2) Margaret Court
Between both men and women, Margaret Court holds the most Grand Slam singles titles all-time with 24. From 1969-1971 Court won 6 consecutive Grand Slam singles titles, a Calendar Slam-and-a-half. A native Australian, Court owned her homeland Australian Open, winning it a record 11 times. She claimed the French Open 5 times, the US Open 5 times, and Wimbledon 3 times. Also a winner of what is called the “box set,” meaning to win the singles, doubles, and mixed doubles championships at every single grand slam, Court is one of three players in history to do so.
Overall combining singles, doubles, and mixed doubles Court claimed a flabbergasting 62 Grand Slam titles in her career, giving her not only the most accomplished career of any singles player ever, but the most combined Grand Slams of any player in history.
By any measure, Court was the most consistently and statistically proficient player of all-time. I simply feel she was never quite as purely dominant as my number one, nor did she play in as competitive of an era.
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| #2 Margaret Court |
1) Steffi Graf
This is a unisex list, and at the top a woman reigns supreme. Though Steffi Graf’s overall numbers may not be as aw- inspiring as Court’s, her sheer dominance over her career makes her the clear choice as the best tennis player of all time.
Graf claimed 22 grand slam singles titles—7 Wimbledons, 6 French Opens, 5 US Opens, and 4 Australians—from 1987-1999, doing most of her damage in a nine-year window from ‘87-‘96. That Graf was equally brilliant on grass and clay, the two most drastically different surfaces in tennis, is proof of her versatility, immense talent, and extreme will to win.
In 1988 Graf won all four Grand Slam singles titles, plus the Olympic Gold Medal in singles—referred to as the Golden Slam—and is the only player man or woman to ever have done so. Perhaps the punctuation on her year of absolute brilliance in 1988 was her demolition of Natalia Zvereva: 6-0, 6-0 in the French Open Final.
From 1987-1990 Graf made thirteen-consecutive Grand Slam finals, again a mark that is unequaled by any man or woman in tennis history. In terms of her career ranking, she holds the following records for both men and women: Most consecutive weeks ranked # 1 (186), most times finishing the year ranked #1 in the world (8), and most total weeks ranked #1 over her career (377). She is also the only player to win every Grand Slam singles title at least four times.
With the main weapons in her arsenal being a devastating forehand, tremendous athleticism, and a deadly serve, Graf is certainly an easy choice as the greatest tennis player of all time.
Of course arguments can be made for nearly anyone on my list to take the top spot, but Graf’s dominance over her career and especially in her prime where so overwhelming that she is my pick. When she was at her best, no person ever played a better brand of tennis, and the numbers bear that out.
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| #1 Steffi Graf |
--from @AdamHocking
Nicely written post
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