10) Bjorn Borg
Though Ivan Lendl reached more Grand Slam finals than did Bjorn Borg, I prefer the closers, so Borg takes the final spot on this list. Borg won 11 of the 16 Slam finals in which he played. Lendl claimed just 8 of 19. Also the literal translation of his name according to Wikipedia is “Bear Fortress.” True or not, that almost led me to putting him number one on this list.
Eleven Grand Slams makes Borg fourth all-time on the men’s list behind Roy Emerson and tied with Rod Laver, but I’ll give Borg the nod over those two since he played in a slightly more difficult era and played only ten true years on tour, though he made a strange comeback ten years post retirement from 1991-1993.
Borg was the opposite of two of his major rivals in that he was the picture of serenity and calm on the court, rarely unraveling or raving like the maniacal Jimmy Connors or the petulant John McEnroe. Perhaps his even keel is why he enjoyed greater career success relative to those two.
Much like Rafael Nadal today, Borg utilized tremendous groundstrokes, speed, and impeccable conditioning to wear out his opponents both mentally and physically. Borg was especially unique in an era where serve and volley was the prevailing style of play.
Oddly, Borg never won the US or Australian Opens, though he was a four-time US Open finalist. He did however show the hallmark of versatility which is winning on both the grass of Wimbledon and the clay of Rolland Garros. He claimed the French six times and Wimbledon five.
Other stats of note: Borg won two French Opens without dropping a set. He won five consecutive Wimbledons and is the only player to ever win Wimbledon without dropping a set. He is the only player to win the French and Wimbledon three years in a row—considered the two most contrasting and thus difficult slams for a single athlete to win. In his career he was a combined 100-6 at Wimbledon and the French Open. Lastly, he beat a record eight other Grand Slam champions during the course of his career, proving he could compete with the very best.
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| #10 Bjorn Borg |
9) Billie Jean King
In the period between 1966 and 1975, Billie Jean King won 12 Grand Slam singles titles, 9 Grand Slam doubles titles, and 10 mixed doubles titles. Between singles, doubles, and mixed doubles, a player could participate in 12 grand slam competitions per year. Over a 9-year span, King won 31 of the possible 108 Grand Slam events she could have participated in. In other words, she won about 29% of everything in every category for nine years—not bad for a single player.
Outside of her main nine-year run of dominance, she added 8 other slam titles, bringing her grand total to 39 for her career. In addition to King’s 12 Slam singles titles, she was runner up six times, primarily losing to another great you may see on this list, Margaret Court.
Encompassing 4 Wimbledons, 4 US Opens, 2 French Opens, and an Australian singles title, King won on every surface and finished the season ranked Number 1 in the world an incredible six times.
King also famously, and importantly, beat Bobbie Riggs (who had played professionally in the 1930’s and 40’s) in what was called “The Battle of the Sexes” in straight sets. Like an ass, Riggs had claimed that despite being out of the game for 20 years he could still beat the best the women’s game had to offer. King swiftly dismissed Riggs and his deluded notions.
An icon, a versatile player, and a résumé to rival any player in tennis history, King deserves the #9 spot.
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| #9 Billie Jean King |
--from @AdamHocking
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