Best tennis player of all time?

Question

Who is, in your opinion, the greatest tennis player in the sport's history?

Answer 1

Taking into consideration Fed's Clay game. I would also say Federer.

Answer 2

ROGER FEDERER...no doubt

Answer 3

Steffi Graf is the only tennis player that you can legitimately call the greatest player of all time.  Of course, she was helped by Monica Seles getting stabbed......

It's too close to call on the Men's side.  Here are the best players:

Rod Laver

Pete Sampras

John McEnroe (greatest individual year of any male player to date)

Jimmy Connors

Roger Federer

Bjorn Borg

Ivan Lendl

Answer 4

Right now for the men, it's still Pete Sampras, simply because he holds the record for most slam singles titles at 14. Until Federer or anyone else surpasses that, then it's still Sampras.  Sampras also holds the Open era record for most consecutive year-end #1 rankings at 6 (1994-1999), although Federer has him beat for most consecutive weeks at #1 at 226 (and counting).

For the women I'd have to go with Martina Navratilova, not necessarily because of her slam titles ( 18 in singles, 59 overall, second all-time behind Margaret Smith Court's 62), but because of her overall dominance in both singles (167 career titles, most of any man or woman) and doubles (177 titles, most of any man or woman), including a record 9 singles titles at Wimbledon (most of any man or woman), with 20 overall there (tying her with Billie Jean King for the most of any man or woman).  Martina also had the greatest single season record of any player in the open era, going an incredible 86-1 in 1983.  Although she didn't manage to win a traditional calendar year grand slam in singles (all 4 titles in same year), she DID win 6 grand slam singles titles in a row (the last 3 in 1983 plus the first 3 in 1984), which is a record.  And she won a calendar year grand slam in doubles with Pam Shriver in 1984, part of a record string of 8 slam doubles titles in a row between Wimbledon 1983 and the French Open in 1985.  She also holds the records for most consecutive wins in both singles (74) and doubles (109) with Shriver.  And the list of her records and accompishments goes on and on.

Answer 5

Pete Sampras is still ahead of federer. in the old days, they didn't have the technology that we have today. federer is starting to fall.

Answer 6

Andre Agassi  

there it is

Answer 7

me.

Answer 8

So you are asking whether it's a man or a woman. I would say Steffi Graf because she won all the GrandSlam titles multiple times, so without a doubt she's the greatest all court player ever. She won 22 Grand Slams overall. There was absolutely no weaknesses in her game.

Answer 9

Steffi Graff and Yannick Noah

Answer 10

In my opinion the greatest player of all time man or woman is Martina Navratilova. Her record as an overall player will not be broken for some time. Some will point out that Steffi Graf has more Grand Slam singles titles than Martina(22 to 18) but I give the edge to Martina as she is an OVERALL player not just a singles champion. Her last Grand Slam title came at the 2006 US Open when she teamed with Bob Bryan to win the mixed doubles title. She was a month shy of her 50th birthday!!

Her Record Speaks For Itself:

Ranked No. 1 in the world for seven years

Won 18 singles and 41 doubles Grand Slam titles

Holds 167 singles titles, more than any other player, male or female and 178 doubles titles

Holds a record nine Wimbledon singles championships

Has won more singles matches than anyone in tennis history with a 1,440-213 win-loss record

Won singles and doubles titles at the same event a record 84 times

In 1983 her won-loss record was an amazing 86-1

In 1984, set the record for the longest consecutive match win streak at 74

Inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2000

#19 on ESPN's list of 100 Greatest Athletes of the Century

Won Australian Open Mixed Doubles title in 2003, the only Grand Slam title that had eluded her during her career, and became the oldest player ever to win a Grand Slam event and only the second player ever to have won all grand slam titles.

Won 2003 Wimbledon Mixed Doubles title, tying Billie Jean King's record 20 Wimbledon titles

Won 20 grand slam doubles titles with Pam Shriver, tying Louise Brough and Doris Hart

Also with Pam has a record 110 match win streak spanning over a two year period

Won seven WTA Tour doubles titles in 2003, beating women less than half her age, and becoming the oldest woman to ever win a WTA event

Finished her professional career with a final Grand Slam title at the 2006 US Open winning the Mixed Doubles with Bob Bryan, her 59th Grand Slam title.

Supports numerous non-profit organizations and charities, including environmental organizations, animal rights, under-privileged children and g*y equality.

Answer 11

I'm sure most people would be quick to say Sampras or Federer, but John McEnroe made a good point on the French Open coverage this morning.  He noted that back in his day - and before - the Australian Open and even farther back the French Open were not that big a deal.  Borg never played the Australian and Conners only played it once (winning it on his only attempt). He also talked about watching the French final played before an almost empty stadium.  Bud Collins also mentioned the fact that, for many years, the French Open was almost a non-event.  Then back before the 60's, the Grand Slams were only open to amatuers.  So comparing by saying that  so-and-so has won x number of Slams, or even ATP tournaments, is not a fair standard.

Of course, now the equipment is so superior too.  What would Don Budge have done with a graphite composite frame?   So, it's really hard to say what might have been if all things were equal.  Rosewall, Tilden, Newcombe - could they have been as great as a Federer or Sampras?  Maybe.  I will say that Federer, based on his incredible shot making, is the best player that I have ever seen, and I've seen everyone from about 1975 to today.

It's an interesting question for debate, though.  It would be really cool if someone could develop some sort of computer simulation that could put a Wilson K Six One or some other modern equipment in the hands of a Ken Rosewall  or one of the old pros and make some extrapolations about how he (or she) would have performed today - taking into account the advances in sports medicine and fitness.

Answer 12

Roger Federer

Answer 13

Pete Sampras.