- Question
Who is the greatest tennis player of all time?
Tennis is a truly international sport, with great players from many different nations competing at tournaments across the globe to determine the best. The sport's preponderance of prestigious championships has allowed many different players to compile glittering records of achievements. But what matters most - major titles, peak form, contemporaneous competition, or something else entirely? And in consideration of it all, which player stands above the rest as the greatest to ever pick up a racquet?
Roger Federer
This position names Roger Federer the greatest tennis player of all time. It argues the Swiss phenomenon set a standard his rivals are still chasing, remaining the most consistent player at the top of the game and shattering the men's record for Grand Slam titles.
Rafael Nadal
This position names Rafael Nadal the greatest tennis player of all time. It argues the 'King of Clay' dominated the French Open like no one before him while winning almost everything else, and that he did so against the toughest era of opposition the game has seen.
Novak Djokovic
This position names Novak Djokovic the greatest tennis player of all time. It argues he arrived when the two winningest players ever were at their peak and beat them both, and that with the fewest gaps in his résumé he has already done enough to claim the title outright.
Rod Laver
This position names Rod Laver as the greatest tennis player of all time. It argues that the Australian legend achieved more in a single year than most players manage in a whole career, and that he remains the only man to complete a true calendar-year Grand Slam — twice.
Serena Williams
This position names Serena Williams as the greatest tennis player of all time. It argues that she dominated the sport more thoroughly than any rival, winning almost everything there was to win, and that she revolutionised tennis and changed it forever.