Talent sometimes is enough to become a professional, but hard work is usually required as well. However, when it comes to success, this combination is not always enough. In tennis, like in any other sport, winning silverware takes a big effort and, on many occasions, a bit of luck.
The hardest thing for any team or athlete, though, is to win consistently. Since the Open Era and the creation of the ATP, many tennis players have stood out throughout history as the most successful.
That’s why the following tennis players, the ten most successful of all time, have a privileged position in sports history. Let’s take a look at them.
The list includes great names in the sport. Some of them, such as Jimmy Connors, Ivan Lendl, Bjorn Borg, and John McEnroe, were indispensable for the great popularity tennis acquired in the 1970s and 1980s. They motivated a generation of players who grew up idolizing them and broke many records in the 2000s. Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic (the latter two still active) are the protagonists of these new golden pages in world tennis.
Here is the top 10 tennis players with the most titles in history.
Connors debuted as a professional in 1972 and retired in 1996. Throughout his 24-year career, he reached an unattainable number of championships to date, surpassing 100 titles. The American, ranked number 1 from 1974 to 1978, won eight Grand Slam tournaments: 5 US Open titles, 2 Wimbledon titles, and 1 Australian Open title.
Roger Federer's remarkable career amassed 103 professional titles, 20 of which were Grand Slam tournaments. The Swiss player, who debuted as a tennis player in July 1998, remained active until 2021. Born in Basel, he is the player who has won Wimbledon the most times (8), and he also claimed the Australian Open six times and the US Open five times. Additionally, he lifted the trophy at Roland Garros in 2009.
Djokovic is still active and is striving to become the tennis player with the most titles in history. The Serbian, who has accumulated 98 titles, is the all-time winner of the Australian Open (10) and the Masters 1000 (40). Additionally, he holds the record of 428 weeks as the world number 1 and has won 3 Roland Garros, 7 Wimbledons, and 4 US Open titles.
The Czech-American Ivan Lendl shone from the late 1970s until 1994, the year of his retirement. The former world number 1 won eight major tournaments: 3 US Opens, 3 Roland Garros titles, and 2 Australian Opens.
Like Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal is another active member of this list. The Spanish player is the all-time leader in French Open victories, with 14 trophies. Additionally, he has won 2 Australian Opens, 2 Wimbledons, and 4 US Opens.
Rod Laver is one of the most iconic tennis players in history and a pioneer of modern tennis. The Australian participated in both the amateur and professional eras of tennis, dominating the circuit between 1956 and 1969, during which he won 11 Grand Slam tournaments. Laver retired in 1977, having been the tennis player with the most titles won in history at that time.
Known for his on-court demeanor, John McEnroe played between 1977 and 1992, standing out in the circuit by winning 7 major tournaments (3 Wimbledon and 4 US Open titles).
Borg shone between 1972 and 1981. Nine years of career were enough for him to become one of the most influential tennis players in history. The Swede won 11 Grand Slams, excelling in the French Open, where he won 6 titles. He also lifted the trophy at Wimbledon five times.
Sampras was a legend in American and world tennis. Between 1988 and 2002, he won a large number of titles and retired as the US Open champion, defeating Andre Agassi in the final. The American won 14 Grand Slams in his career (2 Australian Opens, 7 Wimbledons, and 5 US Opens).
Nastase reached number 1 in the world and displayed great tennis, despite winning only two Grand Slams during his active years from 1966 to 1985. His major achievements on the circuit were the US Open in 1972 and Wimbledon in 1973.
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