Top 15 Greatest Men's Tennis Players of All Time

Who is the best tennis player in history? As always, it's hard not to be subjective with this kind of list, but we still went ahead and ranked the 15 best male tennis players in the world of all time.

The list includes old legends like John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors and Björn Borg, of course. But newer skills like Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are also among the best tennis players of all time.

Just outside the top 15 we find great players like Andy Murray, Jim Courier and Goran Ivanisevic, showing how tough the competition is when ranking the greatest men's tennis players of all time.

Do you agree with us or do you miss players? Let your voice be heard in the comments!

15. Stefan Edberg

Nationality: Sweden
Active years: 1983-1996
Grand Slam titles: 6

Stefan Edberg was one of the world's best tennis players in the 1980s and 1990s. The Elegant from Västervik became known for his flawless serve and volley game, which led him to the top of the world rankings. In total, Stefan Edberg reached an impressive 11 Grand Slam finals, 6 of which ended in victory.

14. Boris Becker

Nationality: Germany
Active years: 1984-1999
Grand Slam titles: 6

German Boris Becker won his entire 6 Grand Slam titles during his active career. Given his orange hairstyle, you might think he should have saved one of them at the French Open, whose gravel has a similar hue. But the fact is that Becker never won at Roland Garros. Instead, he had the most success on Wimbledon's green grass, where there were a total of three tournament victories.

13. John Newcombe

Nationality: Australia
Active years: 1968-1981
Grand Slam titles: 7

John Newcombe is Australia's third most successful tennis player of all time. Under the guidance of legendary "director" Harry Hopman, Newcombe developed into one of the giants of the game, winning a total of seven Grand Slam titles as a singles player during his career. As a professional, he was ranked worldwide in 1970, 1971, 1973 and 1974.

12. Mats Wilander

Nationality: Sweden
Active years: 1981-1996
Grand Slam titles: 7

Mats Wilander is counted along with Björn Borg and Stefan Edberg as Sweden's all-time leading tennis player. Between September 1988 and January 1989, he was ranked as the world's single in a single for a total of 20 weeks. In addition, there were a total of 7 Grand Slam triumphs during his career. The first one (French Open) he won only 17 years and 9 months old, which was then a record.

11. John McEnroe

Nationality: USA
Active years: 1978-1992 (temporary comeback in two tournaments in doubles in 2006)
Grand Slam titles: 7

The poorest player in the world is also one of the best of all time. Besides his warm temperament, John Patrick McEnroe is known for his rivalry with Björn Borg. He dominated world tennis in the early 1980s, winning a total of seven Grand Slam titles.

10. Jimmy Connors

Nationality: USA
Active years: 1972-1996
Grand Slam titles: 8

American Jimmy Connors is, along with Pete Sampras, Roger Federer and Ivan Lendl, the male tennis player who has held the position the most weeks in the world (268). The charismatic legend put his racket on the shelf in 1996.

9. Ivan Lendl

Nationality: Czechoslovakia (US citizen since 1992)
Active years: 1978-1994
Grand Slam titles: 8

Czech Ivan Lendl reached his 19 Grand Slam finals during his career, winning eight of them. Shortly before the end of his career in 1994, Lendl settled in the USA and became an American citizen in 1992.

8. Andere Agassi

Nationality: USA
Active years: 1986-2006
Grand Slam titles: 8

In the late 1980s, Las Vegas-born Andre Agassi hit like a bomb in the tennis world with his long hair and colorful outfits. He boasts a total of eight Grand Slam titles, but they fall in the shadow of Miss Steffi Graf's facet, which includes a full 22 pieces!

7. Rod Laver

Nationality: Australia
Active years: 1963-1976
Grand Slam titles: 11

Legend Rod Laver won 11 Grand Slam titles in singles and 9 in doubles during his active career. He is the only player to have won a true Grand Slam twice - that is, all four Grand Slam tournaments in one year.

6. Björn borg

Nationality: Sweden
Active years: 1973-1983
Grand Slam titles: 11

In connection with the turn of the millennium, Björn Borg was named Sweden's leading athlete in the 20th century, ahead of Ingemar Stenmark and his name Johansson. There were a total of 11 Grand Slam victories for the hairless Swede, of which the five straight Wimbledon titles between 1976 and 1980 achieved the highest.

5. Roy Emerson

Nationality: Australia
Active years: 1953-1983
Grand Slam titles: 12

Roy Emerson is Australia's most successful tennis player of all time with his 12 Grand Slam titles in singles. He is also the only male tennis player to have a so-called Grand Slam career in both singles and doubles.

4. Pete Sampras

Nationality: USA
Active years: 1988-2002
Grand Slam titles: 14

With his 14 Grand Slam titles, Pete Sampras is the fourth most successful male player in the world in the four prestigious tournaments. He won at home as a 19-year-old at the 1990 US Open after defeating Ivan Lendl in the quarterfinals, John McEnroe in the semifinals and finally Andre Agassi in the final. "Pistol Pete" was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2007.

3. Novak Djokovic

Nationality: Serbia
Active years: 2003-
Grand Slam titles: 17

Novak Djokovic won his first Grand Slam title in 2008 when he defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 3: 1 in the Australian Open final. Eight years later, he stood again with the same dent in his hands after his sixth (!) triumph in Melbourne. In total, the remaining Serb has won 17 Grand Slam titles so far. The last save at the Australian Open 2020 after a final victory against Dominic Thiem.

2. Rafael Nadal

Nationality: Spain
Active years: 2001-
Grand Slam titles: 18

Rafael Nadal from Mallorca is considered the world's best tennis player of all time - on gravel. He has 18 Grand Slam titles to his name, 12 of which were won incomparably on Roland Garros orange gravel. The Spaniard is one of only seven male players to have won all four Grand Slam titles in singles.

1. Roger Federer

Nationality: Switzerland
Active years: 1998-
Grand Slam titles: 20

The elegant man from Switzerland is usually considered the best and most complete player of all time. This list is no exception. It's hard to turn a blind eye to the fact that Roger Federer, among others, has won an incredible 20 Grand Slam titles - the last in 2018 at the Australian Open. He also repeated Björn Borg's company to take home five Wimbledon triumphs in a row (2003-2007). In total, he has won the prestigious grass tournament eight (!) times. Federer was named the world's best athlete in all categories for four consecutive years in the 2000s. A legend worthy of the name.