best college tennis players of all time

College Tennis Talk . In 2003, Federer claimed his first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon, one of 20 and a record he shares with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. In 1974, Chris Evert claimed her first Grand Slam victories at the Fench Open and Wimbledon, which sparked a 13-year string where she won at least one Grand Slam event for a total of 18, which no other player has accomplished since. 1 player in the world. 7. If youre looking through the mens singles draw for the 2020 US Open, you might come across some former collegiate mens players 14 to be exact. He made a huge statement winning a pair of titles at the French Open and Australian Open for his career. A three-time All-American and one of . A few years later, in 1995, he achieved the world No. He also has the most variety of Grand Slam titles, winning at least two at every major championship. 7. Seles claimed her final Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in 1996 and was a successful player until 2003, although her official retirement didnt come until 2008. Hes been as consistent as any player in tennis history, and even as he approaches 40 years old, he still is a Grand Slam threat. However, while tennis is now an active sport in the Summer Olympics, it wasnt always that way. Her professional career started around the age of 16, and throughout her career, she achieved impressive results, perhaps most notably including her seven Grand Slam titles. During that year, she also managed to help Belgium win the Fed Cup. During his long 24 year career, the most of any male player in our top ten list, he had many accomplishments, but one of his most significant is his 109 titles, the most in the Open Era. There are really no holes in Federers game, other than having just one French Open title. He was part of the winning team in 1978, 1979, 1981, 1992, and 1992. Earning the title as the most jacked football player is not an easy job. To that end, here are a few additional women that didnt make the top ten, but we felt worth mentioning. The US Open will be his first tour-level event since resumption of the ATP Tour. Before there was the King of Clay in Rafael Nadal, Thomas Muster held the distinction in the 1990s. George Toleys 62-64 USC teams werent exactly that. As a result, many players who are considered the greatest of all time didnt have an opportunity to compete at the Olympics, which is noteworthy when evaluating a players rank. 10. Norrie holds the mens singles title at the inaugural Oracle ITA Masters. World number 1 ranked male tennis players. A list that gives the top 10 tennis players of all time! But they faced off in a dicey semi against each other in the NCAA championships and then had to play doubles together. In his prime, Andy Murray was every bit as good as any of the Big Three tennis players. The men's tennis team has won 12 Big Ten Championships and has made eight All-Americans, 23 NCAA singles appearances, and 11 NCAA doubles appearances. Your Admin status expires in$(daysToExpire) days! Serena Williams. There was USCs 58 squad, led by Perus Modesto Junior College transfer Alex Olmedo, who won the NCAA singles and doubles and led the US to the Davis Cup title. 1 for the first time, a position he held for a total of 170 weeks throughout his career. Jeremy on May 15, 2020: 5. I hope you enjoy the resources. However, he never managed to win the French Open, where his best result was a semi-final appearance in 1996. Despite that, he managed to win 72 of his 198 titles in the Open Era past the age of 30. Would have to argue that the 2007 UGA team, led by John Isner, that went 32-0, only lost 1 point in NCAAs, had the #1 singles player and #1 doubles team in the country, the US Open Jr Doubles Champs at #3 deserves to be in the Top 10. In 2002, he turned professional at the age of 15, and he quickly began posting results. However, adversity comes in all shapes and sizes. Giron reached a career high ranking of No. She holds three Gold medals in doubles with her sister Venus and earned a singles gold at the 2012 London Olympics. However, as those achievements narrow, its natural for individuals to introduce their opinion on various factors that should carry more weight making it more challenging for consensus. Of course, Rafael Nadals career isnt over yet, and at 35 years old, he still has plenty of time to improve upon his standing as the best player of all-time against Roger Federer if he chooses to continue to compete for a few years. Steve Johnsons collegiate career is the stuff of legends. 1 ranking, and she earned this spot for a total of 260 weeks throughout her career. View the full college tennis rankings below and favorite to save your list of top mens tennis colleges. During the NCAA team tournament, he won all three of his singles matches and all four of his doubles matches. 57 after reaching the third round in Barcelona in 2019. In college at Ohio State, Gholston bench pressed a team-high 455 pounds and squatted 405 pounds for twenty reps. Each of the 14 left a legacy at their school and in the greater scope of college tennis. Popular German former tennis player Boris Becker is ranked number ten on the list of the greatest tennis players in history. He reached #1 in the world and dominated during the U.S. Open run, but he was a mainstay in the top 10 for quite a while as well. Between 2004-2008 he was number one for a . Others claim that John whos often said to be the seventh-best player ever was the most talented college player of all time. Although its a challenging exercise to rank the best tennis players of all time, male or female, its a fun process that wed encourage fans to consider and dig into to develop their opinions. For of the French Open titles were back to back from 1978 1981. First, he only played the Australian open twice throughout his entire career. Moreover, 9 of Novak Djokovics and 6 of Roger Federers Grand Slam titles came on this surface. The Top Ten. 21. However, it wasnt until 2000 when Venus would capture her first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon, one of seven total five at Wimbledon and two at the US Open. 1, which she held for 325 weeks, only surpassed by Martina Navratilova and Stefi Graf. Agassi was well known for his rivalry against all-time great Pete Sampras. Women's Tennis. In his short career, Bjorn Borg was able to accomplish a lot. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. However, her first Grand Slam victory came a few years later at the French Open in 1971, which she quickly followed up with a win at Wimbledon as well. Now it's time for . Heres the beauty of college tennis a supremely individual sport becomes a wonderful team endeavor. 1 and a winning 30-28 record over Nadal and a 27-23 record over Federer, and I consider him to be the greatest male tennis player of all time. After going 21-1 at the No. 1 in doubles. Find the Countries of Europe - No Outlines Minefield. In 2002, Venus ascended to the world No. Wolf turned professional a little over a year ago in July of 2019. 1. 1 ranking in February 2004 and has held that ranking for a total of 310 weeks 237 of which were consecutive weeks where he was virtually unbeatable. 8, and the considerable Brian Gottfried, ,who rose to No. Not surprisingly, Stanfords Dick Gould, who was said to reload rather than recruit, managed to get him to drop by the Farm for one historic season. At age 25, Norrie is entering his prime, and has reached a career-high ranking of 41 in the world. That was only his sophomore year. 1 for the first time, and she was able to maintain that position for a total of 221 weeks throughout her career. British standout Cameron Norrie set numerous records during the three years he played for the Horned Frogs. ranking, but despite her success, she only held that post for two weeks throughout her career. Unfortunately, he had a relatively short prime, as injuries cut his career short compared to the others. In 73, Stanford was on the cusp of greatness. As a result, its common for competitive singles players to pull back on doubles as they achieve more success because the money isnt as crucial, and there is a desire to conserve energy, protect their health, and improve their longevity. Some might think this pick is a bit controversial, but its hard to argue with the statistics. He has won 15 ATP Tour titles. Caroline Wozniacki. Vernon Gholston - 6'3, 260 lbs. In 2004, Henin won the Australian Open, but an infection kept her off the court for much of the year. Stefanos Tsitsipas Tennis Racket What Does He Use? In the so-called open era of tennis, which began in 1968, players from 20 different nations won a Grand Slam title. He was the greatest clay-court player of all time until Rafael Nadal hit the scene, but it was his all-around game that caught attention from the very beginning. In 72, four of the eight quarterfinalists Stockton, Gottfried, McKinley and Paul Gerken were Trinitonians. That is until the big three came along. In addition to his deep runs in the individual NCAA Championships, Anderson led the Illini to the finals of the team competition in 2007. Both Sandy Mayer, who weeks later reached the Wimbledon semis and would rise to No. John McEnroe. With that in mind, its common that fans heavily debate the topic of the best male and female tennis players of all time, and our list of the best players will likely differ from others, which is part of the fun. Tennis Channel/USTA College Tennis Top 25. Federer turned pro in 1998, and it didnt take long before his career began to pick up steam. He has a 16-24 record against Nadal and an 18-20 record against Djokovic. -The ITA lists the top teams and players in the country at all levels of college tennis. Stanford's chest-bumping identical twins and all-time men's doubles champs Bob and Mike Bryan rank just behind McEnroe. In addition to her results in singles, Chris Evert also achieved success in doubles with three Grand Slam titles. Go. Johnson reached No. Moving on to the list comes the 15 best tennis players of all time with three bonus ones. Although it would be a few years before her next Grand Slam title in 2002, Serena has claimed 23 throughout her ongoing career. Andre Agassi is one of the best tennis players of all time, capturing the hearts of fans with his flamboyance, fierce competitiveness, and pure. His first biggest win of his career came in 2012 as he defeated Jurgen Melzer in five sets. Whos on our list for the best male or female tennis players of all time? The NCAA tennis championships began in 1883 on the courts of a Hartford insane asylum. During the summer, Venus also claimed her first and only singles gold medal at the Olympics in Sydney. 1 and 2 in singles and doubles, and won back-to-back singles titles in 11 and 12. In 2012 he won the silver in London, and in 2008 he won the Gold in Beijing. For more information on the NCSA Power Rankings, visit our press kit or email us. Just making it into the top 25 is Lleyton Hewitt. 3 behind Jeff Borowiak, who would become No. 2, Frank Froehling, who was ranked No. Everyone else, I believe, would benefit greatly from . These unique accomplishments certainly add weight to a players bid for consideration as one of the best players. Throughout his career, Nadals most significant rivalries have come against the only two players I rank above him for the greatest male tennis players of all time. During the tennis boom, nobody was bigger, and he had rivalries with Bjorn Borg, Jimmy Connors, and Ivan Lendl at some point. Trinity turned tenniss California dream into a nightmare. Lutz won the NCAA singles in 67, but lost the 68 final to Smith. She appeared in the semi-finals at the French Open and competed against Venus Williams in the finals of Wimbledon. He played for UW-Whitewater and was the highest-drafted football player in college history, having been selected 98 th overall in the third round of 2021 NFL drafts. Georgia tennis and John Isner go hand in hand. 10. Can you imagine Federer and Nadal on the same college team? New posts New profile . Additionally, he holds the record for more wins at 1,274 than any other player in the Open Era. During his career, John McEnroe was also highly successful at the Davis Cup, where he helped revive the United States. Sharing the all-time Grand Slam men's singles titles record is Roger Federer, from Switzerland. Active Career: 1983 - 1996. Home to the US Open Grand Slam Tournament, New York City had long needed a vibrant tennis academy where kids could train. He was named the ITA Player of the Year in his final two seasons. List of the best men's tennis players from 2000s, listed by popularity with photos of the players when available. Now, hes on tour and will play in the US Open this week. Although many people would agree on the data, qualities, or attributes that make one player better than others, theres ultimately personal opinion injected. Furthermore, he was never able to win the US Open despite four appearances in the finals. Top 10 Greatest Men's Tennis Players of All Time: 10. Menu. His two Grand Slam titles in singles only tell part of the story, as he was able to pick up five more in some form of doubles. McDonald was named an ITA All-American in singles for three straight years. Graf earned 22 Grand Slam titles throughout her career, including four at the Australian Open, six at the French Open, seven at Wimbledon, and five at the US Open. Roger Federers most significant rivalries in his career are Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Most can only . 1 Stefi Graf. In total, Nadal has claimed an unprecedented 13 French Open titles. Each is worth considering when ranking players. Greatest Tennis Players of All Time. He won a total of 16 Davis Cup titles in his 22 year spell as coach of the Australian Davis Cup Team between 1939 to 1967. Top 100 College Football Players Of All Time Quiz - By forrestsancomb. Top Tennis Players Ever. He finished with 11 Grand Slams, and was the first to dominate the French Open and Wimbledon in the Open Era. Since then, Court racked up more Grand Slam titles than any player in history male or female. Serena Williams is one of the greatest Tennis players of all time, male or female. UCLA,1971 Husband to Steffi Graf, a shoo-in for one of the top spots in the best female tennis players of all time, Agassi comes in at number 8 on the tennisbros.com's list. 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) Chris Evert was born in 1954; she is an American professional tennis player. -These polls use voters to determine the best 25 men's and women's teams in Division I. Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Rankings-Rankings Homepage-The ITA lists the top teams and players in the country at all levels of college tennis. Heading into the 2020 US Open, he ranks No. Impressively, Evert was also the runner-up at 16 Grand Slams. Looking back on the history of Grand Slam events, the Australian Open is a bit of an outlier. 10 - Jimmy Connors. Roger Federer. Massachusetts Institute of Technology - MIT, University of California - Los Angeles - UCLA, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo, 2002-2023 NCSA College Recruiting All Rights Reserved. After qualifying at ATP Masters 1000 Cincinnati, Wolf reached a career high ranking of 143. ITA Mens All-American Singles Championship, US Open Singles Draw Features Six Former Women Collegiate Athletes, Coach Masterclass The ITA & Coach Governance, College Tennis In the Community: Teams Give Back In The Month of February, The Power of Community Davidson Kozlowski [Coaches Podcast], Division I Mens Collegiate Tennis Rankings sponsored by Tennis-Point February 28. Learn with comprehensive resources to help you improve your game. Combine that with his dominance as world No. A Terrible Splendor by Marshall Jon Fisher. Stefen Edberg. However, it wasnt until 2001 that her ranking began to skyrocket due to her consistent performance. Never again would such a tiny school achieve so much. These character traits, when combined, will produce exceptional, top-tier results, as evidenced by the accomplishments of the coaches and their tennis programs. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. The big reason why thats the case is that Rafael Nadal won them all during his prime. Novak Djokovic has held the No. Trinity, 1962-1965 She narrowly missed that feat before the Open Era in 1965, only losing in the French Open finals. In 2008, Nadal became the worlds No. Perhaps at another point, well consider the group as a whole. Some, such as prize money and whether they were left or right-handed, are there for fun. Hed add a record-tying 20 Grand Slam titles to his name with tremendous success at all of the tournaments, including nine at the Australian Open, two at the French Open, six at Wimbledon, and three at the US Open. Home > Opinion > 10+ Best Tennis Players of All Time, Improve your game alongside our community of tennis players. Although her career has slowed, Venus Williams competes in a limited number of tournaments on the WTA tour and has not yet made it clear when she intends to retire. Ashe won the singles, and then the doubles with Ian Crookenden. One might argue these experiences give extra weight to their already impressive accomplishments. Matches featured in this video: Daniel Cuk. At the end of his collegiate career, Koepfer held the singles season winning percentage record and was second in career singles wins and career overall wins. She holds seven titles at the Australian Open, three at the French Open, seven at Wimbledon, and six at the US Open. Winning Ugly by Brad Gilbert, Steve Jamison. When she was 9, she moved with her family (including fellow tennis great and sister Venus) to Florida. Monica Seles returned to the French Open a year later after a solid start to the season and captured her first Grand Slam victory defeating world No. Table of Contents show. However, she remained competitive through her later years, even becoming the oldest player on the WTA tour to win a title at 39. Hopefully, the combination helps explain why we ranked players as we did while providing a jumping-off point for future debate. When it comes to the best female tennis player of all time, many consider the case to be closed due to the sheer dominance of Serena Williams in recent years. 8. In 1966, King became the world No. For example, if player A competes later in their career against player B, whos younger, and most of their matches happen toward the end of player As career, player B arguably has a significant advantage. The Americans have fallen off the map. He was also a great doubles player, holding the #1 ranking in the world in singles and doubles at one point in his career. The team they beat Earnhart and Bond were also Trojans. Where does your favorite college tennis teams and players rank across the country and the world? 6. Bob won the singles championship yet he was only their No. Hottest Female Golf Players. Stanford, 1998 11 - Boris Becker. Dad Racket was created exclusively as a one-stop resource to answer all your tennis questions. In 1971, Goolagong managed to reach the world No. The winner of three Wimbledon championships, he finished his career with six Grand Slams overall. UCLA, 1965-1966 . 1; 2; First Prev 2 of 2 Go to page. Osuna was recruited to USC out of obscurity and remains the best Mexican player ever. Yet if you lose a top player, all can be lost. Shes placed particular emphasis on Grand Slam events as she attempts to tie Margaret Court for the most Grand Slams of any player in history. No.1 in 1991. Djokovic: 10. Moreover, the Dutch is in place #59 of the best college tennis players of the moment, her highest ranking ever. Trinity, 1972 With the average age of tennis players at the top of the professional game increasing each year - the world's top three are aged 33, 32 and 38 respectively - there is no longer a sense of . Although its easy to get wrapped up in the accomplishments of current players, most will likely be impressed by what they learn and gain a deeper appreciation for the sport as a whole and the players that helped shape it. In a period where Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe dominated the men's game, the Czech native managed . Before this year, professional tennis players who played tennis for money werent allowed to compete in many of the biggest tennis tournaments, including the Grand Slam events. She was also highly accomplished in doubles with 16 womens and 11 mixed doubles Grand Slam titles. He holds the joint-record for the most grand slams in history and has consistently dominated the court since he turned pro in 1998. In 1998, she won her first WTA tournament, which she followed up with a few additional titles that year. Throughout her career, she won 43 titles and had a career record of 525-115 for a winning rate of 82%. Video History Championship Info. We dont believe there is a right or wrong answer, but we think its worthy of consideration and, in some cases, can add significant weight to a players ranking as the best of all time. Billie Jean King is an icon in the tennis world, dominating her field for almost a decade as she won an astonishing 129 titles which included 12 Grand Slams.