1. Novak Djokovic
Born: May 22, 1987
Born in Belgrade, Serbia
Resides: Monte Carlo, Monaco
Turned pro: 2003
Career prize money: $154,756,726
86 career titles
20 Grand Slam Singles Titles: 9 Australian, 6 Wimbledon, 3 US Open, 2 French Open
Current active player
Djokovic is definitely the top player in the world right now, at 34 years old and in the prime of his career, and he has the potential to win more Grand Slam titles. He is the only player with more Grand Slam titles than Rafael Nadal, who has 21. With a record 361 weeks as the world’s number one, it’s difficult not to consider Djokovic the greatest of all time.
2. Roger Federer
Born: August 8, 1981
Basel, Switzerland
Resides: Bottmingen, Switzerland
Turned pro: 1998
Career prize money: $130,594,339
103 career titles
20 Grand Slam Singles Titles: 6 Australian, 1 French, 5 US Open, 8 Wimbledon
Current active player
For many years, picking Roger Federer as the best of all time was simple. His 20 Grand Slam victories and 310 weeks as the world’s number one speak for themselves, and he is still winning and competing at the highest levels at the age of 40. Federer held the world number one ranking for 237 weeks between 2004 and 2008, a record that may never be broken. Despite the fact that newer athletes are already finding ways to beat him, his 20-year career has been a testimonial to his conditioning and ability.
Winning the 2018 Australian Open after a great 2017 season in which he won Wimbledon and the Australian Open demonstrates that he is a force to be reckoned without a doubt that Roger Federer was the greatest of all time as of 2018
3. Rafael Nadal
Born: June 3, 1986
Manacor, Majorca, Balearic Islands, Spain
Resides: Manacor, Majorca, Balearic Islands, Spain
Turned pro: 2001
Career prize money: $127,121,385
90 career titles
21 Grand Slam Singles Titles: 2 Australian, 13 French, 4 US Open, 2 Wimbledon
Current active player
35 years old, Rafa Nadal, sometimes known as “The King of Clay,” has won his 21st Grand Slam title, defeating Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, his closest rivals. Rafael is largely considered to be the greatest clay-court player of all time, while Bjorn Borg supporters may disagree. In 2020, he will win a record 13th French Open championship in dominant fashion, making it difficult to fathom anybody being better on clay.
Nadal has established himself as a viable contender for the title of greatest of all time. Rafa’s 2021 Australian Open victory brings him 21 Grand Slam titles, surpassing Federer and Djokovic, who all have 20. – Beijing Summer Olympics
4. Rod Laver
Born: August 8, 1938
Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia
Resides: Carlsbad, California
Turned pro: 1962
Retired 1979
Career prize money: $1,565,413
200 career titles
11 Grand Slam Singles Titles: 3 Australian, 2 French, 2 US Open, 4 Wimbledon
9 Pro Slam Singles Titles: 3 US Pro, 4 Wembley Pro, 1 French Pro, 1 Wimbledon Pro
Inducted into Tennis Hall of Fame: 1981
It’s impossible to say how Rod Laver would have performed against today’s players, but I believe the redheaded Australian would have fared admirably. It’s difficult to argue with the “Rockets” album. He was the world’s number one for seven years (1964– 1970), and he holds the most career titles (200) of anyone in the game’s history.
He is the only player to win the Grand Slam twice, first as an amateur in 1962 and then as a professional in 1969. Who knows how many Grand Slam titles Laver would have won if he hadn’t been barred from competing for five years in the mid-1960s. During this period, known as the pre-open era, the Grand Slam was held.
5. Pete Sampras
Born: August 12, 1971
Potomac, Maryland
Resides: Lake Sherwood, California
Turned pro: 1988
Retired 2002
Career prize money: $43,280,489
64 career titles
14 Grand Slam Singles Titles: 2 Australian, 7 Wimbledon, 5 US Open
Inducted into Tennis Hall of Fame: 2007
Pete’s legacy in tennis is difficult to assess because he only won three of the four Grand Slam tournaments during his career. How can we judge where someone belongs when they dominate on one surface but struggle on another? Pete was widely regarded as the greatest player of all time when he retired in 2002, yet some may disagree. He was world number one for six years in a row, and his 14 Grand Slam victories were a record at the time.
