Top Tennis Singles Players of modern times

Men No.1 Rankings
Women No.1 Rankings
Men Slam winners 
Women Slam winners

(Click on the picture to read the entire biography)

1. Steffi Graf  (Germany: 1983-1999)

Steffi won 22 of the 55 grand slams she played in her relatively short career. She retired as early as 29 (was in semi-retirement since 27) with a success percentage of 40.00. In fact, if the 1^st eleven slams that she lost due to turning pro at a very young age are disregarded, her grand slam success percentage is high as 50.00. Steffi is also the only player to win the Golden Grand Slam (1988). What was more incredible was she won every slam at least 4 times, Australian Open being the least number of times. If she did not have injuries and had played Australian Open in 1987, 92, 95 and 96 she might have it more than 5 times. She had an excellent chance to break Margaret Smith’s record of 24 slams when she won 21 slams by the age of 27, but unfortunately injuries forced her into semi-retirement and her career looked over. But she made a great comeback in 1999 after 1.5 years to win a last slam at the 1999 French Open upsetting the top 3 players in the world in the last three rounds of the open.

2. Bjorn Borg (Sweden: 1974-1981)

Bjorn Borg both the natural surfaces - grass and clay to the fullest extent possible. It was remarkable he won so many French Open and Wimbledon titles in their career, while many players nowadays are even struggling to win both of them at least once in their career. Bjorn won Wimbledon 5 times in a row and 6 French Open titles in his career. Bjorn won 11 out of the 27 grand slams he played in his short career (he retired at 26), with a success percentage of 40.70. No other male is even close to him, in this regard. He didn't do much on grass until 1976, when he was determined to win Wimbledon, and did so after devoting himself to two weeks of solid practice on serve-and-volley tactics. He won the most important tournament without losing a set, beating favored Ilie Nastase in the final, 6-4, 6-2, 9-7. His fifth straight Wimbledon championship, 1980, climaxed with an all-time great final, a 1-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-7 (16-18), 8-6 triumph over John McEnroe. During one of the most electrifying passages in tennis history, the 34-point tiebreaker, Borg was stymied on five match points and saved six set points before giving way. But his famous resolve brought him through in the brilliantly battled fifth. When he won his male record sixth French title in 1981, with another record, his 28th straight match win, it seemed that Borg, then 25, would surely surpass Roy Emerson's male record of 12 major singles titles. Borg had 11. But he would not win another, remaining tied with Laver as he retired at the end of the year. The U.S. Open was his particular jinx. He failed to win in 10 tries, losing four finals, 1976 and 1978 to Jimmy Connors, and 1980 and 1981 to McEnroe. Thrice (1978, 1979 and 1980) he was halfway to a Grand Slam after victories at the French and Wimbledon only to falter at the three-quarter pole at Flushing Meadow, lefty Tanner his conqueror in 1979.

3. Ivan Lendl (Czechoslovakia/USA: 1978-1994)

Although he'd been a prodigious winner for four years, it was not until the French final of 1984 that Ivan Lendl began to really stake his claim to greatness. Then, from two sets down to the year's leading player, John McEnroe, Lendl battled back to win in five sets, 3-6, 2-6, 6-4, 7-5, 7-5, seizing the first of his eight major singles. He won two other French (1986 and 1987) and two Australian (1989 and 1990). His U.S. Open conquest of McEnroe hoisted him past the New Yorker to No. 1 in the world, a position he held until losing the Open in 1988 to Wilander -- 156 straight weeks, short of Jimmy Connors's open era record. He returned to No. 1 for 1989 and has spent a record total 269 weeks at the peak during 13 seasons in the Top Ten. His US Open time was spectacular: appearing in eight successive finals (from 1982), he equaled the record of Big Bill Tilden (1918-25). Ivan's pursuit of the one prize beyond him, Wimbledon, was Jobian. But each time, 14 of them, he was afflicted by defeat. Strain and try as he did to become a serve-and-volleyer, and close as he came -- final-round loses to Boris Becker, 1986, and Pat Cash, 1987 -- grass was his no-no. That may be unfair to say about a man who batted .774 there, was also a semifinalist five time, but he joined Ken Rosewall and Pancho Gonzalez as the greatest never to win the Big W.

4. Chris Evert (USA: 1971-1989)

Although essentially a slow-court baseline specialist, raised on clay in Fort Lauderdale, FL, where she was born December 21, 1954, the right-handed Evert showed that booming groundstrokes could succeed on the fast Forest Hills, Wimbledon and Australian grass. She was the Little Ice Maiden, a pony-tailed kid, deadpan, with metronomic strokes that seldom missed. It was such a success that by the time she completed a 20-year career in 1989 she had won $8,896,195 in prize money and a record 157 pro singles titles on a 1,309-146 won-lost record. That's an .8996 winning average, highest in pro history. Her major titles numbered 21--18 of them of 34 finals in singles--six behind Margaret Court, three behind Steffi Graf, one behind Helen Wills Moody, tied with Navratilova. Phenomenally, Chris won at least one major singles for 13 consecutive years, a record. She started in 1974 and ended in 1986 at the French where she was the all-time champ with seven championships on a 72-6 match record.

5. Martina Navratilova (Czechoslovakia/USA: 1973-1994)

Nobody, ever, has had such a glittering trove of numbers as Martina Navratilova. As a pro since 1973, she played the most singles tournaments (380) and matches (1,650), and won the most titles (167) and matches (1,438) with a won-lost mark of 1,438-212. She won more prize money, $20,344,061, than all but Ivan Lendl and Pete Sampras. Her doubles feats, attesting to a grandeur of completeness, were as sparkling: played the second most tournaments (286) and the most matches (1,111), and won the most titles (162) and matches (989) with a won-lost mark of 989-122. Throw in infrequent but very positive mixed doubles: played 27 tournaments, won 8 with a won-lost of 94-19. Overall for this three-way stretcher: played the most tournaments (693) and matches (2,874); won the most titles (337) and matches (2,521) with a 2,521-353 won-lost. Thus she battled .872 in singles, .890 in doubles, and .832 in mixed--.877 for everything. It means she won 48.6 percent of all the tournaments she entered.

6. Pete Sampras (USA: 1988-2002)

Pete Sampras rose to tennis supremacy after becoming the youngest man to win the U.S. Open, in 1990. Tall and long-armed, he was noted for his powerful serve and overhead as well as for his fluidity on the court. He won 14 Grand Slams —the record for a male tennis player— including the 1990, 1993, 1995–96, and 2002 U.S. Opens, the 1993-95 and 1997-2000 Wimbledon titles, and the 1994 and 1997 Australian Opens. In the 1990s he was the male player most consistently ranked first in the world for the total of 286 weeks weeks. His only weakness was clay. He tried his level best to win the French Open but could make the semi-final only once. If he had won the French Open he would have been considered undoubtedly the greatest ever.

7. John McEnroe (USA: 1977-1992)

McEnroe stands as perhaps the most skilled--and controversial--of all players. Brilliant in doubles and singles, he was distinguished by shotmaking artistry, competitive fire and a volatile temper. The last led to heavy fines, suspensions and, at the 1990 Australian Open, an extraordinary disqualification for showering abusive language on court officials while leading Mikael Pernfors. A magnificent volleyer with a feathery touch, he was an attacker whose fast court style netted four U.S. Open and three Wimbledon singles. But he had the baselining strength to have done well on clay at the French, a title he might have won at his zenith in 1984. In the final he led Ivan Lendl, 2-0 in sets only to be distracted by temperamental outbursts, and was beaten, 3-6, 2-6, 6-4, 7-5, 7-5. Three intense rivalries stand out during his career. He had the edge on Connors (31-20), but not Lendl 15-21), and was even with Borg (7-7). Except for the French Open lapse against Lendl, he was virtually unbeatable in 1984, winning 13 of 15 singles tournaments on an 82-3 record. Other big seasons were 1979 (10 titles on a 94-12 record), 1980 (10 titles on 88-18). In 1979 he set an open-era record with 27 overall tournament victories, 17 in doubles, winning a record total of 177 matches. He won the season-climaxing Masters singles thrice, 1978, 1983 and 1984, and is the all-time overall professional leader with 154 tournament victories: a 77-77 singles-doubles split. His is third in singles titles behind Connor's 109 and Lendl's 94.

8. Jimmy Connors (1970-1992)

Turning pro in 1972, Jimmy won his first title that year at Jacksonville, FL, and continued at a prodigious pace, arriving at his 109th--a male record--in 1989 by winning in Israel. He attained 54 other finals, and has played more tournaments (401) and won more matches than any other male pro, 1,337-285 (.824), and, in fact, has never really retired. Having lost a first-rounder at Atlanta in 1996, he is the only player who has been on the ATP computer since its inception in 1973, latest ranking a not-too-shabby No. 1,304 at age 44. He also won Wimbledon twice (1974 and 1982) and the Australian (1974) for a total of 8 singles majors, second only to Bill Tilden's 10 among American men, and tied with Fred Perry, Ken Rosewall, Ivan Lendl and Pete Sampras for fourth on the all-time roll. Perhaps the most extraordinary year of his certain progression toward the Hall of Fame was 1991. His career seemed at an end. Troubled by a deteriorated left wrist, he had played (and lost) only three matches in 1990, dropping to No. 936 in the rankings. However, surgery restored him, and he came back smoking, playing 14 tournaments and climaxing with a phenomenal semifinal finish (his 14th) at the U.S. Open.

9. Andre Agassi (USA: 1960-1983)

Andre Agassi was the only modern player to win all the 4 majors at least once. While it is easier to do it on the men’s side it is very difficult on the men’s side to win all the 4. He was one of the best returner of the game. He had many great matches with his rival Pete Sampras. He won the matches he played against Pete on the slower surfaces but struggled to beat him. His great return of service made him a threat on any surface and helped win against many big serving players he played in his career. He was an amazingly fit athlete and could wear opponents much younger than him even in the latter stages of his career. Andre Agassi was the oldest player to be ranked No.1 in Open era.

10. Boris Becker (Germany: 1985-1999)

Boris Becker captured 6 Grand Slam singles titles - 2 Australian Opens (1991, '96), 3 Wimbledon Championships (1985, '86, '89) and the 1989 US Open. Becker was ranked in the year-end Top 10 eleven times between 1985 and 1996. He finished his career with 49 singles titles and 15 doubles titles. He was a singles winner in the 1988 Masters event (a finalist in 1985, '86, '89), winner at the 1988 World Championships Tennis event (finalist in 1986) and winner of the 1992 and 1995 ATP Tour World Championships Finals (finalist in 1994, '96). captured 6 Grand Slam singles titles - 2 Australian Opens (1991, '96), 3 Wimbledon Championships (1985, '86, '89) and the 1989 US Open. Becker was ranked in the year-end Top 10 eleven times between 1985 and 1996. He finished his career with 49 singles titles and 15 doubles titles. He was a singles winner in the 1988 Masters event (a finalist in 1985, '86, '89), winner at the 1988 World Championships Tennis event (finalist in 1986) and winner of the 1992 and 1995 ATP Tour World Championships Finals (finalist in 1994, '96). Becker was the redheaded teenager that took the world by surprise in 1985 by winning Wimbledon - then the youngest male ever to win a major at 17 years, 7 months. (In 1989 Michael Chang, at 17 years, 3 months, won the French Open.) He was the first German champion and the first unseeded player to win the Men's Singles Championship. In 1986 he successfully defended his Wimbledon title, stopping Ivan Lendl in the final. At 6 feet, 3 inches, Becker's game featured a big serve, heavy groundstrokes and penetrating volleys. A crowd favorite at Wimbledon, he reached the finals seven times in 10 years (1985-'95).