and his serve-and-volley game made him nearly unstoppable on fast surfaces.
Björn Borg won 11 majors despite walking away from full-time tennis at only 26. He somehow dominated both the slow clay courts of Roland Garros and the fast grass of Wimbledon.
The Other Legends
A true Top 10 also has to consider players such as:
Jimmy Connors, whose longevity was extraordinary.
John McEnroe, one of the most talented and entertaining players ever.
Andre Agassi, who completed the career Grand Slam across dramatically different surfaces.
Ivan Lendl, who dominated much of the 1980s.
And older legends such as Ken Rosewall and Pancho Gonzales, whose careers don't fit neatly into today's Grand Slam statistics.
So Who Is No. 1?
If accomplishments decide the ranking, Djokovic may have the strongest case.
If influence and elegance matter more, Federer gains ground.
If competitive intensity and dominance on a particular surface matter most, Nadal belongs in the conversation.
And if dominance relative to one's era matters heavily, Laver cannot be forgotten.
That's exactly why Ultimate Rankings exists.
The experts have argued long enough.
Now it's the fans' turn.