Laver also showed off his doubles skills in a partnership with Roy Emerson, where the two have both won in Melbourne and Wimbledon. During his first win at Roland Garros, he used polyester tennis strings, which were relatively unknown and helped maximize topspin. The little guy Michael Chang, despite his modest height, was famous when he was young. Not only are they some of the most prominent players, but each has a unique story thats fun to research. The Australian Open champion dropped just three games against Anastasia Potapova to advance . Retired Australian tennis pro with a record 200 singles titles who was the third player to achieve the Career Grand Slam: 2 wds. In total, Mike has 123 doubles titles to his name. Lleyton Hewitt is the name in The 26 Best Retired Tennis Players. He also won two doubles crowns with fellow Swede and giants Anders Jarryd. Vilas was a southbound basketball player in an era when players used to serve and volley. His combination of power and shot-making ability has dazzled crowds around the world for years. Off the court, Paire is often spotted partying and having a good time, drawing criticism and those believing hes not taking things as seriously as possible. He has won the French Open and Wimbledon titles three times in a row. 1, with 364 weeks. If you have any players you think I missed or are deserving to be on this list, Id love to hear from you in the comments below. In addition, Kei won a bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics when he defeated Rafael Nadal. Edberg has won every Grand Slam twice except for the French Open, in which he reached the final and lost to Michael Chang. He is possibly one of the best carpet players in history, as he won every carpet tournament he participated in during the 1970s. On other social media platforms, Stefanos is relatively well known for the reflective thoughts that he posts. Maude Margaret Molesworth and Joan Hartigan to be inducted into Australian Tennis Hall of Fame 25 January, 2022 Its worth noting that some of the active players listed will likely not be remembered the same way as many of the retired players with significantly greater achievements in their careers. A prominent figure in Australias golden era of tennis, Emerson was part of eight Davis Cup winning teams and had a win-loss record of 34-4 in the tournament. As one of only two male Japanese players to ever rank in the top five, Kei Nishikori has gained tons of exposure for his success on the court, backed by lucrative endorsement deals that have further broadened his exposure throughout Asian countries. 3 in the world, Croatian Marin Cilic has delivered exceptional results over the years, including a Grand Slam title at the US Open in 2014 and two finals appearances at the Australian Open and Wimbledon. Orantes has a unique knack for excelling at minor tournaments, but failing at Grand Slams. The versatile Nastase has also won ATP awards on every surface. The 26 Best Retired Tennis Players is a compilation of the best tennis players of all time. Notably, Bernard has come under fire for tanking matches. "My playing career has come to an end, and I am so incredibly . Her charm, ethereal touch and lightning speed around the court were what made her such a successful and powerful player. Read our weekly recap of the 5 most interesting things we dig up in tennis. Matteo will be one to watch in the next few years. Recognizing the significance of a number one doubles ranking in tennis, heres a list of players to have achieved this milestone. He could dominate any surface at any time and spent a total of 268 mundane weeks at world number 1. Although Swiss tennis player Stan Wawrinka has mostly lived in the shadows of Roger Federer throughout his career, hes one of the most successful players to compete against the big three. Although no longer playing tennis on tour, these individuals remain some of the most widely recognizable names in tennis. Post retirement, Brookes became an efficient tennis administrator, and served as president of the Lawn Tennis Association of Australia from 1926 to 1955. 1 ranking and earning eight Grand Slam titles. Chang is still considered one of the best defenders in history, thanks to his speed and ability to recover quickly. His career took place well before the Open Era, and he retired in 1959. Many fans give big servers like Reilly a tough time because their game centers around their serve, referring to them as Serve Bots.. Australian tennis player Alex de Minaur is perhaps best known for his speed on the court and never giving up on points. More recently, Stan had a foot surgery that saw him miss most of the 2021 season. His total Slam tally of Grand Slams and Pro-Slams is 23, putting him well ahead of any other player. Second, he won the most titles in a single season, also in 1977, with 16 ATP Tour championships. Swedish tennis star Stefan Edberg is a former world No. She is closer in age to 31-year-old Simona Halep - another Wimbledon champion - who hasn't played . However, only a select few have ever achieved consistent enough success where they ended up becoming famous and gaining strong name recognition among dedicated fans and casual enthusiasts worldwide. Post-retirement, Andy has hosted a radio show, worked for Fox Sports, was a commentator for Wimbledon in 2015, and temporarily contributed to the TennisChannel. He is credited with 198 singles titles (most before the Open Era), but his absolute dominance over the entire field is unprecedented excellence. He has two wins in singles, three wins in doubles, and two more wins in mixed doubles. He has finished 2nd 3 times. 1. Federer, who retired from competitive tennis in September, posted the photo exactly five years after he defeated Marin Cilic in the men's Australian Open final - his 20th and last grand slam. Roddick has also reached three other Grand Slam finals (two at Wimbledon). He lifted three men's doubles titles at the Australian Open in 2016 and the US Open in 2016 and 2020 . Chang has never been number 1 in the world and he has never won another Grand Slam since winning in 1989. In any other Grand Slam event, Guga is practically still automatic at Roland Garros. One of his crowing achievements includes a career Grand Slam, winning at least one of each Grand Slam tournament. However, various other factors, including their personalities, behavior, and exposure off the court, influence how well they become known among tennis fans and the general public. He is still a fierce competitor to Rafael Nadal. Originally from Czechoslovakia, Ivan Lendl was a dominant tennis player who earned eight Grand Slam titles and reigned as world No. She is a former world No. First, he was on a 46-game winning streak on all fronts in 1977 that still hasnt come down. He played short his point and holds the ATP World Record for the fastest serve, at a ridiculous 155 mph. He also competed regularly in the Davis Cup, where he helped the team to five victories from 1964 to 1973. Here is a list of players who retired from tennis in 2020: WTA Players. 1 ranking. Roger Federer is the Swiss master strategist who came close to achieving Pete Sampras record of 14 Grand Slams and Federer did it in half the time. Bob won every Grand Slam title multiple times, earned Olympic gold and bronze medals, and owns numerous tennis records with his brother. Tennis player Pete Sampras will always be remembered for his seven Wimbledon singles titles. This is also considered an Australian tennis player who can reach the worlds No. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 1 singles ranking. Hes also won an Olympic gold medal in singles and doubles for Spain. The only grass-court tournament he won was called Wimbledon. In the 2017 Davis Cup, Denis found his way into the media for accidentally hitting the chair umpire in the eye at a Davis Cup rubber, which led to a quick disqualification for unsportsmanlike conduct. The lovable loser from the Czech Republic ranks second all-time in the Open Era in career titles. World No. Nampa has won 40 of his 44 tournament wins on the sand. Despite never making it past the quarterfinals in any event. In doing so, he brought home the first Olympic tennis medal to Japan in 96 years. There have been hundreds of successful male tennis players throughout history, and while only a handful will go down as the greatest of all time, there are many more widely celebrated players. 1 ranking in 1999. Sampras has stayed involved with tennis playing various exhibition matches post-retirement, which has helped keep up his exposure over the years. He also competed at the 1999 Australian Open. Ashley Cooper's game was a supreme example of attacking from baseline coupled with deft net skills. More recently, he coached Novak Djokovic during a successful three-year stint, during which time he won six Grand Slam and 14 masters titles. He also competed at the 1999 Australian Open. The versatile Nastase has also won ATP awards on every surface. He reached the semi-finals of Roland Garros only once in his career and never went further. Join the conversation with other members of the community. Ashe is not only a leader on the court for the development of American tennis but also an activist for social issues. Roddick is an outstanding tennis player loved by many. Her charm, ethereal touch. As part of curating this list of famous male tennis players, I looked at a handful of different factors to gauge their popularity. Beyond his talent on the court, one of the main reasons hes become so well-known is due to the comparisons fans have drawn to him and Rafael Nadal. Although he never won Wimbledon, his grass title came at the Australian Open when it was still played on grass. All together, Grand Slam champions are some of the most widely recognized tennis players in history. With that in mind, heres a list of the male tennis players who have achieved a number one ranking in tennis. Emerson also holds the record for winning 10 straight victories in Grand Slam tournament finals in which he appeared. Off the court, John has received some pushback from users on social media for his political views that hes not shy to share. One of the greatest female tennis players of all time, Steffi Graf, is a legend of the sport. This is also an indispensable name in The 26 Best Retired Tennis Players. The majority of Kuertens ATP titles have been on clay, although he has had some mixed hard-court championships. American tennis player Pete Sampras is one of the games most successful players and dominated much of the mens tour in the 90s. Mats Wilander is the exclusive company because he can say he has won a Grand Slam on all three courts (the other two being Rafael Nadal and Jimmy Connors). Sampras has no weakness in his game and can use any weapon at any time. Jimbo Connors is one of the best to ever play tennis and he wasnt even seriously contested for the best American player in the Open Era. Ken Rosewall has been in the World Top 20 for 25 consecutive years and even won the Australian Open at the age of 38. Ill also provide a complete list of former No. The little guy Michael Chang, despite his modest height, was famous when he was young. Hailing from Sweden, Bjrn Borg is another of the best tennis players of all time. Grand Slam Titles: 1 singles / 0 doubles As a result, he sued the ATP. The All England Club will pay for two rooms for Ukrainian tennis players and their teams during the grass-court season and will donate 1 British pound (about $1.25) for each . In 1995, he retired from tennis, but hes remained close to the sport coaching Rafael Nadal since 2016, during which time he won seven of his Grand Slam titles. In fact, she will be playing her 20th Australian Open this month. The retired NBA star's 15-year-old daughter came out as transgender in 2020. In 1957 the Australians beat the United States 3-2, but in 1958 the result was the opposite, with the Americans winning against the Australians 3-2. Cooper was knighted in 2007 for his service to tennis.He was inducted into the Australian tennis Hall of Fame in 1987. His serve can win points. Australian men and women lead all nations with 50 and 43 victories respectively at the event. The team is famous for their celebratory chest bumps, and theyd regularly draw large crowds wherever they played. Although Nadal calls the red clay court at Roland Garros home, he has certainly broadened his horizons. He won the Australian Open 4 times and his last Australian Open triumph came in 1972 at the age of 37y, 62 d making him the oldest player in the Open Era to win any of the 4 Grand Slam titles. He has won six Grand Slam titles in his career (three at Wimbledon), won an Olympic Gold medal in Barcelona, and led the West German Davis Cup team to a dramatic victory over the United States in 1989, where he defeated. Vilas holds two impressive ATP records. "Ash Barty. Ranked as high as No. Orantes has a unique knack for excelling at minor tournaments, but failing at Grand Slams. At 5 7 tall, Diego Schwartzman is one of the shortest players on the mens tour, but dont let the height fool you. Cooper won successive Australian Open titles in 1957 and 1958, and was part of Australias Davis Cup team in both years. me. Despite never making it past the quarterfinals in any event. 17-year-old Chang faced the world No. Margaret Court is an Australian retired tennis player. He defeated fellow American Jimmy Connors in 1975 at Wimbledon to win the final title. Although John McEnroe was one of the finest players to ever play, he will be best remembered for his Hall of Fame convictions on the field. Australia along with Great Britain and United States of America have been the three most successful nations in Grand Slams. Margaret Court (ne Smith; born 16 July 1942), also known as Margaret Smith Court, is a retired Australian tennis player and former world No. Although McEnroe has never won the French or Australian Open, he has made up for it at Wimbledon and the US Open. He competed in 19 ATP-record Grand Slam finals and made the list at least one out of 11 consecutive years. 17-year-old Chang faced the world No. Most notably, Ashe was the first black player to compete for the US Davis Cup Team, and he remains the only black man ever to win Wimbledon, the US Open, and the Australian Open. Ashe has won every Grand Slam except the French Open. Neale Fraser was a remarkable athlete famous for his huge forehand and power-packed left-handed serve. Newcombe had a very productive career as a singles player, winning multiple titles at the US Open, Australian Open, and Wimbledon. three-time champion Ivan Lendl, and won the epic five-set match that lasted over four hours. Arthur Ashe is also the next name in The 26 Best Retired Tennis Players. Felix is liked by many for his friendly demeanor, and his popularity will likely only grow as he continues to achieve success. Some of the best-known tennis players in the world are still competing at the top of their game on the ATP Tour, so well start with them. Although he never won the event again, he won nearly all of the ATP titles in his career on clay. This is also an indispensable name in The 26 Best Retired Tennis Players. Although it would be his only major title, he still enjoyed a successful career that included 34 titles overall. Pages in category "Australian female tennis players" The following 200 pages are in this category, out of approximately 274 total. Pete owned the record of 14 Grand Slam titles for seven years, which Federer first surpassed, followed by Nadal and Djokovic. Although his results have improved in recent years, including four third-round appearances at Grand Slams, hes only managed to win two titles to date. Ash Barty, World's No. Sedgman helped Australia to retain the Davis Cup in 1951 and 1952, and wrapped up his Davis Cup career with a 25-3 record. Patrick Rafter (AUS) Patrick Rafter Rafter could very well be the ultimate true serve and volley Grand Slam champion. A former world No. Wonder Boy, Andre Agassi isnt all that bad, anyway. He has finished 2nd 3 times. John McEnroe also remains active on the ATP Champions Tour, where former tennis professionals compete worldwide. Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), formed by Novak Djokovic and Vasek Pospisil in 2020, recently announced its first executive committee, which includes that duo plus these six others . He has won six Grand Slam titles in his career (three at Wimbledon), won an Olympic Gold medal in Barcelona, and led the West German Davis Cup team to a dramatic victory over the United States in 1989, where he defeated Andre Agassi in five brutal sets. Tennis Golf Motorsport US Sports . Nicknamed Guga, Gustavo Kuerten is a three-time French Open champion who had a big serve and played from the baseline. He teamed up with Daniel Vacek and beat Guy Forget/Jakob Hlaseks team for the doubles title, then went on to beat Michael Stich for the singles title. Courier has faced his arch nemesis, Stefan Edberg, three times in Grand Slam finals, winning two of them. Interestingly, Ken Rosewall is both the youngest as well as the oldest winner of the Australian Open - a unique record which looks unlikely to ever be beaten. Australian Tennis players have dominated the Australian Open ever since its establishment. Sir Norman Brookes, or The Wizard as he was fondly called, was the first international player to win the prestigious Wimbledon Championships way back in 1907. Although doubles tennis doesnt get as much attention as singles, these women are still some of the most famous ever to play the sport. Hewitt, who made his Grand Slam debut at he 1997 Australian Open aged just 15, became the ATP Tour's youngest ever World Number 1 in November 2001. Tied with Ivo Karlovic as the tallest ATP tennis player ever at 6 11, Reilly Opelka is an American tennis player whos best known for his big serve. He won countless titles as a teenager, but none is more famous than his Grand Slam victory at the 1989 French Open. Of the 24 Grand Slams played across categories in 1951 and 1952, Sedgman won 16 of them, including a Calendar Year doubles Grand Slam in 1951. Ivan Lendl, despite having won eight Grand Slams in his career, may be better known for another statistic. Beyond the court, Denis became well known after rapping in front of the crowd at the 2019 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. Prior to the advent of the Open Era in 1968, many professional players played in Pro-Tour or Pro-Slam tournaments to earn prize money, as the Grand Slams forbade professionals from competing in their events. Post-retirement, Fred spent many years as a tennis broadcaster, and in 1979, he released Fred Perry, an autobiography. His name is less known than others because much of his career came before the Open Era in tennis, which started in 1968. He was at his peak playing on clay, where he won the French Open three times, defeating Guillermo Vilas in the first and Ivan Lendl in the second. He continues to be one of the sports most important ambassadors and one of the best-known players worldwide. His most famous match would undoubtedly be the 1980 Wimbledon final against Bjorn Borg, a match in which Borg ended with an 8-6 victory in the fifth set. However, hes also well-known for various controversies on and off the court, from his famous use of the spaghetti string racquet that the ATP subsequently banned and his false comments suggesting Serena Willliams child is adopted. Popularly referred to as "Gong", she retired in the mid-1980s with seven Grand Slam singles titles from 18 finals (5th highest of all time), and 13 major titles in all. He also did it in straight sets. Winning two Grand Slam titles at the US Open and ascending to world No. Emerson is the only man to have won all 4 Grand Slam titles in both Singles and Doubles. Newcombe may, however, be most famous for his ATP record of 12 Grand Slam titles in doubles, many featuring Australian teammate Tony Roche. reverberating across all the arenas in the country when Hewitt played. 1-ranked women's player who won her country's major tournament, the . Boris Becker is also an Olympic gold medalist, winning doubles in 1992 in Barcelona with Michael Stich. His rivalry with Roger Federer could turn out to be the greatest match of all time. He even has a Netflix documentary covering the struggles he went through having hip surgery and fighting to return to the highest levels of the sport. It was the third time she had reached a Grand Slam final. The Romanian tennis star, Ilie Nstase, was a highly accomplished tennis player in singles and doubles, with 64 in singles and 45 in doubles. John has been on tour for many years and has earned 16 titles and a top ten ranking in 2018. "Grateful: This is the word that I've probably used the most during my career, and is the word that I feel explains it best at the end," she wrote on social media. At the Mexican Open in 2022, Zverev returned to the spotlight when he struck the umpires chair with his racquet multiple times, which unsurprisingly went viral. Borg made the game feel like a walk in the park. Thomas Muster was named the best player in the 1990s, his only Grand Slam coming at the 1995 French Open, where he beat Michael Chang. After retiring from tennis, Mats has played periodically on the senior tour, coached the Swedish Davis Cup team, and served as a commentator. Former World No.4 Johanna Konta on Wednesday announced her retirement from professional tennis. Former world No. Edberg has won every Grand Slam twice except for the French Open, in which he reached the final and lost to Michael Chang. Top 10 greatest Australian tennis players of all time. Despite that, Ken is one of the most prominent male tennis players in history and had incredible talent in singles and doubles. As a result, of his varied endeavors, hes one of the most recognizable names in tennis. Nastase has won Grand Slam titles by any means possible. He is a clay professional who won all three of his Grand Slam titles at the French Open, in 1997, 2000, and 2001. Against Rod Laver in 1960, he had a match point, only to lose 8-6 in the fifth set. This guide honors the most famous and talented Australian tennis players along with key stats and achievements for you to explore, including former world No. 2000. She. He teamed up with Daniel Vacek and beat Guy Forget/Jakob Hlaseks team for the doubles title, then went on to beat Michael Stich for the singles title. Sedgman had lightning quick reflexes and an athletic build. One of the sports most promising up and comers, Alexander Zverev, has been a consistent performer on the ATP Tour for years, including the accumulation of five Masters 1000 titles and Olympic gold. 1 in the world, and in 2016, he became the first Russian tennis player inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame. The 14 Grand Slams of his career are still an Open Era record. He also has a powerful forehand that he uses in conjunction with his serve to close out points quickly. Birthday: February 11, 1996 In a stunning move, Barty, the No. In 2000 he ranked No. Laver was inducted into the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame in 1993 and the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1981. Australian tennis player John Newcome achieved a world No. Courier began his career successfully, defeating fellow young star Andre Agassi in five sets at the French Open. The 37-year-old star decided to finish her singles career in front of her home crowd. Swiatek will face No.2 Aryna Sabalenka in Sunday's final. However, his only Grand Slam win was a very impressive one, to say the least, he beat Jimmy Connors of America at the 1975 US Open. Rod Lavers resume is thoroughly impressive, easily making him one of the greatest tennis players of all time. BRISBANE, Australia Ash Barty did things on her own terms as she won three Grand Slam singles titles and spent more than two consecutive years at No. 1 with 11 Grand Slam titles. In 2020, Zverevs ex-girlfriend Olga Sharypova accused him of physical and emotional abuse, which received significant media attention and has tarnished his reputation. At 29, Muguruza is two-and-a-half years older than Barty, and has more miles on the clock. Hes an early performer with an 84% win rate at Grand Slams. . He beat Pete Sampras at the US Open to win his first Grand Slam title, then went on to win at Wimbledon. In 2018, he suffered an unfortunate injury to his eye when a ball ricocheted off his racquet at the net and caused him to miss a few tournaments. ? That was the first time that he was returning to London since his first win at SW19 seven years earlier. STUTTGART -- World No.1 Iga Swiatek advanced to her second straight Porsche Tennis Grand Prix final after No.4 Ons Jabeur was forced to retire down 3-0 in the semifinals with a left calf injury. Marin reached 550 match wins in 2022, becoming the 40th man in the Open Era to achieve the feat. Australia has always been blessed with loads of tennis talent. Keep in mind that some of these players are nearing the end of their careers, and others have had injuries, so although you might not see them or have heard of them recently, theyre still active. He became the only man to win the tournament as a wildcard, having been to the finals on three separate occasions in 1992, 1994, and 1998. Orantes also gave Bjorn Borg an excellent match at Roland Garros in 1974, where he won the first two sets before collapsing. The Sochi heavyweight has also won four Grand Slam doubles titles in his career and an Olympic gold medal in singles at the Sydney Olympics this year. Your login session has expired. Newcombe may, however, be most famous for his ATP record of 12 Grand Slam titles in doubles, many featuring Australian teammate Tony Roche. . Amazing tennis player but even . He is one of the few players to have been ranked number 1 in the world at the same time in singles and doubles. Required fields are marked *. Newcombe had a very productive career as a singles player, winning multiple titles at the US Open, Australian Open, and Wimbledon. He is a clay professional who won all three of his Grand Slam titles at the French Open, in 1997, 2000, and 2001. In addition to his skills on the court, John is famous for his temper and, in particular, his famous phrase, you cannot be serious. McEnroe has been a staple announcer for major tennis tournaments and appeared in a few movies, and talk shows post-retirement. Court amassed more major titles than any other player in history. One of the ATPs most athletic stars, Gael Monfils, is a showman on the court known for his speed, slides, trick shots, and lighthearted demeanor. Although hes no longer with us, Fred Perry remains an icon of the sport and one of the more talented players ever to step on a court. During his career, injuries plagued Marat making it challenging to compete in 2002, 2005, and 2006. Courier has faced his arch nemesis, Stefan Edberg, three times in Grand Slam finals, winning two of them. He has revolutionized the way the game is played. She also holds 19 Grand Slam doubles titles and 21 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles. All three of his Grand Slam titles came against Nadal and Djokovic. He was the first African-American to win a Grand Slam, and he was also a major activist in the worldwide fight against AIDS. Indicative of his dominance, Novak currently holds the record for the most weeks as world No. Despite competing in a short career, Aussie won consecutive US Open titles in 1997 and 1998. Swedish player Stefan Edberg is also very good at serving and catching the ball. Laver's tally of 11 Grand Slams includes 3 Australian Open victories (1960, 1962, 1969), 2 French Open titles (1962, 1969), 4 Wimbledon Championships (1961, 1962, 1968, 1969) and 2 US Open triumphs (1962,1969). Michael was a fast player who was relatively short at 5 9, didnt have any significant weapons, but he often outworked and played more intelligent tennis than his opponents.