Becoming an elite athlete at a professional level is incredibly difficult. To even turn semi-pro is a feat in itself, which gives you an even greater respect and admiration for pro athletes, regardless of their sport of choice.
Tennis, for example, is one of the most challenging sports in existence. It requires athleticism, stamina, fitness, coordination, and natural ability.
Over the years, we’ve seen some truly talented tennis players. While pro players come and go, some leave their mark on the sport, solidify their place in history, and change the sport forever. We’ll be looking at some prime examples of this right now.
So, in no particular order, here’s a look at 7 of the best male tennis players of all time.
Andre Agassi
No article looking at the best male tennis players of all time would be complete without Andre Agassi included.
Agassi was one of the finest players in the history of the sport, with many considering him the best pure tennis ball striker of all time.
Even before he turned pro, many predicted great things for this young up-and-comer. In the 90s, he really came into his own, becoming one of the biggest standout stars in the golden age of American tennis.
Agassi enjoyed a pro career of more than two decades, picking up 8 Grand Slam titles and 60 singles titles. His greatest success came in Australia at the Australian Open, where he picked up 4 titles. He would also make history by becoming the first player to pick up all Grand Slam titles on all three playing surfaces.
Agassi is also the only tennis player to ever achieve a ‘Career Super Slam‘ by winning all four Grand Slam tournaments and the year-end championships. Pretty impressive, right?
John McEnroe
Up next, we have the “bad boy of tennis,” John McEnroe.
McEnroe was a polarizing figure in tennis in that you either loved or hated him. Regardless of how you felt about him, he put butts in seats and made for some truly exciting TV.
McEnroe may be remembered for his short temper and the infamous ‘you cannot be serious?!’ moment. Still, he was also a gifted player and had a fantastic competitive rivalry with Bjorn Borg, with the two meeting 22 times in total, and even having their rivalry turned into a major motion picture (Borg vs. McEnroe) in 2017.
McEnroe would win 77 singles and 78 doubles titles, including 7 Grand Slam titles (Wimbledon 3, US Open 4).
Bjorn Borg
Speaking of Bjorn Borg, it would be truly insulting to remember him purely for his rivalry with McEnroe, as he too is one of thgreatest male tennis players to ever grace the court.
The Swedish superstar is a former world No. 1 tennis player who started out as a teenage prodigy at the Davis Cup, aged just 15.
He had barely turned 18 when he won his first Grand Slam in the form of the French Open, making him one of the youngest French Open winners of all time.
Despite picking up 11 Grand Slam titles and forming an amazing on-screen rivalry with John McEnroe, and Jimmy Connors, the pressure of the game and life in the public eye got to Bjorn, who retired from the sport at just 26.
Many believe that if he had continued for another decade or more, he could potentially have been the greatest of all time. Sadly, we never got to find out.
Jimmy Connors
Jimmy Connors is perhaps the least-known name on our list so far, though even casual tennis fans will be very familiar with him.
Connors was the man to beat in the 70s, as he dominated the sport and looked unstoppable. From 1974 to 1977, he was ranked world No. 1 for 268 weeks.
The American tennis ace won three majors in 1974 and would probably have made it a Grand Slam had he not been banned from the French Open by signing a contract with the World Team Tennis Circuit.
Jimmy did okay, however, as he is still in possession of the record for the most men’s singles titles in tennis, with 8 Grand Slams and 109 tournament victories.
Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal was one of the most dominant teenagers in the history of the ATP Tour.
At just 19 years of age, the Spaniard was world No. 2.
Nadal won Olympic Gold at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, as well as 20 Grand Slam Titles and 88 titles in total.
He is dubbed the ‘King of Clay’ after picking up his 13th French Open title in 2020. He is one of only eight male tennis players to complete a Career Grand Slam.
Novak Djokovic
You honestly didn’t think we’d forget to include Novak Djokovic, did you?
Novak Djokovic is, without question, one of the greatest tennis players to ever live. In fact, many consider him to be the best ever. With 21 Grand Slams to his name, and with this number still increasing, it’s easy to see why that is.
Djokovic has broken virtually every tennis record there is to break, and with a career spanning close to two decades, he is still at the top of his game.
As of this writing, Djokovic has won 89 singles titles, 21 of which are Grand Slams, as well as 5 ATP Finals titles and 38 ATP Masters titles. The Serbian is also the only male tennis player to have won all 9 Masters tournaments, which he has done twice.
With Djokovic still at the top of his game, the 35-year-old looks almost certain to become the all-time Grand Slam title record holder.
Roger Federer
Finally, last, but by no means least, we have the many whom many consider the GOAT (Greatest of all Time) Roger Federer.
Recently, in an emotional online post, 41-year-old Federer revealed to his millions of fans that he would be retiring in 2022 following the Laver Cup in September. He went out as arguably the greatest tennis player to ever live.
Federer really has achieved everything there is to achieve in tennis, including 103 singles titles, 28 Masters Titles, 20 Grand Slams, and a record 6 ATP Tour Finals titles. He also holds the title for the longest streak at the No. 1 ranking in the history of the sport, clocking in an astonishing 310 weeks.
The Swiss competed for 23 years, won everything there is to win, and was also a huge fan favorite, winning the ATP Fan’s Player of the Year Award for 18 consecutive years.
While it is a huge shame that we’ll likely never see Federer play at an elite level again, the fact that he has entertained us for more than two decades and still went out on a high at the top of his game is something we should all be enormously grateful for. We’ll miss you, Roger.
