Top 10 Greatest Tennis Players of All Time

#10: Billie Jean King

Hailing from Long Beach, Billie Jean King is one of the most historic tennis players in history, not only for her stats, but for what she represented for the sport. King was a Queen on the court, winning 39 major titles. That included six Wimbledon wins throughout the 60s and 70s and 27 doubles titles, making her one of the first players to consistently dominate in both fields. But perhaps her most lasting legacy is being a trailblazer for womens rights in sports - winning the 1973 Battle of the Sexes, creating the WTA, and fighting for equal prize money for women in tennis. Her name has since been given to the complex that hosts the US Open - a testament to her legacy in the sport.

#9: Pete Sampras

We knew something good was brewing when Pete Sampras won the US Open in 1990. Having turned nineteen less than a month before, he became - and still is - the youngest winner in the tournaments long history. And speaking of records - at the time of his retirement in 2002, Samprass fourteen Grand Slam wins was the all-time record. Sampras was the name in the 1990s, being ranked world number one throughout a good chunk of the decade and winning twelve majors, including six in seven years at Wimbledon. And with one of the most dominant serves in all of tennis, Sampras earned himself the nickname Pistol Pete, a testament to his remarkable - and often unbeatable - power.

#8: Serena Williams

Even people who dont follow tennis know the name Serena Williams. She was a pop culture icon in the 2000s, a result of her on-court dominance, cultural and social impact, and frequent appearances in celebrity media. Williams has some unparalleled career achievements, like 23 Grand Slam singles titles and four Olympic gold medals between both singles and doubles. In fact, Williams is the recipient of the rare and coveted career Golden Slam, which is when a player wins all four major Grand Slams and the Olympic gold medal. Williams did that in both singles and doubles - the only player in history to have done so. With one of the greatest serves in the sport, aggressive baseline play, and unmatched athleticism, Williams revolutionized womens tennis.

#7: Rod Laver

Like Billie Jean King, Rod Laver has a stadium named after him - the Rod Laver Arena, home of the Australian Open. Laver was simply unbeatable in the 1960s, completing two - yes, two - calendar Grand Slams. This is when a player wins all four majors - the Australian, French, and US Opens, plus Wimbledon - in a single calendar year. Most players never accomplish this. Laver did it twice in the same decade, in 1962 and again in 1969. He also holds the most singles titles in tennis history with 200, accomplished between his amateur and professional careers. He had a complete game, with a powerful left-handed forehand, supreme athleticism, and incredible mental fortitude, and he could compete on all different styles of court.

#6: Margaret Court

The achievements of Margaret Court are almost divine. And with the name Court, you almost have to believe in divine intervention. Court won a total of 64 major titles throughout her career, including 24 in singles. In fact, she had completed her Career Grand Slam by the time she was just 21 after winning Wimbledon in 1963. But wait, it gets better. You see, Court also managed the extremely rare, almost unheard of, accomplishment of winning two Boxed Sets. A Boxed Set is when a player wins all four Grand Slams in each of the three disciplines - singles, doubles, and mixed doubles. Only three players in history have done this. Court is the only player to have done it twice.

#5: Martina Navratilova

There was one name that dominated womens tennis in the 1980s - Martina Navratilova. She won eighteen singles Grand Slams throughout her career, with all but three occurring in the 80s. During that time, Navratilova reached nine consecutive Wimbledon finals and won six straight between 1982 and 1987. In fact, her nine Wimbledon wins is a record for any player, both male and female. And in 1983, Navratilova had a startling winning percentage of 99%, losing just one of her 87 matches. Oh, and shes one of the three players to achieve the aforementioned Boxed Set. Navratilovas aggressive serve-and-volley game served her well, and she continued playing the sport well into middle age, winning the US Open mixed doubles title in 2006 at the age of 49.

#4: Rafael Nadal

This Spanish player retired in 2024, ending one of the most remarkable tennis careers in history. Nadal maintained top-tier performance for nearly two decades, his competitive fire never extinguishing. Known as a fantastic return player with an unbelievable forehand, Nadal powered his way to 22 Grand Slam singles titles and is the only player in history to win at least one Grand Slam in a calendar year for ten consecutive years. Most of those wins came on clay, on which Nadal was virtually unbeatable. He was victorious in over 90% of his clay matches, won 81 consecutive matches on the surface, and took home fourteen French Open titles. No other player has won even half as many at one major.

#3: Steffi Graf

This German woman was born to play tennis. In 1983, she played in the French Open at just thirteen, making her the youngest player at the time to compete in a major. In 1988 she won the coveted Golden Slam, making her the only player to have done so in the same calendar year. She is also the only tennis player in history, either male or female, to achieve a quadruple career Grand Slam. And then theres the fact that she set the records for most year-end No. 1 finishes (eight) and most weeks spent as No. 1 (377). And many other esteemed players, including Billie Jean King and Serena Williams, have called her the GOAT. So yeah, Steffi Graf was pretty good.

#2: Roger Federer

Simply watching Roger Federer play was a thing of beauty. It was like ballet, with his grace, fluidity, and precision earning widespread acclaim and making him a model of technical brilliance. Of course he has the career achievements to show for it. Federer took home twenty majors titles, including eight at Wimbledon. He also spent a record 237 consecutive weeks at No. 1 throughout the 2000s, showcasing an extended period of dominance. And speaking of extended dominance, Federer remained competitive well into his late 30s, winning his final Grand Slam in 2018 at the age of 36 - a rarity in any sport, let alone one as physically demanding as tennis. And with exceptional sportsmanship, there was simply no reason not to like Mr. Federer.

#1: Novak Djokovic

We mean, is there a record that Novak Djokovic doesnt have? Most year-end No. 1s - 8. Most weeks spent as No. 1 - 428. Most Grand Slam wins - 24. Most Masters 1000 titles - 40. Speaking of, hes the only player in history to win all nine Masters 1000 tournaments. And hes done it twice. Anyway. Most ATP Finals wins - 7. He set the rankings points record with 16,950. Hes earned the most prize money of any tennis player, with nearly $187 million. And just to cap it off, in 2024 he won the Olympic gold medal, making him the only tennis player in history to win every Big Title - the four Grand Slams, the nine Masters 1000s, the ATP Finals, and the Olympic gold medal.

Is there a historic player we forgot to include? Let us know in the comments below!