Tennis was an amazing sport during the 1970’s. It was then when it became a mainstream sport as opposed to a sport for the privileged, especially in the United States. With players like Chris Evert, John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg, Jimmy Connors, and others, there were certainly loads of personalities that fuelled rivalries taking place off and on the court.
Since then, plenty of sensational players have come and gone, making it difficult to compare players from various eras as the fitness standards were different and the technology involved in tennis continues to get more advanced. Despite these challenges, we decided to compile a list of the greatest male tennis players in the history of the sport.
1. Roger Federer
It’s difficult not the choose Roger Federer as the greatest tennis player of all time. He has a total of 20 Grand Slam titles, and at the age of 37, he continues to win at the highest level. He spends 310 weeks as the number 1 player in the world which included 273 successive weeks between 2004 and 2008. He managed to win the Australian Open in 2018 and, in 2017, he won the Australian Open as well along with Wimbledon, making him the greatest of all time without a doubt.
2. Rafael Nadal
If it was not for wrist injuries and recurring problems with his knees, Rafael Nadal might have more Grand Slam titles to his name. At the age of 32, Nadal has a total of 17 Grand Slam titles and has the ability to catch Federer before he retires. Known as the King of Clay, Nadal managed to claim his 11th French Open title, proving himself as one of the greatest male tennis players in the world.
3. Novak Djokovic
Placing Djokovic on our list was an easy decision. However, deciding where to place him wasn’t as easy. He is only 31 years old which means he still has loads of tennis left in his career and the opportunity to claim more Grand Slam titles before he decides to retire. Although 2017 was not the best year in his career, Djokovic did manage to claim the French Open in 2016 and managed to win Wimbledon in 2018 after beating Nadal in the semi-finals.
4. Rod Laver
Rod Laver turned pro in 1962 and retired in 1979. He has a total of 200 career titles and 11 Grand Slam titles, including 4 Wimbledon, 2 US Open, 2 French Open, and 3 Australian Open. He was also included in the Tennis Hall of Fame in 1981. He is also the only player to win the Grand Slam twice, once as an amateur during 1962 and again in 1969 when he turned pro.
5. Pete Sampras
Pete Sampras turned pro in 1988 and retired in 2002. He has a total of 64 career titles along with 14 Grand Slam single titles, including 5 US Open, 7 Wimbledon, and 2 Australian Open. He was also included on the Tennis Hall of Fame in 2007.