World No. 1 Tennis Player Pre-ATP Rankings
Encyclopedia
World-number-one male tennis-player rankings is a year-by-year listing of both the male tennis
player who, at the end of a full year of play, has generally been considered to be the best overall player for the entire year, and of the runner-up for that year.
In 1938, for instance, when Don Budge
won the amateur Grand Slam
, it was easy to conclude that Budge was not only the U.S. No. 1 but also the World No. 1 amateur player. It was far more difficult, however, to decide who was the best overall player, amateur or professional, for that year because both Ellsworth Vines
and Fred Perry
, now professionals, were still at the top of their form. Two different sources, however, carefully studied the performances of the players for that year and both concluded that Budge was the best overall player, with Vines a close second. For the previous year, 1937, one of these same sources concluded that all three players, Perry, Vines, and Budge, deserved to be called the co-World No. 1 players.
Another example was 1947. Bobby Riggs
, a professional, had clearly established himself as the best player in the world the year before. In 1947, he was still the best professional player but Jack Kramer had a sensational amateur year. Kramer, having turned professional after the Pacific Coast amateur Champs, met three times Riggs in late December on fast indoor courts and Riggs won twice. But at the end of their long series of matches in May of the following year, 1948, Kramer had led Riggs decisively in head-to-head meetings. It is feasible to argue, therefore, that Riggs and Kramer were possibly the co-World No. 1 players for 1947.
1948 was the last year in which an amateur player turned professional and then went on to beat the defending professional champion. Therefore, it is generally acknowledged that the World No. 1 in every year since 1948 has been the best professional player.
Even here, however, some years present difficulties. Kramer was perhaps the world's best player in 1950 and 1951 when he crushed first Pancho Gonzales
and then Pancho Segura
in head-to-head tours but was dominated in tournaments by those same players. In 1952, there was no long, headline tour. Instead, there were short tours between different players and several professional tournaments, with the result that none of the professionals played extensively. The short-lived Professional Lawn Tennis Association published an end-of-the-year list in which Segura was ranked the best player in the world, with Gonzales second. During the year, however, Gonzales had defeated Segura 4 matches to 1. Segura had also won a number of important tournaments; so, it is probable that Segura and Gonzales were co-World No. 1 players for the year.
The following year, 1953, Kramer narrowly defeated the top amateur-turned-professional, Frank Sedgman
, in their tour during the first half of the year and so reestablished himself as World No. 1, at least for that period. But then, because of injuries, he did not play the second half of the year. As a result, Kramer was now in semi-retirement.
In 1954, there were a number of round-robins as well as shorter tours, from which it is clear that Gonzales had now established himself as the best player in the world, the first year in a run of seven consecutive years as the World No. 1. But, given the spotty and often contradictory record-keeping of the professional results since 1926, it is frequently difficult to make a clear, objective judgment as to who was the best player in any number of years.
as the main attraction. Before then, there were numerous teaching professionals, that is, players who gave lessons for money at private clubs and public parks. Because they accepted money in return for their services, they were not allowed to participate in amateur tournaments. They did, however, create a number of relatively small professional tournaments for players like themselves, primarily in Europe.
Some of the oldest professional matches known are those between Irish
player George Kerr and American Tom Pettitt
. In 1889, Kerr beat Pettitt three times in four meetings. In June 1890, Kerr won all three matches against Pettitt in Dublin.
In April 1898, a professional, round-robin tournament was played in Paris on covered courts. Both Thomas Burke (tutor of the Tennis Club de Paris, former teacher of Joshua Pim
who won Wimbledon twice) from Ireland and Kerr (Fitzwilliam Club) defeated Tom Fleming (Queen's Club), and Burke defeated Kerr 6-2, 4-6, 6-1, 5-7, 6-4.
During the 1900 Paris Exhibition, a professional tournament was held on clay, with Burke finishing ahead of both Kerr and the Englishman Charles Hierons.
In the spring of 1903 in Nice
on clay, Reggie Doherty, the leading amateur, defeated the leading professional, Burke, 1-6, 6-1, 6-0, 6-0.
Burke was reportedly as good a player as the leading amateurs, but he is totally forgotten today, as was later Charles Haggett, the best English teaching professional. In 1913, Haggett settled in the United States, invited by the West Side Tennis Club
of Forest Hills, New York and became the coach of the American Davis Cup
team. In practice matches, he beat the leading amateurs Tony Wilding
, Wimbledon winner and Maurice McLoughlin
, Wimbledon All Comer's winner.
In the 1920s, Karel Koželuh
, Albert Burke (son of Thomas Burke), and Roman Najuch were probably the most notable, as well as the best, of these players. The Bristol Cup, held at Beaulieu or at Cannes
on the French Riviera
and won seven consecutive times by Koželuh, was "the world's only significant pro tennis tournament." Koželuh went on to become one of the very best of the touring professionals in the 1930s; so, it is easy to imagine that he, Burke, and probably other forgotten teaching professionals were among the top 10 amateur and professional players in any given year before 1928, which is the first year for which any of the sources cited here give a ranking for all the top players of that year. All top 10 rankings for the years before 1928 were for amateurs only.
Elite events that lasted only a few years (mostly because of financial collapse) included:
Three major tournaments held a certain tradition and usually had the best of the leading players. They were called "Championship Tournaments." The most prestigious of the three was generally the London Indoor Professional Championship. Played between 1934 and 1990 at Wembley Arena
in the United Kingdom, the tournament was unofficially and usually considered the world's championship until 1967. The oldest of the three was the United States Professional Championship
, played between 1927 and 1999. Between 1954 and 1962 it was played indoors in Cleveland and was called the World Professional Championships. The third major tournament was the French Professional Championship, played between 1934 and 1968, generally at Roland Garros
. The British and American championships continued into the open era but devolved to the status of minor tournaments. The winner and runner-up in each of these tournaments will be shown for the years in which they were played.
These three tournaments (Wembley Pro, French Pro and U.S. Pro) through 1967 are sometimes referred to as the professional Grand Slam tournaments by tennis historians. In any particular year, another tournament, such as the Forest Hills Pro or the Masters Pro, could have had a better field. But over the decades, these were the three "majors" that all professional players sought.
However there are sometimes contradictions between all these sources.
Another example is 1947. Collins says that Riggs beat Budge in a tour; McCauley says that there was no long tour, only a short one between Riggs and Frank Kovacs
. Tom LeCompte says that there was a small tour with Riggs overcoming Budge 12-6 followed by the short Riggs-Kovacs tour (4-3, but 11-10 according to McCauley).
Other examples : the French Pro until 1933. McCauley says that the first year of the French Pro is unknown but begins his list in 1930 whereas Ray Bowers doesn't talk about any French Pro before 1934 (even in 1934 he doesn't use the expression "French Professional Championships" but writes a three-day tournament at (Roland) Garros, September 21–23). For example in 1933, the supposed Tilden-Cochet final (6-2 6-4 6-2) listed by McCauley was just according to Bowers a singles match (with a slightly different score 6-3 6-4 6-2) of a USA-France meeting (in the Davis Cup format) at Roland Garros (where Cochet defeated Bruce Barnes, Tilden beat Plaa and Cochet and Barnes overcame Plaa and the US won the doubles).
Before 1973 there was no computer rankings but only journalists or officials (on their personal behalf) or promoters or players themselves who listed their own annual rankings.
In 1973 the ATP listed its own rankings every fortnight and some years later (around 1977) every week but they had many imperfections because in the seventies and the eighties they didn’t take into account such events as the Davis Cup, the WCT Finals and the Masters (later called the Singles Championship and in the 2000s the Tennis Masters Cup). Nowadays the Tennis Masters Cup give ATP points. (See : List of ATP number 1 ranked players).
Therefore other rankings proposed by tennis experts or by the players themselves could be more accurate because they included these events : From 1973 to 2006 this list sometimes differs from the ATP list because it shows journalists (or even players) rankings and not computer rankings. In particular Connors has been ranked #1, at the end of the year, from 1974 to 1978 by the ATP but the majority disagreed the computer rankings : for instance in 1975 all the journalists (among them John Barrett, Bud Collins, Barry Lorge, Judith Elian) ranked Arthur Ashe as the number 1 in the world while his ATP ranking was only 4th; in 1977, no one, except the ATP ranking, considered that Connors was the best player in the world, and everyone thought that Borg and Vilas were tennis kings; and in 1978 everyone and in particular the ITF recognized that the Swede was the World Champion. In 1982 and in 1989 respectively Connors and Becker both winners of Wimbledon and the US Open were considered as World Champions even though the ATP ranked respectively McEnroe and Lendl as number 1. Since the mid-90s the ATP rankings had been more or less accepted by many as the official rankings (but in 1999 many considered Sampras as the second best player in the world while the ATP ranked Kafelnikov 2nd). Finally since 1978 the ITF (represented at the beginning by Sedgman, Hoad and Trabert) has designated his World Champion.
Before 1913 very few sources are available but Richard Yallop in Royal South Yarra Lawn Tennis Club 100 Years in Australian Tennis stated that Norman Brookes
was the champion of the world in 1907 and Len and Shelley Richardson in Anthony Wilding A Sporting Life cite A.E Crawley's (a British journalist at the beginning of the 20th century) and Anthony Wilding's (the New Zealander tennis player) opinions
A. = Amateur P. = Professional
From 1913 sources are more detailed and better documented.
Open-Era
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
player who, at the end of a full year of play, has generally been considered to be the best overall player for the entire year, and of the runner-up for that year.
Unofficial rankings before 1973
Before the open era of tennis arrived in 1968, rankings for amateur players were generally compiled only for a full year of play. Professional players were ranked by journalists, promoters, and players' associations usually at the end of the year. Even for amateurs, however, there was no single official overall ranking that encompassed the entire world. Instead, nation rankings were done by the national tennis association of each country, and world rankings were the preserve of tennis journalists. It was only with the introduction of computerized rankings in the open era that rankings were issued more frequently than once yearly. Even the end-of-year amateur rankings issued by official organizations such as the United States Lawn Tennis Association were based on judgments made by men and women and not on mathematical formulas assigning points for wins or losses.In 1938, for instance, when Don Budge
Don Budge
John Donald Budge was an American tennis champion who was a World No. 1 player for five years, first as an amateur and then as a professional...
won the amateur Grand Slam
Grand Slam (tennis)
The four Major tennis tournaments, also called the Slams, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world tour ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, strength and size of player field, and public attention. They are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and...
, it was easy to conclude that Budge was not only the U.S. No. 1 but also the World No. 1 amateur player. It was far more difficult, however, to decide who was the best overall player, amateur or professional, for that year because both Ellsworth Vines
Ellsworth Vines
Henry Ellsworth Vines, Jr. was an American tennis champion of the 1930s, the World No. 1 player or the co-No. 1 for four years in 1932, 1935, 1936 and 1937.-Biography:...
and Fred Perry
Fred Perry
Frederick John Perry was a championship-winning English tennis and table tennis player who won 10 Majors including eight Grand Slams and two Pro Slams. Perry won three consecutive Wimbledon Championships between 1934 and 1936 and was World No. 1 four years in a row...
, now professionals, were still at the top of their form. Two different sources, however, carefully studied the performances of the players for that year and both concluded that Budge was the best overall player, with Vines a close second. For the previous year, 1937, one of these same sources concluded that all three players, Perry, Vines, and Budge, deserved to be called the co-World No. 1 players.
Another example was 1947. Bobby Riggs
Bobby Riggs
Robert Larimore "Bobby" Riggs was a 1930s–40s tennis player who was the World No. 1 or the co-World No. 1 player for three years, first as an amateur in 1941, then as a professional in 1946 and 1947...
, a professional, had clearly established himself as the best player in the world the year before. In 1947, he was still the best professional player but Jack Kramer had a sensational amateur year. Kramer, having turned professional after the Pacific Coast amateur Champs, met three times Riggs in late December on fast indoor courts and Riggs won twice. But at the end of their long series of matches in May of the following year, 1948, Kramer had led Riggs decisively in head-to-head meetings. It is feasible to argue, therefore, that Riggs and Kramer were possibly the co-World No. 1 players for 1947.
1948 was the last year in which an amateur player turned professional and then went on to beat the defending professional champion. Therefore, it is generally acknowledged that the World No. 1 in every year since 1948 has been the best professional player.
Even here, however, some years present difficulties. Kramer was perhaps the world's best player in 1950 and 1951 when he crushed first Pancho Gonzales
Pancho Gonzales
Ricardo Alonso González , generally known as Richard "Pancho" Gonzales was an American tennis player. He was the world no. 1 professional tennis player for an unequalled eight years in the 1950s and early 1960s...
and then Pancho Segura
Pancho Segura
Pancho Segura, born Francisco Olegario Segura , was a leading tennis player of the 1940s and 1950s, both as an amateur and as a professional. In 1950 and 1952, as a professional, he was the World Co-No. 1 player...
in head-to-head tours but was dominated in tournaments by those same players. In 1952, there was no long, headline tour. Instead, there were short tours between different players and several professional tournaments, with the result that none of the professionals played extensively. The short-lived Professional Lawn Tennis Association published an end-of-the-year list in which Segura was ranked the best player in the world, with Gonzales second. During the year, however, Gonzales had defeated Segura 4 matches to 1. Segura had also won a number of important tournaments; so, it is probable that Segura and Gonzales were co-World No. 1 players for the year.
The following year, 1953, Kramer narrowly defeated the top amateur-turned-professional, Frank Sedgman
Frank Sedgman
Frank Arthur Sedgman, born 29 October 1927, in Mont Albert, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, was a tennis player who was arguably the world No.1 in 1952. In his 1979 autobiography Jack Kramer, the long-time tennis promoter and great player himself, included Sedgman in his list of the 21...
, in their tour during the first half of the year and so reestablished himself as World No. 1, at least for that period. But then, because of injuries, he did not play the second half of the year. As a result, Kramer was now in semi-retirement.
In 1954, there were a number of round-robins as well as shorter tours, from which it is clear that Gonzales had now established himself as the best player in the world, the first year in a run of seven consecutive years as the World No. 1. But, given the spotty and often contradictory record-keeping of the professional results since 1926, it is frequently difficult to make a clear, objective judgment as to who was the best player in any number of years.
Professional tennis in Europe before 1926
The first professional tour was held in North America in 1926 with Suzanne LenglenSuzanne Lenglen
Suzanne Rachel Flore Lenglen was a French tennis player who won 31 Championship titles between 1914 and 1926...
as the main attraction. Before then, there were numerous teaching professionals, that is, players who gave lessons for money at private clubs and public parks. Because they accepted money in return for their services, they were not allowed to participate in amateur tournaments. They did, however, create a number of relatively small professional tournaments for players like themselves, primarily in Europe.
Some of the oldest professional matches known are those between Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
player George Kerr and American Tom Pettitt
Tom Pettitt
Tom Pettitt was the real tennis world champion from 1885 to 1890.-Biography:Born in Beckenham, Kent, England, Pettitt emigrated to Boston, Massachusetts as a penniless teenager. He quickly rose from being the dressing-room boy at a private court on Buckingham Street, to being its head...
. In 1889, Kerr beat Pettitt three times in four meetings. In June 1890, Kerr won all three matches against Pettitt in Dublin.
In April 1898, a professional, round-robin tournament was played in Paris on covered courts. Both Thomas Burke (tutor of the Tennis Club de Paris, former teacher of Joshua Pim
Joshua Pim
Dr. Joshua Pim F.R.C.S.I was a medical doctor and a renowned Irish amateur tennis player. He won the Wimbledon men's singles title two years in a row, in 1893 and 1894.-Family life:...
who won Wimbledon twice) from Ireland and Kerr (Fitzwilliam Club) defeated Tom Fleming (Queen's Club), and Burke defeated Kerr 6-2, 4-6, 6-1, 5-7, 6-4.
During the 1900 Paris Exhibition, a professional tournament was held on clay, with Burke finishing ahead of both Kerr and the Englishman Charles Hierons.
In the spring of 1903 in Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
on clay, Reggie Doherty, the leading amateur, defeated the leading professional, Burke, 1-6, 6-1, 6-0, 6-0.
Burke was reportedly as good a player as the leading amateurs, but he is totally forgotten today, as was later Charles Haggett, the best English teaching professional. In 1913, Haggett settled in the United States, invited by the West Side Tennis Club
West Side Tennis Club
The West Side Tennis Club is a private tennis club located in Forest Hills, a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. It is currently an oasis within the City with 38 courts in all four surfaces , a junior Olympic swimming pool and many other amenities.It is most notable for hosting...
of Forest Hills, New York and became the coach of the American Davis Cup
Davis Cup
The Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men's tennis. It is run by the International Tennis Federation and is contested between teams of players from competing countries in a knock-out format. The competition began in 1900 as a challenge between Britain and the United States. By...
team. In practice matches, he beat the leading amateurs Tony Wilding
Tony Wilding
Anthony "Tony" Frederick Wilding was a champion tennis player from Christchurch, New Zealand and a soldier killed in action during World War I near Neuve-Chapelle, Pas-de-Calais, France....
, Wimbledon winner and Maurice McLoughlin
Maurice McLoughlin
Maurice Evans McLoughlin was an American tennis player. Known for his powerful serve and overhead volley, McLoughlin was the first male tennis champion from the western United States.-Biography:...
, Wimbledon All Comer's winner.
In the 1920s, Karel Koželuh
Karel Koželuh
Karel Koželuh was a top Czech tennis, soccer, and ice hockey player of the 1920s and 1930s. Koželuh never played in the major tournaments of amateur tennis but was an all-around athlete at the very highest level....
, Albert Burke (son of Thomas Burke), and Roman Najuch were probably the most notable, as well as the best, of these players. The Bristol Cup, held at Beaulieu or at Cannes
Cannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
on the French Riviera
French Riviera
The Côte d'Azur, pronounced , often known in English as the French Riviera , is the Mediterranean coastline of the southeast corner of France, also including the sovereign state of Monaco...
and won seven consecutive times by Koželuh, was "the world's only significant pro tennis tournament." Koželuh went on to become one of the very best of the touring professionals in the 1930s; so, it is easy to imagine that he, Burke, and probably other forgotten teaching professionals were among the top 10 amateur and professional players in any given year before 1928, which is the first year for which any of the sources cited here give a ranking for all the top players of that year. All top 10 rankings for the years before 1928 were for amateurs only.
The major professional tournaments before 1968
Tradition on the pro circuit was non-existent before 1968 because the event hierarchy could change each year. Some major tournaments, however, stood out at different times, as the Wikipedia article Major professional tennis tournaments before the Open Era explains.Elite events that lasted only a few years (mostly because of financial collapse) included:
- Bristol Cup: 1920s,
- Queen's ClubQueen's ClubThe Queen's Club is a private sporting club in West Kensington, London, England. Founded in 1886, the Queen's Club was the world's first multipurpose sports complex and named after Queen Victoria, its first patron...
Pro: 1928 - Southport tournament: 1935-1939
- World Pro Championships in Berlin: 1930's
- U.S Pro hardcourt: 1945
- Philadelphia: 1950-1952
- Tournament of Champions: 1956-1959
- Masters Pro Round Robin: 1957-1958
- Australian Pro: 1954, 1957–1958
- Madison Square Garden Pro: 1966, 1967
- Wimbledon ProWimbledon ProDuring Wimbledon in 1966, Jack Kramer was doing radio commentary for the BBC when Wimbledon's working chairman Herman David came to the broadcast booth and talked to Kramer and BBC tennis exec Bryan Cowgill to discuss the possibility of making the tournament "open" to both amateurs and pros. The...
: 1967 - Bonnardel Cup: 1930s
- Kramer Cup: 1961-1963
Three major tournaments held a certain tradition and usually had the best of the leading players. They were called "Championship Tournaments." The most prestigious of the three was generally the London Indoor Professional Championship. Played between 1934 and 1990 at Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena is an indoor arena, at Wembley, in the London Borough of Brent. The building is opposite Wembley Stadium.-History:...
in the United Kingdom, the tournament was unofficially and usually considered the world's championship until 1967. The oldest of the three was the United States Professional Championship
U.S. Pro Tennis Championships
The U.S. Pro Tennis Championships was the oldest professional tennis tournament played until its final year of 1999 and is considered as a part of the professional grand slam from 1927 - 1967 until the advent of Open Era...
, played between 1927 and 1999. Between 1954 and 1962 it was played indoors in Cleveland and was called the World Professional Championships. The third major tournament was the French Professional Championship, played between 1934 and 1968, generally at Roland Garros
Stade Roland Garros
Le Stade de Roland Garros is a tennis venue located in Paris, France. It hosts the French Open tennis tournament , a Grand Slam event played annually in May and June. The facility was constructed in 1928 to host France's first defense of the Davis Cup...
. The British and American championships continued into the open era but devolved to the status of minor tournaments. The winner and runner-up in each of these tournaments will be shown for the years in which they were played.
These three tournaments (Wembley Pro, French Pro and U.S. Pro) through 1967 are sometimes referred to as the professional Grand Slam tournaments by tennis historians. In any particular year, another tournament, such as the Forest Hills Pro or the Masters Pro, could have had a better field. But over the decades, these were the three "majors" that all professional players sought.
Sources of rankings and other information
Other years dating back to 1913 also present difficulties and ambiguities. The rankings below, however, all come from various sources that are as authoritative as can be found. There are eighteen sources:- The United States Tennis Association Official Encyclopedia of Tennis (1981). This book has annual rankings for the top 10 players as compiled every year from 1914 through 1980. These rankings were made annually by various tennis experts at a London newspaper, The Daily TelegraphThe Daily TelegraphThe Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
: Wallis Myers (1913–1938), John Olliff (1939–1951), and Lance Tingay (1952–1967). These rankings, however, included only amateur players. Beginning with the 1920s, some of the best players in the world were professionals. Once they became professionals, as Bill TildenBill TildenWilliam Tatem Tilden II , nicknamed "Big Bill," is often considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time. An American tennis player who was the World No. 1 player for seven years, he won 14 Majors including ten Grand Slams and four Pro Slams. Bill Tilden dominated the world of...
did in 1931, they were no longer included in these annual lists.
- History of the Pro Tennis Wars, by Ray Bowers, is a website associated with the Tennis Server website. In thirteen chapters, Bowers gives a very detailed account of the first twenty years of the professional tennis tours, from a modest beginning in 1926 with Suzanne LenglenSuzanne LenglenSuzanne Rachel Flore Lenglen was a French tennis player who won 31 Championship titles between 1914 and 1926...
and Vincent RichardsVincent RichardsVincent "Vinnie" Richards was a top American tennis player in the early decades of the 20th Century, particularly known as being a superlative volleyer....
as the main attractions, on through 1945. He also gives detailed results of some of the tournaments played by professionals in addition to the main head-to-head tours. In his summing-up for each year since 1928, he gives his rankings for the best players of that year, combining both amateurs and professionals, with the number of players ranked varying from year to year. In all cases prior to 1940, his rankings coincide with those of The Daily Telegraph as far as amateurs are concerned.
- Total Tennis: The Ultimate Tennis Encyclopedia (2003), by Bud CollinsBud Collins-External links:*** 2001 interview with Collins*...
. This massive work has year-by-year chapters in which Collins gives a brief summation of the pro tour results, often with personal comments about the players. It also has somewhat more complete rankings from the early years of the Daily Telegraph. The combined amateur-professional rankings for 1968 through 1972 are those of Collins himself. Beginning with 1973, the Association of Tennis ProfessionalsAssociation of Tennis ProfessionalsThe Association of Tennis Professionals or ATP was formed in 1972 by Donald Dell, Jack Kramer, and Cliff Drysdale to protect the interests of male professional tennis players. Since 1990, the association has organized the worldwide tennis tour for men and linked the title of the tour with the...
began issuing computer-generated weekly rankings. Collins shows the top 10 players in these rankings for the last week of every calendar year through 2002.
- The History of Professional Tennis (2003), by Joe McCauley. This book was published in the United Kingdom and is a year-by-year account of the professional tours and tournaments between 1926 and 1968. The book has 80 pages of year-by-year results for as many tournaments, tours, and head-to-head matches as the author, a long-time writer for World Tennis magazine, could find.
- The Concise History of Tennis (2010), by Karoly Mazak. This e-book is a year-by-year account of (lawn) tennis between 1877 and 2009. Each page contains a short summary of the major events in that particular year, and combined (amateur and professional) year-end rankings in tabulated form that show the performance of the top players at the major events. The greatest novelty of this work is the year-end rankings before 1913. The author has used as many sources as possible, including contemporary magazine classifications (Pastime, Lawn Tennis and Badminton) and official national rankings. The e-book is available at a website with the same name or can be consulted at the Wimbledon tennis library.
- Professional Lawn Tennis Association (PLTA). The PLTA was composed of a group of professional players in the late 1940s and early 1950s and, for several years, issued its own official rankings of professional players at the end of each year. The PLTA was also apparently called the Professional Players Association (PPA) in at least 1946.
- The Game, My 40 Years in Tennis (1979), by Jack KramerJack Kramer (tennis player)John Albert Kramer was an American tennis player of the 1940s. A World Number 1 player for a number of years, he is a possible candidate for the title of the greatest tennis player of all time. He was considered the father and the leading promoter of the professional tennis tours...
. Kramer's autobiography has information about the 1954 professional tour that is somewhat different from the other sources but that must be considered authoritative in that Kramer himself was the tour promoter that year.
- Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). The ATP has issued its own year-end ranking of the top male players every year since 1973.
- Tennis Is My Racket (1949), by Bobby RiggsBobby RiggsRobert Larimore "Bobby" Riggs was a 1930s–40s tennis player who was the World No. 1 or the co-World No. 1 player for three years, first as an amateur in 1941, then as a professional in 1946 and 1947...
. Riggs's autobiography has information about the 1946 professional tour that is slightly different from the other sources. He also writes at length about his 1948 tour with Kramer but says nothing about his playing record in 1947, about which there is much conflicting information.
- The Last Sure Thing: The Life & Times of Bobby Riggs (2003), by Tom LeCompte. This biography published after Riggs's death jibes with his own information for 1946 but is at odds with other sources about Riggs's record in 1947.
- Vainqueurs 1946-2003 (2003), by Michel Sutter (Winners 1946-2003 in English). Apparently based mostly on information drawn from the French sports magazine L'ÉquipeL'ÉquipeL'Équipe is a French nationwide daily newspaper devoted to sports, owned by Éditions Philippe Amaury. The paper is noted for coverage of football , rugby, motorsports and cycling...
, this is an updated edition of his earlier book Vainqueurs 1946-1991. Both books list the winners of many professional tournaments and matches for the years shown in their titles, but the earlier book also listed the runner-ups, scores, and the exact dates as well as some commentary, in French and in English, by the author for each year.
- Histoiredutennis.com ("History of tennis"). This is a French website that has much interesting information, particularly in its extended chapters with the history of tennis. Some of its information about the professional tour in 1954, however, seems to conflict with other sources. The 1954 information may actually be for 1953.
- Der Grösste Meister. Die denkwürdige Karriere des australischen Tennisspielers Kenneth Robert Rosewall (1999), by Robert Geist. This is a detailed account of Ken RosewallKen RosewallKenneth Robert Rosewall AM MBE is a former world top-ranking amateur and professional tennis player from Australia. He won 23 Majors including eight Grand Slam singles titles and before the Open Era a record fifteen Pro Slam titles . Rosewall won 9 slams in doubles with a career double grand slam...
's career with many statistics and, in particular, his annual rankings during his professional career.
- Anthony Wilding A Sporting Life (2005), by Len and Shelley Richardson.
- Royal South Yarra Lawn Tennis Club: 100 Years in Australian Tennis, by Richard Yallop.
- Modern Tennis (1915), by P.A. Vaile (second edition).
- Lawn Tennis (1889), by Methven Brownlee (Arrowsmith, Bristol)
- Kings of the court. The story of lawn tennis. by E.C. Potter. (Barnes and Company, New York, 1963.) A very good tennis history book, has many details about the pre–World War I players.
- Fifty years of Wimbledon. by Wallis Myers. (The Field, London, 1926.) Each year of Wimbledon is examined, although it does not contain Top10 world rankings.
However there are sometimes contradictions between all these sources.
Discrepancies in source material
A good example of the occasional lack of authoritative material about the early years of the professional players is the somewhat surprising fact that the very existence of the 1936 and 1938 Wembley tournament is in question. Two sources, Collins and McCauley, give results for the Wembley tournament in each year. Bowers, however, is adamant that neither took place and offers some evidence to support his view.Another example is 1947. Collins says that Riggs beat Budge in a tour; McCauley says that there was no long tour, only a short one between Riggs and Frank Kovacs
Frank Kovacs
Frank Kovacs was an American tennis player in the mid-century; he was known as the "Clown Prince of Tennis" for his on-court antics but was a good enough player to be each year from 1940 to 1951 one of the best five in the world. He stood 6 ft 4 inches tall and had a backhand as good as...
. Tom LeCompte says that there was a small tour with Riggs overcoming Budge 12-6 followed by the short Riggs-Kovacs tour (4-3, but 11-10 according to McCauley).
Other examples : the French Pro until 1933. McCauley says that the first year of the French Pro is unknown but begins his list in 1930 whereas Ray Bowers doesn't talk about any French Pro before 1934 (even in 1934 he doesn't use the expression "French Professional Championships" but writes a three-day tournament at (Roland) Garros, September 21–23). For example in 1933, the supposed Tilden-Cochet final (6-2 6-4 6-2) listed by McCauley was just according to Bowers a singles match (with a slightly different score 6-3 6-4 6-2) of a USA-France meeting (in the Davis Cup format) at Roland Garros (where Cochet defeated Bruce Barnes, Tilden beat Plaa and Cochet and Barnes overcame Plaa and the US won the doubles).
The world number one and number two from 1877
These rankings are objective in intent but admittedly sometimes arguable.Before 1973 there was no computer rankings but only journalists or officials (on their personal behalf) or promoters or players themselves who listed their own annual rankings.
In 1973 the ATP listed its own rankings every fortnight and some years later (around 1977) every week but they had many imperfections because in the seventies and the eighties they didn’t take into account such events as the Davis Cup, the WCT Finals and the Masters (later called the Singles Championship and in the 2000s the Tennis Masters Cup). Nowadays the Tennis Masters Cup give ATP points. (See : List of ATP number 1 ranked players).
Therefore other rankings proposed by tennis experts or by the players themselves could be more accurate because they included these events : From 1973 to 2006 this list sometimes differs from the ATP list because it shows journalists (or even players) rankings and not computer rankings. In particular Connors has been ranked #1, at the end of the year, from 1974 to 1978 by the ATP but the majority disagreed the computer rankings : for instance in 1975 all the journalists (among them John Barrett, Bud Collins, Barry Lorge, Judith Elian) ranked Arthur Ashe as the number 1 in the world while his ATP ranking was only 4th; in 1977, no one, except the ATP ranking, considered that Connors was the best player in the world, and everyone thought that Borg and Vilas were tennis kings; and in 1978 everyone and in particular the ITF recognized that the Swede was the World Champion. In 1982 and in 1989 respectively Connors and Becker both winners of Wimbledon and the US Open were considered as World Champions even though the ATP ranked respectively McEnroe and Lendl as number 1. Since the mid-90s the ATP rankings had been more or less accepted by many as the official rankings (but in 1999 many considered Sampras as the second best player in the world while the ATP ranked Kafelnikov 2nd). Finally since 1978 the ITF (represented at the beginning by Sedgman, Hoad and Trabert) has designated his World Champion.
Before 1913 very few sources are available but Richard Yallop in Royal South Yarra Lawn Tennis Club 100 Years in Australian Tennis stated that Norman Brookes
Norman Brookes
Brookes was also an Australian rules footballer in his youth, playing two matches for Victorian Football League club St Kilda Football Club in 1898, kicking two goals.-Honours:Norman Brookes was knighted "in recognition of service to public service" in 1939...
was the champion of the world in 1907 and Len and Shelley Richardson in Anthony Wilding A Sporting Life cite A.E Crawley's (a British journalist at the beginning of the 20th century) and Anthony Wilding's (the New Zealander tennis player) opinions
A. = Amateur P. = Professional
| Year | Number 1 Player | Runner-up Player | Source of Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1877 | Spencer Gore A. (GB) | Karoly Mazak: The Concise History of Tennis, Methven Brownlee: Lawn Tennis Gore is the Wimbledon champion |
|
| 1878 | Frank Hadow Frank Hadow Patrick Francis Hadow was an English tennis player, who won the Wimbledon championship in 1878.... A. (GB) |
Karoly Mazak: The Concise History of Tennis, Methven Brownlee: Lawn Tennis Hadow is the Wimbledon champion |
|
| 1879 | John Hartley A. (GB) | Karoly Mazak: The Concise History of Tennis, Methven Brownlee: Lawn Tennis Hartley is the Wimbledon champion |
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| 1880 | John Hartley A. (GB) | William Renshaw William Renshaw William "Willie" Charles Renshaw is one of the greatest British male tennis players of all time, and a candidate for the greatest tennis player of all time... A. (GB) |
Karoly Mazak: The Concise History of Tennis, Methven Brownlee: Lawn Tennis Hartley wins the only match he plays, against Lawford in the Wimbledon final. |
| 1881 | William Renshaw William Renshaw William "Willie" Charles Renshaw is one of the greatest British male tennis players of all time, and a candidate for the greatest tennis player of all time... A. (GB) |
Herbert Lawford Herbert Lawford Herbert Lawford was a tennis player from Great Britain who won the men's singles championship at Wimbledon in 1887, and was runner-up five times.... A. (GB) |
Karoly Mazak: The Concise History of Tennis, R. Osborn (he ranked the Top7 British players), as reported by Tingay in his encyclopedia William Renshaw is the Irish and Wimbledon champion. |
| 1882 | William Renshaw William Renshaw William "Willie" Charles Renshaw is one of the greatest British male tennis players of all time, and a candidate for the greatest tennis player of all time... A. (GB) |
Ernest Renshaw Ernest Renshaw Ernest Renshaw was an English tennis player.Together with his twin brother William Renshaw, Ernest won the men's doubles at Wimbledon five times. He also won the singles championship at Wimbledon once, in 1888 and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1983... A. (GB) |
Karoly Mazak: The Concise History of Tennis, Methven Brownlee: Lawn Tennis William Renshaw is the Irish and Wimbledon champion, his brother Ernest is the challenger both times. |
| 1883 | William Renshaw William Renshaw William "Willie" Charles Renshaw is one of the greatest British male tennis players of all time, and a candidate for the greatest tennis player of all time... A. (GB) |
Ernest Renshaw Ernest Renshaw Ernest Renshaw was an English tennis player.Together with his twin brother William Renshaw, Ernest won the men's doubles at Wimbledon five times. He also won the singles championship at Wimbledon once, in 1888 and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1983... A. (GB) |
Karoly Mazak: The Concise History of Tennis, Methven Brownlee: Lawn Tennis William Renshaw has won the only singles match he played at Wimbledon against Irish champion Ernest Renshaw. |
| 1884 | William Renshaw William Renshaw William "Willie" Charles Renshaw is one of the greatest British male tennis players of all time, and a candidate for the greatest tennis player of all time... A. (GB) |
Herbert Lawford Herbert Lawford Herbert Lawford was a tennis player from Great Britain who won the men's singles championship at Wimbledon in 1887, and was runner-up five times.... A. (GB) |
Karoly Mazak: The Concise History of Tennis, The Pastime classification of British players: 1. W. Renshaw 2. Lawford William Renshaw has won the only singles match he played at Wimbledon against Irish champion Lawford. |
| 1885 | William Renshaw William Renshaw William "Willie" Charles Renshaw is one of the greatest British male tennis players of all time, and a candidate for the greatest tennis player of all time... A. (GB) |
Herbert Lawford Herbert Lawford Herbert Lawford was a tennis player from Great Britain who won the men's singles championship at Wimbledon in 1887, and was runner-up five times.... A. (GB) |
Karoly Mazak: The Concise History of Tennis, The Pastime classification of British players: 1. W. Renshaw 2. Lawford William Renshaw has won the only singles match he played at Wimbledon against Irish champion Lawford. |
| 1886 | William Renshaw William Renshaw William "Willie" Charles Renshaw is one of the greatest British male tennis players of all time, and a candidate for the greatest tennis player of all time... A. (GB) |
Herbert Lawford Herbert Lawford Herbert Lawford was a tennis player from Great Britain who won the men's singles championship at Wimbledon in 1887, and was runner-up five times.... A. (GB) |
Karoly Mazak: The Concise History of Tennis, The Pastime classification of British players: 1. W. Renshaw 2. Lawford William Renshaw has won the only singles match he played at Wimbledon against Irish champion Lawford. |
| 1887 | Ernest Renshaw Ernest Renshaw Ernest Renshaw was an English tennis player.Together with his twin brother William Renshaw, Ernest won the men's doubles at Wimbledon five times. He also won the singles championship at Wimbledon once, in 1888 and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1983... A. (GB) - Herbert Lawford Herbert Lawford Herbert Lawford was a tennis player from Great Britain who won the men's singles championship at Wimbledon in 1887, and was runner-up five times.... A. (GB) |
Karoly Mazak: The Concise History of Tennis, The Pastime classification of British players: 1-2. Lawford, E.Renshaw Lawford beat Ernest Renshaw at Wimbledon and lost to him at the Irish. Neither of them has shown as good a form as William Renshaw last year who is absent because of injury. |
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| 1888 | Ernest Renshaw Ernest Renshaw Ernest Renshaw was an English tennis player.Together with his twin brother William Renshaw, Ernest won the men's doubles at Wimbledon five times. He also won the singles championship at Wimbledon once, in 1888 and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1983... A. (GB) |
Willoughby Hamilton Willoughby Hamilton Willoughby Hamilton was an Irish male tennis player.... A. |
Karoly Mazak: The Concise History of Tennis, The Pastime classification of British players: 1. E. Renshaw 2-4. W. Renshaw, Hamilton, Lewis Ernest Renshaw is the Irish and Wimbledon champion. Hamilton is the Irish challenger, and the Northern England champion. |
| 1889 | Willoughby Hamilton Willoughby Hamilton Willoughby Hamilton was an Irish male tennis player.... A. (IRL) - William Renshaw William Renshaw William "Willie" Charles Renshaw is one of the greatest British male tennis players of all time, and a candidate for the greatest tennis player of all time... A. (GB) |
Karoly Mazak: The Concise History of Tennis, The Pastime classification of British players: 1-2. W. Renshaw, Hamilton Hamilton has beaten William Renshaw (once again Wimbledon champion) at the Irish, won the Northern England title as well, but lost at the Wimbledon semis to Harry Barlow. |
|
| 1890 | Willoughby Hamilton Willoughby Hamilton Willoughby Hamilton was an Irish male tennis player.... A. (IRL) - Joshua Pim Joshua Pim Dr. Joshua Pim F.R.C.S.I was a medical doctor and a renowned Irish amateur tennis player. He won the Wimbledon men's singles title two years in a row, in 1893 and 1894.-Family life:... A. (IRL) |
Karoly Mazak: The Concise History of Tennis, The Pastime classification of British players: 1-2. Hamilton, Pim Hamilton wins Wimbledon, but loses to Pim in Liverpool and Lewis in Dublin (although he is the Irish champ, he had severe defeats by Pim and G. Chaytor). |
|
| 1891 | Ernest Lewis A. (GB) - Wilfred Baddeley Wilfred Baddeley Wilfred Baddeley was a British male tennis player and the elder of the Baddeley twins. His brother Herbert died on 20 July 1931 in Cannes, France.- Career :... A. (GB) - Joshua Pim Joshua Pim Dr. Joshua Pim F.R.C.S.I was a medical doctor and a renowned Irish amateur tennis player. He won the Wimbledon men's singles title two years in a row, in 1893 and 1894.-Family life:... A. (IRL) |
all 3 ranked equally | Karoly Mazak: The Concise History of Tennis, The Pastime classification of British players: 1-3. W. Baddeley, Lewis, Pim Lewis is the Irish, Baddeley the Wimbledon champion, but they have not met. Both of them have beaten Pim, although Pim also beat Baddeley at the Northern Champ. |
| 1892 | Ernest Renshaw Ernest Renshaw Ernest Renshaw was an English tennis player.Together with his twin brother William Renshaw, Ernest won the men's doubles at Wimbledon five times. He also won the singles championship at Wimbledon once, in 1888 and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1983... A. (GB) - Wilfred Baddeley Wilfred Baddeley Wilfred Baddeley was a British male tennis player and the elder of the Baddeley twins. His brother Herbert died on 20 July 1931 in Cannes, France.- Career :... A. (GB) |
Karoly Mazak: The Concise History of Tennis, The Pastime classification of British players: 1-2. E. Renshaw, W. Baddeley Ernest Renshaw is the Irish, Baddeley the Wimbledon champion (in the absence of Renshaw), but they have not met. |
|
| 1893 | Joshua Pim Joshua Pim Dr. Joshua Pim F.R.C.S.I was a medical doctor and a renowned Irish amateur tennis player. He won the Wimbledon men's singles title two years in a row, in 1893 and 1894.-Family life:... A. (IRL) |
Wilfred Baddeley Wilfred Baddeley Wilfred Baddeley was a British male tennis player and the elder of the Baddeley twins. His brother Herbert died on 20 July 1931 in Cannes, France.- Career :... A. (GB) |
Karoly Mazak: The Concise History of Tennis, The Pastime classification of British players: 1. Pim 2. W. Baddeley Pim wins Wimbledon, the Irish and Northern England titles as well (no one has won all these three big titles in the same year yet). He twice defeats Baddeley. |
| 1894 | Joshua Pim Joshua Pim Dr. Joshua Pim F.R.C.S.I was a medical doctor and a renowned Irish amateur tennis player. He won the Wimbledon men's singles title two years in a row, in 1893 and 1894.-Family life:... A. (IRL) |
Wilfred Baddeley Wilfred Baddeley Wilfred Baddeley was a British male tennis player and the elder of the Baddeley twins. His brother Herbert died on 20 July 1931 in Cannes, France.- Career :... A. (GB) |
Karoly Mazak: The Concise History of Tennis, The Pastime classification of British players: 1. Pim 2. W. Baddeley Pim defends his Wimbledon and Irish titles. Wilfred Baddeley is the Wimbledon challenger and wins the Northern England title beating Pim and also beats him at an international match. |
| 1895 | Joshua Pim Joshua Pim Dr. Joshua Pim F.R.C.S.I was a medical doctor and a renowned Irish amateur tennis player. He won the Wimbledon men's singles title two years in a row, in 1893 and 1894.-Family life:... A. (IRL)- Wilfred Baddeley Wilfred Baddeley Wilfred Baddeley was a British male tennis player and the elder of the Baddeley twins. His brother Herbert died on 20 July 1931 in Cannes, France.- Career :... A. (GB) |
Karoly Mazak: The Concise History of Tennis, The Pastime classification of British players: 1-2. W. Baddeley, Pim Pim is the Irish champion demolishing Wilberforce Eaves, but is absent from Wimbledon that Baddeley wins from a weaker field narrowly beating Eaves. |
|
| 1896 | Wilfred Baddeley Wilfred Baddeley Wilfred Baddeley was a British male tennis player and the elder of the Baddeley twins. His brother Herbert died on 20 July 1931 in Cannes, France.- Career :... A. (GB) |
Harold Mahony Harold Mahony Harold Segerson Mahony was an Irish tennis player, best known for winning the Wimbledon Championships in 1896. He was born at 21 Charlotte Square, Edinburgh to Richard John Mahony, an Irish barrister and prominent landowner. The family had a home in Scotland but spent most of their time at Dromore... A. (IRL) |
Karoly Mazak: The Concise History of Tennis, The Lawn Tennis classification of British players (in alphabetical order, foreign and covered court tournaments were not taken into account): 1. W. Baddeley scratch 2. Mahony Baddeley has beaten Mahony both at the Irish and Northern England Championships, but lost to him at Wimbledon. |
| 1897 | Reggie Doherty A. (GB) - Wilberforce Eaves Wilberforce Eaves Wilberforce Vaughan Eaves was a male tennis player from the United Kingdom. At the 1908 London Olympics he won a bronze medal in the men's singles tournament. He was also the first non-American to reach the final in the US National Singles Championships in 1897.-Runner-ups :... A. (GB) - Robert Wrenn Robert Wrenn ----Robert "Bob" Duffield Wrenn was a left-handed American tennis player, four-time U.S. singles championship winner, and one of the first "enshrinees" in the International Tennis Hall of Fame.... A. (USA) |
all 3 ranked equally | Karoly Mazak: The Concise History of Tennis, The Lawn Tennis classification of British players (in alphabetical order, foreign and covered court tournaments were not taken into account): 1. W. Baddeley, R. Doherty, Eaves scratch US rankings: 1. Wrenn 2. Larned 3. Eaves There is very little difference between the top players. Wimbledon champion Doherty was beaten by Irish champ Eaves in Dublin, by Baddeley at the Northern England Championships and by Mahony at the international match, however he has beaten all of them at Wimbledon. Wrenn beats Eaves at the US but loses to Larned in Boston. |
| 1898 | Reggie Doherty A. (GB) | Hugh Laurence "Laurie" Doherty Laurence Doherty Hugh Laurence "Laurie" Doherty was an English tennis player and younger brother of Reggie Doherty... A. (GB) |
Karoly Mazak: The Concise History of Tennis, The Lawn Tennis classification of British players (in alphabetical order, foreign and covered court tournaments were not taken into account): 1-5. G. Chaytor, L. Doherty (he was probably the most consistent), R. Doherty, W. Eaves, S. Smith Wimbledon champ Reggie Doherty loses to Irish Mahony in Dublin. Laurie Doherty defeats Mahony at Wimbledon, but loses the challenge round to his brother. |
| 1899 | Reggie Doherty A. (GB) | Sidney Smith A. (GB) | Karoly Mazak: The Concise History of Tennis, The Lawn Tennis classification of British players (in alphabetical order, foreign and covered court tournaments were not taken into account): 1. R. Doherty scratch 2. S. Smith 1/6 US rankings: 1. Whitman Reggie Doherty wins both the Wimbledon and the Irish titles and has an unbeaten season. Charles A. Voigt from Boston classified the national champions in this order: R. Doherty, Smith (of Wales), Whitman. Whitman wins all the important US tournaments, and according to Potter (in his Kings of the Court book) he played magnificently. |
| 1900 | Reggie Doherty A. (GB) - Malcolm Whitman Malcolm Whitman Malcolm "Mal" Douglass Whitman was a male American tennis player.Whitman is best known for this hat trick at the U.S. Championships. Between 1898 and 1900, he stayed undefeated there... A. (USA) |
Karoly Mazak: The Concise History of Tennis, British author Jackson ranked the British players in the American Outing as follows: 1. R. Doherty 2. Smith 3. Gore US rankings: 1. Whitman Reggie wins both the Wimbledon and the Irish titles. Whitman wins all the important US titles and demolishes Gore in Davis Cup. |
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| 1901 | Reggie Doherty A. (GB) - Arthur Gore A. (GB) - William Larned William Larned William Augustus Larned was an American male tennis player.-Biography:He was raised in Summit, New Jersey on the estate of his father, William Zebedee Larned. Larned Road in Summit honors both father and son. William came from a family that could trace its American roots to shortly after the... A. (USA) |
all 3 ranked equally | Karoly Mazak: The Concise History of Tennis Reggie (still Irish champ) is in poor health and loses his Wimbledon title to Gore. Larned is the best American in the absence of Whitman. |
| 1902 | Reggie Doherty A. (GB) - Hugh Lawrence "Laurie" Doherty A. (GB) - William Larned William Larned William Augustus Larned was an American male tennis player.-Biography:He was raised in Summit, New Jersey on the estate of his father, William Zebedee Larned. Larned Road in Summit honors both father and son. William came from a family that could trace its American roots to shortly after the... A. (USA) |
all 3 ranked equally | Karoly Mazak: The Concise History of Tennis, The Lawn Tennis and Croquet classification of British players (some continental tournaments were also taken into account): 1. L. Doherty, R. Doherty scratch US rankings: 1. Larned 2. Whitman Irish and Wimbledon champ Laurie was not selected for Davis Cup. US champ Larned was 1-1 with Reggie, who did not play singles anymore in England. |
| 1903 | Hugh Laurence "Laurie" Doherty Laurence Doherty Hugh Laurence "Laurie" Doherty was an English tennis player and younger brother of Reggie Doherty... A. (GB) |
William Larned William Larned William Augustus Larned was an American male tennis player.-Biography:He was raised in Summit, New Jersey on the estate of his father, William Zebedee Larned. Larned Road in Summit honors both father and son. William came from a family that could trace its American roots to shortly after the... A. (USA) |
Karoly Mazak: The Concise History of Tennis, Anthony Wilding; DeWitt C. Regrave,Jr. in "World Tennis" November 1955 (Volume 3 Number 6) Laurie was definitely the best, winning Wimbledon, the US Championship and Davis Cup. Larned nearly beats Laurie at Davis Cup. |
| 1904 | Hugh Laurence "Laurie" Doherty Laurence Doherty Hugh Laurence "Laurie" Doherty was an English tennis player and younger brother of Reggie Doherty... A. (GB) |
Reggie Doherty A. (GB) | Karoly Mazak: The Concise History of Tennis, The Lawn Tennis and Badminton classification of British players (by the eminent handicapper Simond): 1. L. Doherty, 2. R. Doherty scratch US rankings: 1. Ward Wimbledon champ Laurie has only one loss at the end of the season. US1 Ward loses to Larned in Boston. |
| 1905 | Hugh Laurence "Laurie" Doherty Laurence Doherty Hugh Laurence "Laurie" Doherty was an English tennis player and younger brother of Reggie Doherty... A. (GB) |
Beals Wright Beals Wright Beals Coleman Wright , was an American male tennis player.Beals was born in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, the son of Cincinnati Red Stockings great George Wright and nephew of Cincinnati Red Stockings team founder Harry Wright... A. (USA) |
Karoly Mazak: The Concise History of Tennis, The Lawn Tennis and Badminton classification of British players and the American and Australian visitors: 1. L. Doherty 2. Wright 3. Brookes 4. Smith US rankings: 1. Wright Doherty is the Wimbledon champion. US champion Wright twice beats Wimbledon challenger Brookes, but loses to Gore at Wimbledon. |
| 1906 | Laurence Doherty Laurence Doherty Hugh Laurence "Laurie" Doherty was an English tennis player and younger brother of Reggie Doherty... A. (GB) |
Norman Brookes Norman Brookes Brookes was also an Australian rules footballer in his youth, playing two matches for Victorian Football League club St Kilda Football Club in 1898, kicking two goals.-Honours:Norman Brookes was knighted "in recognition of service to public service" in 1939... A. (Aus) |
Karoly Mazak: The Concise History of Tennis Doherty is the Wimbledon champion. Brookes has won the Victorian Championships against Wilding but has not played outside Australia. US champion Clothier loses in Boston. |
| 1907 | Norman Brookes Norman Brookes Brookes was also an Australian rules footballer in his youth, playing two matches for Victorian Football League club St Kilda Football Club in 1898, kicking two goals.-Honours:Norman Brookes was knighted "in recognition of service to public service" in 1939... A. (Aus) |
William Larned William Larned William Augustus Larned was an American male tennis player.-Biography:He was raised in Summit, New Jersey on the estate of his father, William Zebedee Larned. Larned Road in Summit honors both father and son. William came from a family that could trace its American roots to shortly after the... A. (USA) |
Karoly Mazak: The Concise History of Tennis, Richard Yallop Brookes was undefeated in Great Britain and won there in particular Wimbledon and the Davis Cup preliminary and challenge rounds; DeWitt C. Regrave,Jr. in "World Tennis" November 1955 (Volume 3 Number 6). Larned is the US and Boston champion in weak fields (without Clothier or Wright). |
| 1908 | William Larned William Larned William Augustus Larned was an American male tennis player.-Biography:He was raised in Summit, New Jersey on the estate of his father, William Zebedee Larned. Larned Road in Summit honors both father and son. William came from a family that could trace its American roots to shortly after the... A. (USA) |
Arthur Gore A. (GB) | Karoly Mazak: The Concise History of Tennis Larned is the US and Boston and wins his Davis Cup matches. In his book Anthony Wilding judged Brookes the best, however the actual results contradict his assertion. Brookes has lost to US No 2 Wright in Davis Cup and could only narrowly beat Alexander. Gore is the Wimbledon champion in a weak field. |
| 1909 | William Larned William Larned William Augustus Larned was an American male tennis player.-Biography:He was raised in Summit, New Jersey on the estate of his father, William Zebedee Larned. Larned Road in Summit honors both father and son. William came from a family that could trace its American roots to shortly after the... A. (USA) |
Anthony Wilding A. (NZ) | Karoly Mazak: The Concise History of Tennis Larned is the US and Boston and wins his Davis Cup matches. Wilding has defeated Brookes at the Victorian Championships. Gore is the Wimbledon champion in a weak field. |
| 1910 | William Larned William Larned William Augustus Larned was an American male tennis player.-Biography:He was raised in Summit, New Jersey on the estate of his father, William Zebedee Larned. Larned Road in Summit honors both father and son. William came from a family that could trace its American roots to shortly after the... A. (USA) |
Anthony Wilding A. (NZ) | Karoly Mazak: The Concise History of Tennis Larned is once again US and Boston champ (he was named the best player of the world next April by a British expert, A. Crawley). Wilding wins Wimbledon but Wright nearly beats him in the all-comers’ final. |
| 1911 | Norman Brookes Norman Brookes Brookes was also an Australian rules footballer in his youth, playing two matches for Victorian Football League club St Kilda Football Club in 1898, kicking two goals.-Honours:Norman Brookes was knighted "in recognition of service to public service" in 1939... A. (Aus) - Anthony Wilding A. (NZ) |
Karoly Mazak: The Concise History of Tennis, Anthony Wilding Wilding has barely defended his Wimbledon title. Brookes has won in Davis Cup and won the Australasian Championships (also beating Heath). Larned (US and Boston champ), suffering from rheumatism, lost to Heath. In his book Anthony Wilding judged Brookes the best, but based on their last encounter in 1909 they were probably equal |
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| 1912 | Anthony Wilding A. (NZ) | Maurice McLoughlin Maurice McLoughlin Maurice Evans McLoughlin was an American tennis player. Known for his powerful serve and overhead volley, McLoughlin was the first male tennis champion from the western United States.-Biography:... A. (USA) |
Karoly Mazak: The Concise History of Tennis, A.E. Crawley listed the world's ten best singles players in three classes : in the first Brookes and André Gobert André Gobert André Henri Gobert was a male tennis player from France.He was born and died in Paris.-Career:... the two most brilliant stroke makers; second class Wilding; third class five USA players William Larned William Larned William Augustus Larned was an American male tennis player.-Biography:He was raised in Summit, New Jersey on the estate of his father, William Zebedee Larned. Larned Road in Summit honors both father and son. William came from a family that could trace its American roots to shortly after the... , Beals Wright Beals Wright Beals Coleman Wright , was an American male tennis player.Beals was born in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, the son of Cincinnati Red Stockings great George Wright and nephew of Cincinnati Red Stockings team founder Harry Wright... , Maurice McLoughlin Maurice McLoughlin Maurice Evans McLoughlin was an American tennis player. Known for his powerful serve and overhead volley, McLoughlin was the first male tennis champion from the western United States.-Biography:... , William Clothier William Clothier This article is about the tennis player. For the cinematographer, see William H. Clothier.----William Jackson Clothier was a male tennis player from the United States.... , R. Norris Williams R. Norris Williams Richard "Dick" Norris Williams II , generally known as R. Norris Williams, was an American male tennis player.-Biography:He was born in Geneva, Switzerland.... and two British players Charles Dixon (tennis) Charles Dixon (tennis) Charles Percy Dixon was a male tennis player from Great Britain. He was a four-time Olympic medallist and led a successful British team to victory in the Davis Cup.-Biography:... and Arthur Gore. Yet Crawley conceded that if the world's best were brought together in a round robin tournament on a perfect court, Wilding would win. Wilding is the Wimbledon champion, but lost on wood to Gobert and Dixon. McLoughlin, who won the US Championship, is undefeated in America in the absence of Larned. The high placement of Brookes cannot be justified this year as he lost a critical Davis Cup match to Parke (in fact, Brookes has not beaten a world class player since 1907). Gobert was brilliant, but lost at Wimbledon to Gore and in Davis Cup to Dixon. Otto Froitzheim won the World Hard Court Championships World Hard Court Championships World Hard Court Championships, frequently considered as the precursor to the French Open was held from 1912 till 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. The venue, was the clay courts of the Stade Français in Saint-Cloud, with one exception, namely 1922, when they were held at the Royal Leopold... (on Clay). |
From 1913 sources are more detailed and better documented.
| Year | Consensus World No. 1 | Consensus World No. 2 | Source of Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1913 | Tony Wilding Tony Wilding Anthony "Tony" Frederick Wilding was a champion tennis player from Christchurch, New Zealand and a soldier killed in action during World War I near Neuve-Chapelle, Pas-de-Calais, France.... A. (NZ) |
Norman Brookes Norman Brookes Brookes was also an Australian rules footballer in his youth, playing two matches for Victorian Football League club St Kilda Football Club in 1898, kicking two goals.-Honours:Norman Brookes was knighted "in recognition of service to public service" in 1939... A. - Maurice McLoughlin Maurice McLoughlin Maurice Evans McLoughlin was an American tennis player. Known for his powerful serve and overhead volley, McLoughlin was the first male tennis champion from the western United States.-Biography:... A. (USA) |
Arthur Wallis Myers of London's The Daily Telegraph; the top 10 amateurs rankings were Wilding, Brookes & McLoughlin tied for 2nd, Jim Cecil Parke, R. Norris Williams R. Norris Williams Richard "Dick" Norris Williams II , generally known as R. Norris Williams, was an American male tennis player.-Biography:He was born in Geneva, Switzerland.... , Percy Dixon, Otto Froitzheim Otto Froitzheim Otto Froitzheim was a German tennis player. At the 1908 Summer Olympics he won a silver medal in the men's singles tournament.... , Stanley Doust Stanley Doust Stanley Norman Doust was an Australian-born tennis player who captained his nation's Davis Cup team and was winner of the Mixed Doubles Trophy at Wimbledon.-Early years:Doust was born in Sydney, New South Wales, on 29 March 1879... , André Gobert André Gobert André Henri Gobert was a male tennis player from France.He was born and died in Paris.-Career:... , Max Décugis Max Décugis Maxime "Max" Omer Decugis was a male tennis player from France who holds the French Championships/French Open record of winning the tournament eight times and his three Olympic medals at the 1900 Summer Olympics and the 1920 Summer Olympics... . Myers must have ranked Brookes that high only on reputation. Brookes only played in Australia and gave a walkover in the final of the Victorian Championships (then the most important tournament in Australia even ahead the Australasian Championship). Wilding won all three of the ILTF's World Championships - Wimbledon, World Hard Court Championships (Clay), World Covered Court Championships World Covered Court Championships The World Covered Court Championships were part of a series of three world championships sanctioned from 1913–1923 by the International Lawn Tennis Federation . The tournament was played indoors on wood floors, and its venue changed from year to year among several countries... (Indoor). Maurice McLoughlin won the US Championships. |
| 1914 | Maurice McLoughlin Maurice McLoughlin Maurice Evans McLoughlin was an American tennis player. Known for his powerful serve and overhead volley, McLoughlin was the first male tennis champion from the western United States.-Biography:... A. (USA) |
Norman Brookes Norman Brookes Brookes was also an Australian rules footballer in his youth, playing two matches for Victorian Football League club St Kilda Football Club in 1898, kicking two goals.-Honours:Norman Brookes was knighted "in recognition of service to public service" in 1939... A. (Aus.) - Tony Wilding Tony Wilding Anthony "Tony" Frederick Wilding was a champion tennis player from Christchurch, New Zealand and a soldier killed in action during World War I near Neuve-Chapelle, Pas-de-Calais, France.... A. (NZ) |
A. Wallis Myers of London's The Daily Telegraph; the top 10 amateurs rankings were McLoughlin, Brookes & Wilding tied for 2nd, Froitzheim, Williams, Parke, Arthur Lowe Arthur Lowe (tennis) Arthur Holden Lowe was an English tennis player.Lowe competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics in both singles and doubles.... , F. Gordon Lowe, Heinrich Kleinschroth, Décugis. P.A. Vaile disagreed, arguing that James Cecil Parke James Cecil Parke James Cecil Parke was an Irish rugby player, tennis player, golfer and Olympic medallist.Parke was born in Clones, County Monaghan, Ireland. He played rugby with both Monkstown and Dublin University and between 1901 and 1908 played ten times for Leinster... had a stronger claim to the top ranking than McLoughlin's. However, Vaile also credited Brookes with having the greatest season in tennis history up to that time. Norman Brookes won Wimbledon, Tony Wilding won the World Hard Court Championship (Clay). Richard Norris Williams won the US Championship. Parke had no important wins in 1914, he played better in 1913. |
| 1915-1918 | N/A | N/A | World War I, no world rankings |
| 1919 | Gerald Patterson Gerald Patterson Gerald Leighton Patterson MC was an Australian male tennis player. He was born in Melbourne, educated at Scotch College Melbourne and died in Melbourne in 13 June 1967. He was the co-World No... A. (Aus.) - Bill Johnston A. (USA) |
both ranked equally | A. Wallis Myers of London's The Daily Telegraph; the top 10 amateurs rankings were Patterson & Johnston tied for 1st, Gobert, Bill Tilden Bill Tilden William Tatem Tilden II , nicknamed "Big Bill," is often considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time. An American tennis player who was the World No. 1 player for seven years, he won 14 Majors including ten Grand Slams and four Pro Slams. Bill Tilden dominated the world of... , Brookes, Algernon Kingscote Algernon Kingscote Algernon Robert Fitzhardinge Kingscote was a British tennis player, who won the men's singles event at the Australasian Championships in 1919.... , Williams, Percival Davson, Willis Davis, William Laurentz William Laurentz William Laurentz was a French tennis player of the early 20th century, born in Paris, died in 1922.Laurentz notably won the mixed doubles at the French Championships in 1912 and 1913... . Gerald Patterson won Wimbledon. Andre Gobert won the World Covered Court Championship (Indoor). Bill Johnston won the US Championship. |
| 1920 | Bill Tilden Bill Tilden William Tatem Tilden II , nicknamed "Big Bill," is often considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time. An American tennis player who was the World No. 1 player for seven years, he won 14 Majors including ten Grand Slams and four Pro Slams. Bill Tilden dominated the world of... A. (USA) |
Bill Johnston A. (USA) | A. Wallis Myers of London's The Daily Telegraph; the top 10 amateurs rankings were Tilden, Johnston, Kingscote, Parke, Gobert, Brookes, Williams, Laurentz, Zenzo Shimidzu, Patterson. Bill Tilden won Wimbledon and the US Championship. William Laurentz won the World Hard Court Championships (Clay). Gordon Lowe won the World Covered Court Championship (Indoor). |
| 1921 | Bill Tilden Bill Tilden William Tatem Tilden II , nicknamed "Big Bill," is often considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time. An American tennis player who was the World No. 1 player for seven years, he won 14 Majors including ten Grand Slams and four Pro Slams. Bill Tilden dominated the world of... A. (USA) |
Bill Johnston A. (USA) | A. Wallis Myers of London's The Daily Telegraph; the top 10 amateurs rankings were Tilden, Johnston, Vinnie Richards, Shimidzu, Patterson, James Anderson James Anderson (tennis player) ----James Outram Anderson was an Australian tennis player.... , Brian Norton Brian Norton Brian Ivan Cobb Norton , nicknamed "Babe", was an South African male tennis player. He was born in Cape Province, South Africa, and died in Santa Clara, California, United States. He was runner-up to Bill Tilden in the 1923 Wimbledon Championships final, and won the 1923 U.S. National Championships... , Manual Alonso, Williams, Gobert. Bill Tilden won Wimbledon, the World Hard Court Championships (Clay) & the US Championship. William Laurentz won the World Covered Court Championship (Indoor). |
| 1922 | Bill Johnston A. (USA) - Bill Tilden Bill Tilden William Tatem Tilden II , nicknamed "Big Bill," is often considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time. An American tennis player who was the World No. 1 player for seven years, he won 14 Majors including ten Grand Slams and four Pro Slams. Bill Tilden dominated the world of... A. (USA) |
Capt. H. Liddel Hart who ranked the amateurs as 1. Johnston, Tilden, 3. Vincent "Vinnie" Richards, 4. Anderson, 5. Patterson, 6. Kingscote, 7. Williams, 8. Henri Cochet Henri Cochet Henri Jean Cochet was a champion tennis player, one of the famous "Four Musketeers" from France who dominated tennis in the late 1920s and early 1930s.... , 9. Alonso, 10. Gobert; New York Times (1 Tilden, 2 Johnston, 3 Richards, Patterson, 5 Alonso, 6 Williams, 7 Anderson, 8 Pat O'Hara Wood Pat O'Hara Wood Hector "Pat" O'Hara Wood was an Australian male tennis player.O'Hara Wood was born in St Kilda, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria. He is best known for his two victories at the Australasian championships in 1920 and 1923. He died in 1961, aged seventy in Richmond... , 9 Kingscote, 10 Gobert); A. Wallis Myers of London's The Daily Telegraph (Tilden, Johnston, Patterson, Richards, Anderson, Henri Cochet, Pat O'Hara Wood, Williams, Kingscote, Gobert). Myers ranked Tilden ahead Johnston because he thought that Tilden was more intelligent on a tennis court than his countryman but Johnston beat Tilden three times in four meetings that year. Henri Cochet won 2 of the 3 International Lawn Tennis Federation (ILTF) designated 'World Championships' - the World Hard court Championships (Clay) and the World Covered Court Championships (indoor). Gerald Patterson won Wimbledon and Bill Tilden won the US Championship. |
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| 1923 | Bill Tilden Bill Tilden William Tatem Tilden II , nicknamed "Big Bill," is often considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time. An American tennis player who was the World No. 1 player for seven years, he won 14 Majors including ten Grand Slams and four Pro Slams. Bill Tilden dominated the world of... A. (USA) |
Bill Johnston A. (USA) | A. Wallis Myers of London's The Daily Telegraph; the top 10 amateurs rankings were Tilden, Johnston, Anderson, Williams, Frank Hunter Francis Hunter For the Distinguished Service Cross recipient, see Francis Hunter .----Francis "Frank" Townsend Hunter was a male tennis player from the United States of America... , Richards, Norton, Alonso, Jean Washer, Cochet. Bill Johnston won 2 of the 3 International Lawn Tennis Federation (ILTF) designated 'World Championships' - Wimbledon and the World Hard Court Championships (Clay). Henri Cochet won the World Covered Court Championships (indoor). Bill Tilden won the US Championship. |
| 1924 | Bill Tilden Bill Tilden William Tatem Tilden II , nicknamed "Big Bill," is often considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time. An American tennis player who was the World No. 1 player for seven years, he won 14 Majors including ten Grand Slams and four Pro Slams. Bill Tilden dominated the world of... A. (USA) |
Vinnie Richards Vincent Richards Vincent "Vinnie" Richards was a top American tennis player in the early decades of the 20th Century, particularly known as being a superlative volleyer.... A. (USA) |
A. Wallis Myers of London's The Daily Telegraph; the top 10 amateurs rankings were Tilden, Richards, Anderson, Johnston, René Lacoste René Lacoste Jean René Lacoste was a French tennis player and businessman. He was nicknamed "the Crocodile" by fans because of his tenacity on the court; he is also known worldwide as the namesake of the Lacoste tennis shirt, which he introduced in 1929.Lacoste was one of The Four Musketeers, French tennis... , Jean Borotra Jean Borotra Jean Robert Borotra was a French champion tennis player. He was one of the famous "Four Musketeers" from his country who dominated tennis in the late 1920s and early 1930s.-Career:... , Howard Kinsey Howard Kinsey Howard Kinsey was an American tennis player in the 1920s who won a number of championships... , Patterson, Cochet, Alonso. |
| 1925 | Bill Tilden Bill Tilden William Tatem Tilden II , nicknamed "Big Bill," is often considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time. An American tennis player who was the World No. 1 player for seven years, he won 14 Majors including ten Grand Slams and four Pro Slams. Bill Tilden dominated the world of... A. (USA) |
Bill Johnston A. (USA) | A. Wallis Myers of London's The Daily Telegraph; the top 10 amateurs rankings were Tilden, Johnston, Richards, Lacoste, Williams, Borotra, Patterson, Alonso, Norton, Takeichi Harada. |
| 1926 | René Lacoste René Lacoste Jean René Lacoste was a French tennis player and businessman. He was nicknamed "the Crocodile" by fans because of his tenacity on the court; he is also known worldwide as the namesake of the Lacoste tennis shirt, which he introduced in 1929.Lacoste was one of The Four Musketeers, French tennis... A. (Fr.) |
Jean Borotra Jean Borotra Jean Robert Borotra was a French champion tennis player. He was one of the famous "Four Musketeers" from his country who dominated tennis in the late 1920s and early 1930s.-Career:... A. (Fr.) |
A. Wallis Myers of London's The Daily Telegraph; the top 10 amateurs rankings were Lacoste, Borotra, Cochet, Johnston, Tilden, Richards, Harada, Alonso, Kinsey, Jacques Brugnon Jacques Brugnon Jacques "Toto" Brugnon was a French tennis player, one of the famous "Four Musketeers" from France who dominated tennis in the late 1920s and early 1930s.He was born in Paris and died in Paris.... ; the promoter Charles C. Pyle signed Richards, Harvey Snodgrass, Kinsey, and Paul Féret for the first professional tour, which toured the United States and Canada in the fall of 1926; the headliner, however, was the French female player Suzanne Lenglen Suzanne Lenglen Suzanne Rachel Flore Lenglen was a French tennis player who won 31 Championship titles between 1914 and 1926... (against Mary Kendall Browne) and there are only scattered records of the men's matches. Karel Koželuh Karel Koželuh Karel Koželuh was a top Czech tennis, soccer, and ice hockey player of the 1920s and 1930s. Koželuh never played in the major tournaments of amateur tennis but was an all-around athlete at the very highest level.... won the only significant pro tournament of the time : the Bristol Cup at Cannes. |
| 1927 | René Lacoste René Lacoste Jean René Lacoste was a French tennis player and businessman. He was nicknamed "the Crocodile" by fans because of his tenacity on the court; he is also known worldwide as the namesake of the Lacoste tennis shirt, which he introduced in 1929.Lacoste was one of The Four Musketeers, French tennis... A. (Fr.) |
Bill Tilden Bill Tilden William Tatem Tilden II , nicknamed "Big Bill," is often considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time. An American tennis player who was the World No. 1 player for seven years, he won 14 Majors including ten Grand Slams and four Pro Slams. Bill Tilden dominated the world of... A. (USA) |
A. Wallis Myers of London's The Daily Telegraph; Bowers; the top 10 amateur rankings were Lacoste, Tilden, Cochet, Borotra, Alonso, Frank Hunter Francis Hunter For the Distinguished Service Cross recipient, see Francis Hunter .----Francis "Frank" Townsend Hunter was a male tennis player from the United States of America... , George Lott George Lott George Martin Lott was an American tennis player and tennis coach who was born in Springfield, Illinois, United States. Lott is mostly remembered as being one of the greatest doubles players of all time. He won the U.S. title five times with three different partners: John Hennessey in 1928; John... , John Hennessey, Brugnon, and Jan Koželuh Jan Koželuh Jan Koželuh was a Czech tennis player of the 1920s, not to be confused with his older brother Karel Koželuh , a player of the same era... ; Richards beat Kinsey in the first U.S. Pro; Bowers ranks Karel Koželuh, the older brother of Jan Koželuh, and Richards as being tied for #1 among the few professional players, but does not make a joint amateur-professional ranking. |
| 1928 | Henri Cochet Henri Cochet Henri Jean Cochet was a champion tennis player, one of the famous "Four Musketeers" from France who dominated tennis in the late 1920s and early 1930s.... A. (Fr.) |
René Lacoste René Lacoste Jean René Lacoste was a French tennis player and businessman. He was nicknamed "the Crocodile" by fans because of his tenacity on the court; he is also known worldwide as the namesake of the Lacoste tennis shirt, which he introduced in 1929.Lacoste was one of The Four Musketeers, French tennis... A. (Fr.) |
A. Wallis Myers of London's The Daily Telegraph; Bowers; Cochet won the French and U.S. Championships, Lacoste won Wimbledon, Borotra won the Aust. Championships; Koželuh, the winner of the Bristol Cup at Beaulieu, def. Richards 15 matches to 5 in a North American head-to-head tour; Richards beat Koželuh in the U.S. Pro; Robert Ramillon Robert Ramillon Robert Ramillon is a French tennis professional player of the 1930s and is the winner of French Pro in 1932. He also played in the finals in 1931 and 1936.-References:*... beat Edmund Burke at the Queen's Club Pro; Bowers ranks the top eight, in merging his pro list into Myers's amateur list, as being Cochet, Lacoste, Tilden, Koželuh, Richards, Hunter, Borotra, and George Lott George Lott George Martin Lott was an American tennis player and tennis coach who was born in Springfield, Illinois, United States. Lott is mostly remembered as being one of the greatest doubles players of all time. He won the U.S. title five times with three different partners: John Hennessey in 1928; John... , with Koželuh and Richards being the only professionals. |
| 1929 | Henri Cochet Henri Cochet Henri Jean Cochet was a champion tennis player, one of the famous "Four Musketeers" from France who dominated tennis in the late 1920s and early 1930s.... A. (Fr.) |
René Lacoste René Lacoste Jean René Lacoste was a French tennis player and businessman. He was nicknamed "the Crocodile" by fans because of his tenacity on the court; he is also known worldwide as the namesake of the Lacoste tennis shirt, which he introduced in 1929.Lacoste was one of The Four Musketeers, French tennis... A. (Fr.) |
A. Wallis Myers of London's The Daily Telegraph; Bowers; Lacoste won the French Championships, Tilden won the U.S. Championships, Cochet won Wimbledon, John Colin Gregory won the Aust. Championships; Koželuh beat Richards in the U.S. Pro and Albert Burke at the Bristol Cup at Beaulieu; Koželuh apparently beat Richards 5 matches to 2 in the course of the year; Bowers ranks the top eight, both amateur and pro, as being Cochet, Lacoste, Borotra, Tilden, Karel Koželuh, Hunter, Lott, and Richards, with Koželuh and Richards being the only professionals. |
| 1930 | Henri Cochet Henri Cochet Henri Jean Cochet was a champion tennis player, one of the famous "Four Musketeers" from France who dominated tennis in the late 1920s and early 1930s.... A. (Fr.) |
Bill Tilden Bill Tilden William Tatem Tilden II , nicknamed "Big Bill," is often considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time. An American tennis player who was the World No. 1 player for seven years, he won 14 Majors including ten Grand Slams and four Pro Slams. Bill Tilden dominated the world of... A. (USA) |
A. Wallis Myers of London's The Daily Telegraph; Bowers; Cochet won the French Championships, John Doeg John Doeg John Thomas Godfray Hope Doeg was a male tennis player from the United States.He has won one major tournament: the U.S. Championships in 1930.... won the U.S. Championships, Tilden won Wimbledon, Edgar Moon Edgar Moon Edgar "Gar" Moon was a former tennis player from Australia. He's best known for winning the 1930 Australian Championships men's singles title. He also won the 1932 men's doubles title with Jack Crawford... won the Aust. Championships; Koželuh beat Roman Najuch at Beaulieu; Richards beat Koželuh in the U.S. Pro; Koželuh perhaps beat Albert Burke in the first French Pro (probably not held because Bowers didn't account it); Koželuh apparently beat Richards 4 matches to 2 in the course of the year; Bowers ranks the top eight, both amateur and pro, as being Cochet, Tilden, Richards, Karel Koželuh, Borotra, Doeg, Frank Shields Frank Shields Francis Xavier Alexander Shields, Sr. was an amateur American tennis player of the 1920s and 1930s.-Tennis career:Between 1928 and 1945 he was ranked eight times in the U.S... , and Wilmer Allison Wilmer Allison Wilmer Lawson Allison, Jr. was an American amateur tennis champion of the 1930s... , with Koželuh and Richards being the only professionals. In October Richards announced his retirement. |
| 1931 | Bill Tilden Bill Tilden William Tatem Tilden II , nicknamed "Big Bill," is often considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time. An American tennis player who was the World No. 1 player for seven years, he won 14 Majors including ten Grand Slams and four Pro Slams. Bill Tilden dominated the world of... P. (USA) |
Henri Cochet Henri Cochet Henri Jean Cochet was a champion tennis player, one of the famous "Four Musketeers" from France who dominated tennis in the late 1920s and early 1930s.... A. (Fr.) |
A. Wallis Myers of London's The Daily Telegraph; Bowers; McCauley; Borotra won the French Championships, Ellsworth Vines Ellsworth Vines Henry Ellsworth Vines, Jr. was an American tennis champion of the 1930s, the World No. 1 player or the co-No. 1 for four years in 1932, 1935, 1936 and 1937.-Biography:... won the U.S. Championships, Sidney Wood Sidney Wood Sidney Wood was an American tennis player.Wood was born in Black Rock, Connecticut. He won the Arizona State Men’s Tournament on his 14th birthday, which qualified him for the French Championship and led to him earning a spot at Wimbledon He attended The Hill School in Pottstown, Pennsylvania,... won Wimbledon, Jack Crawford Jack Crawford (tennis player) ----John Herbert Crawford was an Australian tennis player of the 1930s. He was the World No. 1 player for 1933.Crawford was born in Urangeline, near Albury, New South Wales... won the Aust. Championships; A. Wallis Myers ranked Cochet #1 amateur thanks to his wins over the British players in the Davis Cup but the French had a relatively poor season with only three tournament wins (Monte Carlo being the most prestigious); Myers strangely ranked Ellsworth Vines Ellsworth Vines Henry Ellsworth Vines, Jr. was an American tennis champion of the 1930s, the World No. 1 player or the co-No. 1 for four years in 1932, 1935, 1936 and 1937.-Biography:... only #3 in the amateur ranks though the American won 9 tournaments including the U.S. amateur Championships (comparisons are difficult because that year Vines wasn't invited to play abroad and Cochet didn't quit Europe); Tilden, aged 38, turned professional and, in a head-to-head tour, def. Koželuh either 63 matches to 13 (McCauley) or 50 to 17 according to Tilden himself in the North American part of the tour (see Bowers) but the two players also competed in the first European tour with Martin Plaa Martin Plaa Martin Plaa was a professional tennis player from France and had success as a professional in the early 1930s.Plaa worked for some years in the late 1920s that the then very successful French Davis Cup team coach. During the first years of the 1930s belonged Plaa himself to the extreme world... , Albert Burke, Frank Hunter and Hans Nüsslein Hans Nüsslein Hans Nüsslein was a German tennis player of the 1930s.Born in Nuremberg, he had almost no background in amateur tennis. In late 1931, as a professional, he played Bill Tilden twice in Europe, taking him to 5 sets each time. Later in the 1930s, as Tilden aged, Nüsslein would beat the far more... : many results are unknown nevertheless Tilden lost only one match against all these opponents (Koželuh at Amsterdam); Tilden also def. Richards, who had abandoned his retirement, either 12-1 over the year (McCauley) or 10 to 0 (Bowers); Tilden beat Richards in the U.S. Pro; Martin Plaa Martin Plaa Martin Plaa was a professional tennis player from France and had success as a professional in the early 1930s.Plaa worked for some years in the late 1920s that the then very successful French Davis Cup team coach. During the first years of the 1930s belonged Plaa himself to the extreme world... perhaps beat Robert Ramillon Robert Ramillon Robert Ramillon is a French tennis professional player of the 1930s and is the winner of French Pro in 1932. He also played in the finals in 1931 and 1936.-References:*... in the French Pro(probably not held because Bowers didn't account it); Koželuh def. Albert Burke at Beaulieu; Bowers ranks the top eight, both amateur and pro, as being Tilden, Cochet, Bunny Austin, Vines, Fred Perry Fred Perry Frederick John Perry was a championship-winning English tennis and table tennis player who won 10 Majors including eight Grand Slams and two Pro Slams. Perry won three consecutive Wimbledon Championships between 1934 and 1936 and was World No. 1 four years in a row... , Karel Koželuh, Richards, and Shields, with Tilden, Koželuh, and Richards being the only professionals; this was the first year a professional was ranked either No. 1 or No. 2. |
| 1932 | Ellsworth Vines Ellsworth Vines Henry Ellsworth Vines, Jr. was an American tennis champion of the 1930s, the World No. 1 player or the co-No. 1 for four years in 1932, 1935, 1936 and 1937.-Biography:... A. (USA) |
Bill Tilden Bill Tilden William Tatem Tilden II , nicknamed "Big Bill," is often considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time. An American tennis player who was the World No. 1 player for seven years, he won 14 Majors including ten Grand Slams and four Pro Slams. Bill Tilden dominated the world of... P. (USA) |
A. Wallis Myers of London's The Daily Telegraph; Bowers; Collins; McCauley; Vines, a 20-year-old, won Wimbledon and the U.S. Championships; Cochet won the French Championships, Crawford won the Aust. Championships; in the pros Tilden beat Vinnie Richards 12-1 and, according to Collins, was 60-40 against the young German Hans Nüsslein Hans Nüsslein Hans Nüsslein was a German tennis player of the 1930s.Born in Nuremberg, he had almost no background in amateur tennis. In late 1931, as a professional, he played Bill Tilden twice in Europe, taking him to 5 sets each time. Later in the 1930s, as Tilden aged, Nüsslein would beat the far more... ; McCauley mistakenly says Tilden and Nüsslein played about 150 or 160 matches, with Tilden winning "about two-thirds" of them; Koželuh beat Nüsslein in the U.S. Pro and beat Plaa at Beaulieu; Bowers, however, writes that a "tally" made just before their first encounter in 1934 showed that Tilden and Nüsslein had played 163 times to that point (so from their first meeting in 1931 through 1933 included), with Tilden winning 116 matches to 47, so the Collins figure is undoubtedly correct for 1932; Ramillon perhaps beat Plaa in the French Pro, although Bowers is unable to account for this tournament; Plaa won the World Pro Championship tournament in Berlin over Tilden; Bowers ranks the top eight, both amateur and pro, as being Vines, Tilden, Cochet, Karel Koželuh, Borotra, Plaa, Allison, and Nüsslein, with Tilden, Koželuh, Plaa, and Nüsslein being professionals. |
| 1933 | Jack Crawford Jack Crawford (tennis player) ----John Herbert Crawford was an Australian tennis player of the 1930s. He was the World No. 1 player for 1933.Crawford was born in Urangeline, near Albury, New South Wales... A. (Aus.) |
Fred Perry Fred Perry Frederick John Perry was a championship-winning English tennis and table tennis player who won 10 Majors including eight Grand Slams and two Pro Slams. Perry won three consecutive Wimbledon Championships between 1934 and 1936 and was World No. 1 four years in a row... A. (GB) |
Bowers; A. Wallis Myers of London's The Daily Telegraph; Collins; McCauley; Crawford had a sensational amateur year, winning 13 consecutive tournaments, including the first 3 of the Grand Slam Grand Slam (tennis) The four Major tennis tournaments, also called the Slams, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world tour ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, strength and size of player field, and public attention. They are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and... s, the Aust. Championships, the French Championships, and Wimbledon, finally losing in 5 sets to Perry in the 4th, the U.S. Championships ; the professional picture was murky: Cochet, aged 31, turned pro; neither Tilden, aged 40, Koželuh, 38, nor the younger Nüsslein, Cochet, Richards, or Plaa was able to establish any clear superiority; Richards beat Frank Hunter Francis Hunter For the Distinguished Service Cross recipient, see Francis Hunter .----Francis "Frank" Townsend Hunter was a male tennis player from the United States of America... in the depleted U.S. Pro; Nüsslein won the World Pro Championship tournament in Berlin by far the year's most significant pro tournament; data from more than half of the Tilden-Nüsslein tour in America (January-early May) indicates that Tilden won 2/3 of their meetings; Vines ranked the top pros as being Tilden, Cochet, Koželuh, Richards; Albert Burke, however, ranked them as being Nüsslein, Tilden, Koželuh, and Plaa; Bowers ranks the top eight, both amateur and pro, as being Crawford, Perry, Nüsslein, Tilden, Karel Koželuh, Jiro Satoh, Austin, and Vines, with Nüsslein, Tilden, and Koželuh being the only professionals. |
| 1934 | Fred Perry Fred Perry Frederick John Perry was a championship-winning English tennis and table tennis player who won 10 Majors including eight Grand Slams and two Pro Slams. Perry won three consecutive Wimbledon Championships between 1934 and 1936 and was World No. 1 four years in a row... A. (GB) |
Ellsworth Vines Ellsworth Vines Henry Ellsworth Vines, Jr. was an American tennis champion of the 1930s, the World No. 1 player or the co-No. 1 for four years in 1932, 1935, 1936 and 1937.-Biography:... P. (USA) |
Bowers; A. Wallis Myers of London's The Daily Telegraph; Collins; McCauley; Perry had a sensational amateur year winning the Aust. Championships, Wimbledon and the U.S. Championships, Gottfried von Cramm Gottfried von Cramm Gottfried Alexander Maximilian Walter Kurt Freiherr von Cramm was a German amateur tennis champion and twice French Open champion.-Birth:... won the French Championships; Vines, aged 22, turned pro; in their initial head-to-head tour, Vines def. Tilden 11 matches to 9; in subsequent tours Tilden beat Plaa 10-0 and Cochet 8-2 and Vines beat Cochet 10-0 and Plaa 8-2; Bowers says that by the end of May, having played somewhat more than 50 matches, Vines led Tilden by 19 wins; Nüsslein beat Koželuh in the U.S. Pro; Vines beat Nüsslein in the first Wembley Pro and in the Paris Indoor (not to be confused with the French Pro); Tilden beat Plaa in the French Pro; Bowers ranks the top eight, both amateur and pro, as being Perry, Vines, Crawford, von Cramm, Nüsslein, Tilden, Austin, and Allison, with Vines, Nüsslein, and Tilden being the only professionals. |
| 1935 | Fred Perry Fred Perry Frederick John Perry was a championship-winning English tennis and table tennis player who won 10 Majors including eight Grand Slams and two Pro Slams. Perry won three consecutive Wimbledon Championships between 1934 and 1936 and was World No. 1 four years in a row... A. (GB) - Ellsworth Vines Ellsworth Vines Henry Ellsworth Vines, Jr. was an American tennis champion of the 1930s, the World No. 1 player or the co-No. 1 for four years in 1932, 1935, 1936 and 1937.-Biography:... P. (USA) |
both ranked equally | Bowers; McCauley; A. Wallis Myers of London's The Daily Telegraph; Crawford won the Aust. Championships, Allison won the U.S. Championships, Perry won Wimbledon and the French Championships; Vines beat Tilden in the Wembley Pro and in the Southport Pro; Vines beat Nüsslein in the French Pro; Tilden beat Koželuh in the U.S. Pro; Vines beat Les Stoefen 25-1 in a head-to-head tour while Tilden was beating George Lott George Lott George Martin Lott was an American tennis player and tennis coach who was born in Springfield, Illinois, United States. Lott is mostly remembered as being one of the greatest doubles players of all time. He won the U.S. title five times with three different partners: John Hennessey in 1928; John... 20-4 with one tie; after Stoefen fell ill, Vines beat Nüsslein in another tour about three-quarters of the time (and also Tilden in their few meetings); Bowers ranks the top eight, both amateur and pro, as being Perry and Vines tied for #1, then Crawford, von Cramm, Tilden, Nüsslein, Allison, and Austin, with Vines, Tilden, and Nüsslein, being the only professionals; in April the French amateur tennis association ranked the top six as being identical to Bowers's except that Vines was ahead of Perry. |
| 1936 | Fred Perry Fred Perry Frederick John Perry was a championship-winning English tennis and table tennis player who won 10 Majors including eight Grand Slams and two Pro Slams. Perry won three consecutive Wimbledon Championships between 1934 and 1936 and was World No. 1 four years in a row... A. (GB) - Ellsworth Vines Ellsworth Vines Henry Ellsworth Vines, Jr. was an American tennis champion of the 1930s, the World No. 1 player or the co-No. 1 for four years in 1932, 1935, 1936 and 1937.-Biography:... P. (USA) |
both ranked equally | Bowers; McCauley; A. Wallis Myers of London's The Daily Telegraph; L'Auto; Donald Budge; Bill Tilden; Adrian Quist Adrian Quist Adrian Karl Quist was an Australian male tennis player.-Biography:Adrian Quist was born in Medindie, South Australia. The tennis legend grew up in Adelaide and once played Harry Hopman, however he lost, only because he gave Hopman a head start... won the Aust. Championships, von Cramm won the French Championships, Perry won Wimbledon and the U.S. Championships; in the American tour Vines easily defeated Les Stoefen (finals standings are unknown but on March 29, Vines led 33-5) and in the Asian tour Vines led Tilden 8-1 at the end of the Japanese part of the tour); Joe Whalen Joe Whalen Joe Whalen was an American tennis player in the 1930s who won a number of championships; he was originally from Millinocket, Maine, but grew up in Miami, Florida.His most significant championship win was the 1936 United States Pro Championship.... beat Charles Wood in a depleted U.S. Pro; Cochet defeated Robert Ramillon in the French Pro without the three top pro players (Vines, Nüsslein, Tilden); Nüsslein won Southport Pro over Cochet; Vines beat Tilden in the Wembley Pro according to McCauley, but Bowers is categorical that the Wembley tournament did not take place that year, cancelled because Vines did not come from California; Bowers also states that a) Vines and Nüsslein never met between the French Pro in 1935 and the Wembley Pro in 1939 and b) Vines didn't enter any tournament from 1936 to 1938 included; Bowers ranks the top eight, both amateur and pro, as being Perry, Vines, von Cramm, Nüsslein, Don Budge Don Budge John Donald Budge was an American tennis champion who was a World No. 1 player for five years, first as an amateur and then as a professional... , Tilden, Quist, and Cochet, with Vines, Nüsslein, Tilden, and Cochet being the only professionals; Bowers also writes that three evaluators, L'Auto, Budge and Tilden ranked Vines ahead Perry for the year. |
| 1937 | Fred Perry Fred Perry Frederick John Perry was a championship-winning English tennis and table tennis player who won 10 Majors including eight Grand Slams and two Pro Slams. Perry won three consecutive Wimbledon Championships between 1934 and 1936 and was World No. 1 four years in a row... P. - Ellsworth Vines Ellsworth Vines Henry Ellsworth Vines, Jr. was an American tennis champion of the 1930s, the World No. 1 player or the co-No. 1 for four years in 1932, 1935, 1936 and 1937.-Biography:... P. - Don Budge Don Budge John Donald Budge was an American tennis champion who was a World No. 1 player for five years, first as an amateur and then as a professional... A. (USA) |
all 3 ranked equally | Bowers; A. Wallis Myers of London's The Daily Telegraph; McCauley; Henner Henkel Henner Henkel Henner Henkel was a German tennis player.He was the second German to win the singles title at the French Championships in 1937. The same year, he and Gottfried von Cramm also won the Roland Garros doubles title.Henkel was killed in action at Battle of Stalingrad.- External links :* *... won the French Championships, Budge won Wimbledon and the U.S. Championships, Vivian McGrath Vivian McGrath Vivian Erzerum Bede "Viv" McGrath was an Australian tennis champion of the 1930s. Along with John Bromwich, he was one of the first great players to use a two-handed backhand. His name was pronounced "McGraw".... won the Aust. Championships; Vines def. Perry in the North American head-to-head tour 32-29 while Perry won a short British Isles tour 6-3; Perry def. Tilden 4-3 in America; Vines and Perry didn't enter any tournament; Koželuh beat Bruce Barnes Bruce Barnes (tennis) Bruce Parkhouse Barnes was a high-ranking American tennis player of the 1930s.Barnes was born in Dallas, Texas. As a professional, he won the 1933 world men's doubles championship with Bill Tilden, and lost the finals of the 1937 United States Professional Championship to Karel Koželuh and the... in a depleted U.S. Pro (also, that year, called the U.S. Open); in the absence of Vines and Perry Nüsslein swept all the big tournaments beating Tilden in the Wembley Pro and in the World 's Pro Indoors at Paris and also winning the French Pro over Cochet; Bowers ranks the top eight, both amateur and pro, as being Perry, Vines, and Budge tied for #1, with von Cramm and Nüsslein being tied for #4, then Henkel, Austin, and Tilden, with Perry, Vines, Nüsslein, and Tilden being the only professionals. |
| 1938 | Don Budge Don Budge John Donald Budge was an American tennis champion who was a World No. 1 player for five years, first as an amateur and then as a professional... A. (USA) |
Ellsworth Vines Ellsworth Vines Henry Ellsworth Vines, Jr. was an American tennis champion of the 1930s, the World No. 1 player or the co-No. 1 for four years in 1932, 1935, 1936 and 1937.-Biography:... P. (USA) |
A. Wallis Myers of London's The Daily Telegraph; McCauley; Bowers; Budge had a sensational amateur year, winning all 4 of the Grand Slam Grand Slam (tennis) The four Major tennis tournaments, also called the Slams, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world tour ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, strength and size of player field, and public attention. They are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and... s; in the pros, Vines def. Perry 49-35 (or 48-35); the next year, as a pro, Budge narrowly defeated Vines, indicating that even as an amateur he might have been the World No. 1 for 1938; Vines still didn't enter any tournament as probably in 1936 and surely in 1937; Perry played his first (and single in 1938) pro tournament at the U.S. Pro beating Barnes; Nüsslein beat Tilden in the Wembley Pro; Bowers, however, in Chapter IX of his history, says there was no tournament at Wembley; Nüsslein beat Tilden in the French Pro and at Southport Pro; Bowers ranks the top eight, both amateur and pro, as being Budge, Vines, Perry and Nüsslein tied for #3, Austin, John Bromwich John Bromwich John Edward Bromwich was a male tennis player from Australia who, along with his countryman Vivian McGrath, was one of the first great players to use a two-handed forehand.... , Bobby Riggs Bobby Riggs Robert Larimore "Bobby" Riggs was a 1930s–40s tennis player who was the World No. 1 or the co-World No. 1 player for three years, first as an amateur in 1941, then as a professional in 1946 and 1947... , and Tilden, with Vines, Perry, Nüsslein, and Tilden being the only professionals. |
| 1939 | Don Budge Don Budge John Donald Budge was an American tennis champion who was a World No. 1 player for five years, first as an amateur and then as a professional... P. (USA) |
Ellsworth Vines Ellsworth Vines Henry Ellsworth Vines, Jr. was an American tennis champion of the 1930s, the World No. 1 player or the co-No. 1 for four years in 1932, 1935, 1936 and 1937.-Biography:... P. (USA) |
John Olliff of London's The Daily Telegraph; McCauley; Bowers; Don McNeill Don McNeill (tennis) William Donald McNeill was an American male tennis player. He was born in Chickasha, Oklahoma and died in Vero Beach, Florida, United States.... won the French Championships, Riggs won Wimbledon and the U.S. Championships, John Bromwich John Bromwich John Edward Bromwich was a male tennis player from Australia who, along with his countryman Vivian McGrath, was one of the first great players to use a two-handed forehand.... won the Aust. Championships; Budge def. Vines 22-17 in the North American tour and also def. Perry 28-8; Vines beat Perry in the U.S. Pro; Budge beat Vines in the French Pro and beat Nüsslein, Vines, and Tilden in the Wembley Pro; Nüsslein def. Tilden at Southport; Budge, Vines, Tilden, and Stoefen competed in a spring-summer European tour that was mainly a succession of 4-man tournaments; Budge was the winner, in particular beating Vines 15-5; Bowers ranks the top eight, both amateur and pro, as being Budge, Vines, Nüsslein, Perry, Riggs, Bromwich, Quist, and Tilden, with Budge, Vines, Nüsslein, Perry, and Tilden being professionals, the first time that 5 of the top 8 were pros. |
| 1940 | Don Budge Don Budge John Donald Budge was an American tennis champion who was a World No. 1 player for five years, first as an amateur and then as a professional... P. (USA) |
Fred Perry Fred Perry Frederick John Perry was a championship-winning English tennis and table tennis player who won 10 Majors including eight Grand Slams and two Pro Slams. Perry won three consecutive Wimbledon Championships between 1934 and 1936 and was World No. 1 four years in a row... P. (GBR) |
Collins; McCauley; Bowers; The Official Encyclopedia of Tennis; Quist won the Aust. Championships; McNeill won the U.S. Championships; the French Championships and Wimbledon were not played because of World War II; Budge beat Perry in the U.S. Pro; there were no more world rankings by the Telegraph but Bowers ranks the top 4 as being Budge and Perry, followed by the American amateurs McNeill and Riggs, then goes on to say that in spite of uncertainty because of the war the next four are probably the 4 top American amateurs as shown in the Official Encyclopedia, Frank Kovacs Frank Kovacs Frank Kovacs was an American tennis player in the mid-century; he was known as the "Clown Prince of Tennis" for his on-court antics but was a good enough player to be each year from 1940 to 1951 one of the best five in the world. He stood 6 ft 4 inches tall and had a backhand as good as... , Joe Hunt, Frank Parker Frank Parker ----Frank "Frankie" Andrew Parker was an American male tennis player. He was coached by Mercer Beasley.... , and Jack Kramer; however, he also says that the Australians Bromwich and Quist could plausibly be included in the top 8. |
| 1941 | Perry Perry Perry is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented pears. Perry has been common for centuries in Britain, particularly in the Three Counties of Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire, and in parts of south Wales; and France, especially Normandy and Anjou.In more recent years, commercial... P. (USA) — Bobby Riggs Bobby Riggs Robert Larimore "Bobby" Riggs was a 1930s–40s tennis player who was the World No. 1 or the co-World No. 1 player for three years, first as an amateur in 1941, then as a professional in 1946 and 1947... A. (USA) |
both ranked equally | Collins; McCauley; Bowers; The Official Encyclopedia of Tennis; Riggs won the U.S. Championships; the Aust. Championships, the French Championships, and Wimbledon were not played because of World War II; Both Collins and McCauley say that Budge def. Tilden 51-7 in their head-to-head tour, but Bowers says that by his count the outcome was most probably 46-7 plus one tie, with 49 matches being fully documented for a result of 43-5 plus 1 tie; Perry completely dominated Tilden in a summer tour; Perry won 5 pro tournaments out of 5 including the U.S. Pro over Dick Skeen Dick Skeen Dick Skeen was a U.S. professional tennis player. He was runner up to Fred Perry in the Men's Singles in the 1941 Professional Tennis Championships, and was ranked No. 2, behind Perry.... ; Skeen was runner-up to Perry in 4 tournaments; Budge entered 3 tournaments and lost all of them; there were no more world amateur rankings because of the war but Bowers ranks the top 6 as being amateur Riggs and pro Perry in a tie for first place with amateur Kovacs third, while amateur Parker and professional Skeen are tied for fourth; Budge is sixth. |
| 1942 | Don Budge Don Budge John Donald Budge was an American tennis champion who was a World No. 1 player for five years, first as an amateur and then as a professional... P. (USA) |
Bobby Riggs Bobby Riggs Robert Larimore "Bobby" Riggs was a 1930s–40s tennis player who was the World No. 1 or the co-World No. 1 player for three years, first as an amateur in 1941, then as a professional in 1946 and 1947... P. (USA) - Wayne Sabin P. (USA) |
Ray Bowers; Collins; McCauley; The Official Encyclopedia of Tennis; Ted Schroeder Ted Schroeder Frederick Rudolph "Ted" Schroeder was an American tennis player who won the two most prestigious amateur tennis titles, Wimbledon and the U.S. National. He was the No. 1-ranked American player in 1942 and the No. 2 for 4 consecutive years, 1946 through 1949... won the U.S. Championships; the Aust. Championships, the French Championships, and Wimbledon were not played because of World War II; Riggs and Kovacs turned pro; in round robin matches Budge was the winner, 52-18; Riggs was 36-36, Kovacs 25-26, Perry 23-30, Stoefen 2-28; Budge beat Riggs in U.S. Pro; because of the war the only significant amateur rankings were American: Schroeder was #1, followed by Parker, Gardnar Mulloy Gardnar Mulloy Gardnar Putnam Mulloy is a tennis player primarily known for playing in doubles matches with partner Billy Talbert. When he was the Tennis Coach of the University of Miami, he recruited Pancho Segura for the tennis team. Pancho won three straight NCAA Singles Titles in 1943, 1944, and 1945,... , Pancho Segura Pancho Segura Pancho Segura, born Francisco Olegario Segura , was a leading tennis player of the 1940s and 1950s, both as an amateur and as a professional. In 1950 and 1952, as a professional, he was the World Co-No. 1 player... , Bill Talbert Bill Talbert William Franklin "Billy" Talbert was an American tennis player and administrator.He was ranked in the U.S. Top 10 13 times between 1941 & 1954. He won nine Grand Slam doubles titles, and also reached the men’s doubles finals of the U.S. National Championship nine times. mainly with favorite... , Sidney Wood Sidney Wood Sidney Wood was an American tennis player.Wood was born in Black Rock, Connecticut. He won the Arizona State Men’s Tournament on his 14th birthday, which qualified him for the French Championship and led to him earning a spot at Wimbledon He attended The Hill School in Pottstown, Pennsylvania,... , Seymour Greenberg Seymour Greenberg Seymour Greenberg was an amateur American clay-court specialist tennis player in the 1940s and 1950s.... , George Richards George E. Richards (tennis) George E. Richards was an American tennis player in the 1940s. He was born in Montebello, California.He was ranked as high as No. 8 in the United States during his career, achieving that ranking in 1942.... , Vic Seixas Vic Seixas Elias Victor Seixas, Jr. is an American former tennis player.Seixas was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, of Portuguese Sephardi Jewish ancestry. After serving in World War II, he attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , where he was a member of Alpha Sigma of the Chi Psi... , and Ladislav Hecht Ladislav Hecht Ladislav Hecht was a Jewish professional tennis player, well known for representing Czechoslovakia in the Davis Cup during the 1930s.... ; Ray Bowers ranks the top 8 as: Budge, Riggs and Sabin tied for number 2, Kovacs fourth, Perry fifth, the top five pros ahead amateurs Schroeder #6 and Parker #7, professional Skeen being #8 (the USPLTA ranked the best pros as Budge, Riggs, Sabin, and Kovacs in that order). |
| 1943–1944-1945 World War II so very limited tennis activity | Bobby Riggs Bobby Riggs Robert Larimore "Bobby" Riggs was a 1930s–40s tennis player who was the World No. 1 or the co-World No. 1 player for three years, first as an amateur in 1941, then as a professional in 1946 and 1947... P. (USA) |
Don Budge Don Budge John Donald Budge was an American tennis champion who was a World No. 1 player for five years, first as an amateur and then as a professional... P. (USA) |
Ray Bowers; Joe McCauley; The Official Encyclopedia of Tennis; 1943 : Joe Hunt won the U.S. amateur Championships (Forest Hills); the Australian amateur Chps., the French amateur Chps., and Wimbledon were not played because of World War II; the USLTA ranked the top 10 American amateurs as being Hunt, Kramer, Segura, Talbert, Greenberg, Wood, Bob Falkenburg Bob Falkenburg Robert Falkenburg is a former American amateur tennis player and entrepreneur. He is best known for winning the 1948 men's singles Wimbledon Championship and for introducing soft ice cream and American fast food to Brazil in 1952... , Parker, James Brink James Brink James Brink is a former American tennis player.While at the University of Washington, Brink advanced to the NCAA semifinals in singles in 1948, and then teamed with Fred Fisher to win the NCAA doubles championship in 1949.... , and Jack Tuero; in the pro ranks Budge, Kovacs, Skeen and Perry probably didn't play any match because they were under the Army service, after having won an exhibition against Wayne Sabin, Riggs joined in his turn the U.S Navy; the only pro tournament, without all these players, was the U.S. Pro where Bruce Barnes overcame John Nogrady; 1944 : McCauley; The Official Encyclopedia of Tennis; Parker won the U.S. amateur Championships (Forest Hills); the Australian amateur Chps., the French amateur Chps., and Wimbledon were not played because of World War II; the USLTA ranked the top 10 American amateur as being Parker, Talbert, Segura, Don McNeill, Greenberg, Falkenburg, Jack Jossi, Charles W. Oliver, Jack McManis, J. Gilbert Hall; there was almost no pro tournament but many matches for War efforts or the Red Cross benefits opposing US professionals and US amateurs only if the pros were in the Army and if the amateurs were authorized by the USLTA to play (in a 1945 meeting with Tilden, Richards, Pauline Betz all pros and amateur Segura, the latter played against major Vincent Richards but couldn't play with or against civilian Tilden) : for instance Budge (pro) met Kramer (amateur) twice in 1944 and each one won a match; 1945 Parker won the U.S. amateur Championships (Forest Hills); the Australian amateur Chps., the French amateur Chps., and Wimbledon were not played because of World War II; the USLTA ranked the top 10 American amateur as being Parker, Talbert, Segura, Elwood Cooke Elwood Cooke Elwood Thomas Cooke was an outstanding amateur tennis player in the 1930s and 1940s.... , Wood, Mulloy, Shields, Harold Surface, Greenberg, and McManis; in the pro circuit the business return was slow : Riggs defeated Budge in the biggest pro tournament of the year, The US Pro harcourt Championships held at the Los Angeles Tennis Club; on December 27–30 Riggs won a second tournament, the Santa Barbara Invitational Pro Tournament, California, defeating Perry; Kovacs def. Welby Van Horn Welby Van Horn Welby Van Horn is a retired American professional tennis player who later went on to have a career as a major tennis coach.As a 19-year-old player, Van Horn reached the finals of the 1939 U.S. Nationals only to lose to Bobby Riggs in just 56 minutes... in San Francisco; Welby Van Horn def. Nogrady in a depleted U.S. Pro without Riggs nor Budge; in the summer before the soldiers came back to civilian life a 5-meeting series under the Davis Cup format was held between the US Army Air Corps, with Budge (pro) and Parker (amateur), and the US Navy, with Riggs (pro) and Sabin (pro), Riggs overcame Budge 3-2 and amateur Parker 3-2, thus indicating that Riggs was probably the best player in the world in 1945; as Ray Bowers wrote "The limited tennis activity over the last three years of the war dictates a single ranking list covering the entire period" he ranked the best eight players in the world for the entire 1943-1945 period : 1. Riggs, 2. Budge, 3. Parker, 4. Kramer, 5. Kovacs, 6. Van Horn, 7. Quist, 8. Yvon Pétra Yvon Petra Yvon Petra was a French male tennis player. He was born in Cholon, Vietnam. He is best remembered as the last Frenchman to win the Wimbledon championships men's singles title in 1946, beating Geoff Brown in five sets in the final... . |
| 1946 | Bobby Riggs Bobby Riggs Robert Larimore "Bobby" Riggs was a 1930s–40s tennis player who was the World No. 1 or the co-World No. 1 player for three years, first as an amateur in 1941, then as a professional in 1946 and 1947... P. (USA) |
Don Budge Don Budge John Donald Budge was an American tennis champion who was a World No. 1 player for five years, first as an amateur and then as a professional... P. (USA) |
Bud Collins; Joe McCauley; Bobby Riggs; Collins says Riggs def. Budge 18-16 on the head-to-head tour, while McCauley says Riggs def. Budge 23-21; Riggs himself says twice in his autobiography that he def. Budge 24-22; Tilden organized a series of 31 tournaments: Riggs won 14 of them, Kovacs 7, Perry 4, Budge 3, Van Horn 2, and Skeen 1; Riggs beat Budge in U.S. Pro; the top 10 "Official PPA" rankings for the year were Riggs, Budge, Kovacs, Perry, Van Horn, Wayne Sabin, Carl Earn, Jossi, John Faunce, and Jack March Jack March ----Jack March is a former American tennis player and promoter best known for promoting the pompously entitled World Pro Championships from 1950 through 1964.... ; in the amateur circuit Kramer was undefeated in Davis Cup and won the U.S. Championships, in his book "The Game" page 50 he wrote "...I don't think I was mature enough to beat him (Budge) in '46." Kramer then thinks that Riggs and Budge were probably better than him in 1946. |
| 1947 | Bobby Riggs Bobby Riggs Robert Larimore "Bobby" Riggs was a 1930s–40s tennis player who was the World No. 1 or the co-World No. 1 player for three years, first as an amateur in 1941, then as a professional in 1946 and 1947... P. (USA) - Jack Kramer Jack Kramer (tennis player) John Albert Kramer was an American tennis player of the 1940s. A World Number 1 player for a number of years, he is a possible candidate for the title of the greatest tennis player of all time. He was considered the father and the leading promoter of the professional tennis tours... A. (USA) |
both ranked equally | Joe McCauley; Bud Collins; Tilden was imprisoned for sexual offenses and his series of tournaments fell apart; Collins says that Riggs def. Budge 24-22 on a head-to-head tour, but McCauley disputes that, saying that the only tour was a short USA Challenge Series between Riggs and Kovac that Riggs won 11 matches to 10, while Earn defeated March "easily" in preliminary matches; Kramer had a sensational amateur year, winning 8 of 9 tournaments and 48 of 49 matches (among them his two singles in the Challenge Round of the Davis Cup); Riggs beat Budge both in U.S. Pro and in U.S. Pro Indoor. |
| 1948 | Jack Kramer Jack Kramer (tennis player) John Albert Kramer was an American tennis player of the 1940s. A World Number 1 player for a number of years, he is a possible candidate for the title of the greatest tennis player of all time. He was considered the father and the leading promoter of the professional tennis tours... P. (USA) |
Bobby Riggs Bobby Riggs Robert Larimore "Bobby" Riggs was a 1930s–40s tennis player who was the World No. 1 or the co-World No. 1 player for three years, first as an amateur in 1941, then as a professional in 1946 and 1947... P. (USA) |
Collins; McCauley; Kramer def. Riggs 69-20 on the head-to-head tour after being led 8-6 and then having equalized at 14-14; in the preliminary matches Dinny Pails Dinny Pails Dennis "Dinny" Pails was a former Australian tennis champion.Pails won the men's singles championship at the Australian Championships tennis tournament in 1947. Pails, an Australian who was born in Great Britain, defeated John Bromwich in the final in five sets: 4–6, 6–4, 3–6, 7–5, 8–6... beat Pancho Segura Pancho Segura Pancho Segura, born Francisco Olegario Segura , was a leading tennis player of the 1940s and 1950s, both as an amateur and as a professional. In 1950 and 1952, as a professional, he was the World Co-No. 1 player... 41-31 according to Kramer; Kramer beat Riggs in U.S. Pro the most important pro tournament by far this year; then the 4 touring men played a short tour in South America in July on slow courts enabling Riggs to won his fair share of matches against Kramer (according to Pails in his book "Set Points"); Kramer ended the year by winning the Australian Pro tour in September–November, with the incomplete standings being as follows : Kramer 19-4 (1 match unfinished), Segura 14-9 (1 unfinished), Riggs 7-17, Pails 6-16 (2 unfinished). |
| 1949 | Jack Kramer Jack Kramer (tennis player) John Albert Kramer was an American tennis player of the 1940s. A World Number 1 player for a number of years, he is a possible candidate for the title of the greatest tennis player of all time. He was considered the father and the leading promoter of the professional tennis tours... P. (USA) |
Pancho Gonzales Pancho Gonzales Ricardo Alonso González , generally known as Richard "Pancho" Gonzales was an American tennis player. He was the world no. 1 professional tennis player for an unequalled eight years in the 1950s and early 1960s... P. (USA) |
Joe McCauley; Bud Collins; in the pro circuit Kramer was clearly the best winning Wembley Pro over Riggs and Scarborough Pro over Budge; Riggs def. Budge in U.S. Pro without Kramer and Segura; in the amateur circuit Ted Schroeder and Gonzales won together Davis Cup and shared the two greatest tournaments Wimbledon for the former and the U.S. Championships for the latter; then Gonzales played his first pro match against Kramer on October 25 on the head-to-head tour (ended on May 21, 1950) : at the end of November Kramer still led 22-4 proving he was undoubtedly the best player in the world. |
| 1950 | Jack Kramer Jack Kramer (tennis player) John Albert Kramer was an American tennis player of the 1940s. A World Number 1 player for a number of years, he is a possible candidate for the title of the greatest tennis player of all time. He was considered the father and the leading promoter of the professional tennis tours... P. (USA) - Pancho Segura Pancho Segura Pancho Segura, born Francisco Olegario Segura , was a leading tennis player of the 1940s and 1950s, both as an amateur and as a professional. In 1950 and 1952, as a professional, he was the World Co-No. 1 player... P. (Ecuador-USA) |
both ranked equally | Joe McCauley; PLTA; Kramer finished beating Gonzales on the head-to-head tour ended on May 21 (begun on October 25, 1949) 96-27 (97-26 according to Kramer himself); Segura beat Frank Parker Frank Parker ----Frank "Frankie" Andrew Parker was an American male tennis player. He was coached by Mercer Beasley.... "comfortably" in the head-to-head preliminary matches; Kramer dominated Segura in the next tour begun on October 28 (finished in March 1951) : mid-November Kramer led 10-4; in tournaments Segura beat Kramer in Paris and once again in the semifinals of the U.S. Pro before overcoming Kovacs in the final; Gonzales beat Kramer at Philadelphia Pro and Van Horn in a depleted Wembley Pro without Kramer and Segura; the PLTA released "Official" pro rankings for the year but McCauley writes: "It is difficult to understand how the following rankings were arrived at:" Segura, Kramer, Kovacs, Riggs, Van Horn, Parker, Carl Earn, Jimmy Evert Jimmy Evert James "Jimmy" Evert is a tennis coach and former tennis player from the United States. He is the father of Chris Evert, who was one of the world's top women tennis players in the 1970s and 1980s.... , Nogrady, Joe Fishbach, Jack Rodgers, Joe Whalen Joe Whalen Joe Whalen was an American tennis player in the 1930s who won a number of championships; he was originally from Millinocket, Maine, but grew up in Miami, Florida.His most significant championship win was the 1936 United States Pro Championship.... , Al Doyle, Robert "Junior" Stubbs, Jimmy Adler, March, Faunce, Vivian McGrath Vivian McGrath Vivian Erzerum Bede "Viv" McGrath was an Australian tennis champion of the 1930s. Along with John Bromwich, he was one of the first great players to use a two-handed backhand. His name was pronounced "McGraw".... , Pierre Pellizza, Bill Kenney. How indeed Gonzales can be omitted from this PLTA ranking ? McCauley thought Kramer was the number one because of Kramer's domination in tour whereas PLTA probably thought Segura was the best because he had dominated the tournaments circuit and among them the U.S. Pro. |
| 1951 | Jack Kramer P. (USA) | Pancho Segura Pancho Segura Pancho Segura, born Francisco Olegario Segura , was a leading tennis player of the 1940s and 1950s, both as an amateur and as a professional. In 1950 and 1952, as a professional, he was the World Co-No. 1 player... P. (Ecuador-USA) |
Joe McCauley; PLTA; Kramer finally def. Segura 64-28 (58-27 according to Kramer in his book, page 187) on the head-to-head tour finished in March (begun on October 28, 1950); Kramer beat Segura and Gonzales in Philadelphia Pro; Segura beat Gonzales in U.S. Pro; Gonzales beat Segura in Wembley Pro; the PLTA "Official" rankings for the year were Segura, Gonzales, Kovacs, Riggs, Van Horn, Earn, Parker, Jimmy Evert, Bob Rogers Robert Rogers Robert Rogers may refer to:*Robert Rogers , 18th century American colonial officer, explorer and playwright*Robert Rogers , Canadian politician... , Jack Rodgers, Fishbach, Nogrady, Adler, Elwood Cooke Elwood Cooke Elwood Thomas Cooke was an outstanding amateur tennis player in the 1930s and 1940s.... , McGrath, Doyle, Harris Everett, Len Hartman, Norman Copeland, Mitchell Gornto; "Kramer and Budge were not ranked due to insufficient data". |
| 1952 | Pancho Gonzales Pancho Gonzales Ricardo Alonso González , generally known as Richard "Pancho" Gonzales was an American tennis player. He was the world no. 1 professional tennis player for an unequalled eight years in the 1950s and early 1960s... A. (USA) - Pancho Segura Pancho Segura Pancho Segura, born Francisco Olegario Segura , was a leading tennis player of the 1940s and 1950s, both as an amateur and as a professional. In 1950 and 1952, as a professional, he was the World Co-No. 1 player... P. (USA) |
both equally ranked | Joe McCauley; Budge in McCauley's book page 57 : "the PLTA ranked Segura #1; Kramer was semi-retired; Budge and Gonzales played only sporadically". In his book McCauley has traced only 9 tournaments and a small US tour, among these 9 tournaments 2 seemed to be domestic Nationals (British Pro and German Pro) so there left 7 tournaments for the leading pros. Segura entered the 7 and Gonzales played 5 of them and won 4 and reached 1 final. Moreover Gonzales defeated Segura 5 times out of 7 (including some tour matches in Paris in June). In the 1953 July edition of "Sport" magazine Budge declared :"In the past two years Pancho (Gonzales) has won the majority of all the big pro tournaments. He has to be considered the best, at least until somebody proves otherwise." In particular Gonzales def. Segura (and Kramer) in Philadelphia Pro and Gonzales def. Kramer in Wembley Pro; Segura overcame Gonzales in U.S. Pro and in a tour match in Paris; in the amateur circuit Frank Sedgman won the Davis Cup with Ken McGregor and the Australian also reached the four finals of the Grand Slam tournaments, winning the last (chronologically) two, Wimbledon and the U.S. Championships. It is very hard to compare Gonzales, Segura, Kramer with Sedgman the best amateur : next year the Australian, turned pro, was dominated by Kramer and Segura but he defeated Gonzales 3 times (later Gonzales regularly beat Sedgman). Then it is possible that Gonzales and Segura were very slightly superior to Sedgman in 1952 but without any certainty. |
| 1953 | Jack Kramer Jack Kramer (tennis player) John Albert Kramer was an American tennis player of the 1940s. A World Number 1 player for a number of years, he is a possible candidate for the title of the greatest tennis player of all time. He was considered the father and the leading promoter of the professional tennis tours... P. (USA) |
Frank Sedgman Frank Sedgman Frank Arthur Sedgman, born 29 October 1927, in Mont Albert, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, was a tennis player who was arguably the world No.1 in 1952. In his 1979 autobiography Jack Kramer, the long-time tennis promoter and great player himself, included Sedgman in his list of the 21... P. (Aus.) |
Bud Collins; Joe McCauley; in the course of 1953 Lance Tingay wrote that it was very difficult to establish a hierarchy because Gonzales hadn't still met one of the top pros : in fact a) Kramer retired on July 9 and never met Gonzales that year and b) Gonzales met Segura and Sedgman for the first time of the year only in November. Kramer def. Sedgman 54-41 on the head-to-head tour while Segura def. McGregor 71-25 in the head-to-head preliminary matches; during tour breaks these four men played three 4-man tournaments with Kramer winning two of them; Kramer's whole 1953 record was 56-41 to Sedgman and 1-1 to Segura; the Ecuadorian won 5 tournaments (more than any other pro); Sedgman beat Gonzales in Wembley Pro, in Paris (probably not a French Pro as stated elsewhere) and in Lyon but the Australian trailed Segura 3-7 in head-to-head meetings; Gonzales not chosen for the world tour played until November in tournaments without the three other greats and then won a depleted U.S. Pro over Budge. Knowing that Sedgman won the greatest pro tournament, Wembley, and that he was beaten by Kramer in tour a possible, but not sure at all, 1953 pro ranking is 1) Kramer, 2) Sedgman; Tony Trabert Tony Trabert Marion Anthony Trabert is a retired American tennis champion and long-time tennis author, TV commentator, instructor, and motivational speaker... , the best amateur of the time, was probably less good than the four best pros. |
| 1954 | Pancho Gonzales Pancho Gonzales Ricardo Alonso González , generally known as Richard "Pancho" Gonzales was an American tennis player. He was the world no. 1 professional tennis player for an unequalled eight years in the 1950s and early 1960s... P. (USA) |
Frank Sedgman Frank Sedgman Frank Arthur Sedgman, born 29 October 1927, in Mont Albert, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, was a tennis player who was arguably the world No.1 in 1952. In his 1979 autobiography Jack Kramer, the long-time tennis promoter and great player himself, included Sedgman in his list of the 21... P. (Aus.) — Pancho Segura Pancho Segura Pancho Segura, born Francisco Olegario Segura , was a leading tennis player of the 1940s and 1950s, both as an amateur and as a professional. In 1950 and 1952, as a professional, he was the World Co-No. 1 player... P. (USA) |
Joe McCauley; Jack Kramer; in 1953-1954 the sources are still conflicting : it would seem that there was only one Australian tour during these two years and that it happened in November–December 1954 and that Gonzales won it (16-9 to Sedgman; 4-2 to Segura; 15-0 to McGregor); the American also won, the North American tour (January 3 - May 30), a succession of 70 tournaments, all being 4-man events but one, a 3-man event. On June 2 a report stated that Gonzales won 29 tournaments and had a 85-40 win-loss while Sedgman won 21 tournaments and Segura won 20 tournaments. In head-to-head meetings the results aren't 100% sure : Gonzales win-loss record against Segura was about 30-21 (or 30-20) and was possibly exactly equal against Sedgman, 30-21 (or 30-20) too; and Segura would have led Sedgman by the slightest margin, 23-22. Budge won only one match in that tour (against Gonzales in the first round of the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles on February 19). Earn apparently won none and Riggs won one against Gonzales on May 20 in Victoria (Canada, British Columbia); in autumn Segura, Gonzales, Sedgman and Kramer, coming back in singles, after his 20-month retirement, toured in the Far East with Segura's record as being Segura-Gonzales 1-1, Segura-Sedgman 2-1 and Segura-Kramer 4-0; in tournaments Gonzales def. Sedgman in U.S. Pro and Sedgman def. Segura in the first Australian Pro of tennis history; the amateur circuit was dominated by the duet Tony Trabert/Jaroslav Drobný Jaroslav Drobný Jaroslav Drobný was an amateur tennis champion as well as being an ice hockey player for the Czechoslovakian national team... , the American won with Seixas the Davis Cup and captured the French Championships while Drobny won at last Wimbledon; nevertheless these two players seemed a little rank below the trio Gonzales-Sedgman-Segura. |
| 1955 | Pancho Gonzales Pancho Gonzales Ricardo Alonso González , generally known as Richard "Pancho" Gonzales was an American tennis player. He was the world no. 1 professional tennis player for an unequalled eight years in the 1950s and early 1960s... P. (USA) |
Pancho Segura Pancho Segura Pancho Segura, born Francisco Olegario Segura , was a leading tennis player of the 1940s and 1950s, both as an amateur and as a professional. In 1950 and 1952, as a professional, he was the World Co-No. 1 player... P. (Ecuador-USA) |
Bud Collins; Joe McCauley; even though the USA lost the Davis Cup, Tony Trabert had a sensational amateur year, winning 3 of the 4 Grand Slam Grand Slam (tennis) The four Major tennis tournaments, also called the Slams, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world tour ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, strength and size of player field, and public attention. They are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and... s, but was never a consistent winner upon turning professional; Gonzales-Trabert head-to-head tour began in Dec and Gonzales overcame Trabert since the first match; Gonzales dominated the pros beating Segura in U.S. Pro; Sedgman has played very little in 1955 and in particular underwent a surgery of appendicitis; Lawn Tennis and Badminton ranked the top 12 professionals as Gonzales, Segura, Kovacs, Sedgman, Riggs, Earn, Budge, Parker, Pails, Perry, Doyle, and Sam Match Sam Match Samuel "Sam" Match was an American tennis player. He was born in Los Angeles, California.Match was one of the top singles and doubles players in America in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Match was ranked in the top 10 amateur rankings in the United States in both singles and doubles from 1948-50... . |
| 1956 | Pancho Gonzales Pancho Gonzales Ricardo Alonso González , generally known as Richard "Pancho" Gonzales was an American tennis player. He was the world no. 1 professional tennis player for an unequalled eight years in the 1950s and early 1960s... P. (USA) |
Frank Sedgman Frank Sedgman Frank Arthur Sedgman, born 29 October 1927, in Mont Albert, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, was a tennis player who was arguably the world No.1 in 1952. In his 1979 autobiography Jack Kramer, the long-time tennis promoter and great player himself, included Sedgman in his list of the 21... P. (Aus.) |
Joe McCauley, page 72; Gonzales def. Trabert 74-24 on the American head-to-head tour, Segura def. Rex Hartwig Rex Hartwig Rex Noel Hartwig was an Australian tennis player.-Wimbledon:He won the doubles in Wimbledon twice: In 1954 with Mervyn Rose and in 1955 with Lew Hoad.-Australian Championships:... 56-22 (5 even) in the head-to-head preliminary matches; Gonzales beat Segura in U.S. Pro; Gonzales beat Sedgman both in the Pro Tournament of Champions, in Los Angeles, and in Wembley Pro; Trabert beat Gonzales in French Pro; as Trabert in 1955, Hoad made a "Little amateur Slam" but he was probably under the best pros as his pro debut, next year, proved it; Jack March, promoter of the Cleveland tournament ranked the pros as follows : 1 Gonzales, 2 Sedgman, 3 Segura, 4 Trabert, 5 Hartwig, 6 Kovacs, 7 Earn, 8 Riggs, 9 Budge, 10 Pails. |
| 1957 | Pancho Gonzales Pancho Gonzales Ricardo Alonso González , generally known as Richard "Pancho" Gonzales was an American tennis player. He was the world no. 1 professional tennis player for an unequalled eight years in the 1950s and early 1960s... P. (USA) |
Ken Rosewall Ken Rosewall Kenneth Robert Rosewall AM MBE is a former world top-ranking amateur and professional tennis player from Australia. He won 23 Majors including eight Grand Slam singles titles and before the Open Era a record fifteen Pro Slam titles . Rosewall won 9 slams in doubles with a career double grand slam... P. (Aus.) |
Joe McCauley; Gonzales def. Rosewall 50-26 in the World head-to-head tour, Segura def. Dinny Pails 51-8 in the head-to-head preliminary matches; Rosewall probably (to confirm) won a small European tour over Hoad, Segura and Kramer; Rosewall won an Australian tour over Hoad, Sedgman and Segura; Segura beat Sedgman in Australian Pro; Gonzales beat Segura in U.S. Pro; Gonzales also won the Pro Tournament of Champions at Forest Hills and the Masters Round Robin Pro in Los Angeles; Rosewall beat Segura in Wembley Pro; in the amateur circuit Hoad won Wimbledon easily, losing just one set and then he turned pro right after, regularly beaten by the best pros in the first three months. |
| 1958 | Pancho Gonzales Pancho Gonzales Ricardo Alonso González , generally known as Richard "Pancho" Gonzales was an American tennis player. He was the world no. 1 professional tennis player for an unequalled eight years in the 1950s and early 1960s... P. (USA) |
Lew Hoad Lew Hoad Lewis Alan Hoad was a champion tennis player.... P. (Aus.) |
Joe McCauley; Jack March; Robert Geist; Gonzales def. Hoad 51-36 in the world tour and in the preliminary matches Trabert def. Segura 34-31; Gonzales beat Rosewall in the Pro Tournament of Champions at Forest Hills; Gonzales beat Hoad in U.S. Pro; Sedgman beat Trabert both in Wembley Pro and in the Australian Pro; Rosewall beat Hoad in French Pro; Jack March's pro ranking : 1 Gonzales, 2 Hoad, 3 Segura 4 Trabert 5 Rosewall 6 Sedgman 7 Parker 8 Kovacs 9 Riggs 10 Pails; Geist's (pro-amateur combined) ranking : 1 Gonzales, 2 Hoad, Rosewall. |
| 1959 | Pancho Gonzales Pancho Gonzales Ricardo Alonso González , generally known as Richard "Pancho" Gonzales was an American tennis player. He was the world no. 1 professional tennis player for an unequalled eight years in the 1950s and early 1960s... P. (USA) |
Lew Hoad Lew Hoad Lewis Alan Hoad was a champion tennis player.... P. (Aus.) |
Joe McCauley; Jack Kramer; L'Équipe; Mal Anderson; Frank Sedgman; Ashley Cooper; McCauley page 97; American round robin results: : Gonzales 47-15, Hoad 42-20, Ashley Cooper 21-40, Mal Anderson 13-48; Hoad, however, def. Gonzales 15-13 during the round robin; Hoad beat Gonzales in the Pro Tournament of Champions at Forest Hills; Gonzales beat Hoad in U.S. Pro; Mal Anderson beat Segura in Wembley Pro; Trabert beat Sedgman in French Pro; Frank Sedgman proposed the following ranking : 1 Gonzales, 2 Hoad, 3 Rosewall; Ashley Cooper confirmed Sedgman's opinion but suggested that Sedgman should be the #4; Mal Anderson writing in World Tennis, stated that Kramer established a tournament points system to decide the best players in the world : 14 tournaments chosen with all the same points which was unfair to the major tournaments more important than others (7 points for the winner, 4 for the runner-up, 3 for 3rd place, 2 for 4th and 1 for each quarterfinalist), the final positions were : 1 Hoad, 2 Gonzales (only 11 tournaments played), 3 Rosewall, 4 Sedgman, 5 Trabert, 6 Anderson, 7 Segura, 8 Cooper; Kramer's own pro ranking (different from the points ranking) : 1 Gonzales, 2 Sedgman, 3 Rosewall, 4 Hoad, 5 Trabert, 6 Segura, 7 Cooper, 8 Anderson, 9 Rose, 10 McGregor, 11 Hartwig; L'Équipe L'Équipe L'Équipe is a French nationwide daily newspaper devoted to sports, owned by Éditions Philippe Amaury. The paper is noted for coverage of football , rugby, motorsports and cycling... (Robert Roy) pro-amateur combined ranking : 1 Gonzales, 2 Sedgman, 3 Rosewall, 4 Trabert, 5 Hoad, 6 Segura, 7 Kramer, 8 McGregor, 9 Hartwig, 10 Cooper, 11 Rose (for the first time L'Équipe ranked pros and amateurs together); Robert Barne (Kramer's Australian manager) 's pro ranking : 1 Hoad, 2 Gonzales, 3 Rosewall, 4 Sedgman, 5 Trabert, 6 Segura, 7 Cooper, 8 Anderson, 9 Rose. |
| 1960 | Pancho Gonzales Pancho Gonzales Ricardo Alonso González , generally known as Richard "Pancho" Gonzales was an American tennis player. He was the world no. 1 professional tennis player for an unequalled eight years in the 1950s and early 1960s... P. (USA) - Ken Rosewall Ken Rosewall Kenneth Robert Rosewall AM MBE is a former world top-ranking amateur and professional tennis player from Australia. He won 23 Majors including eight Grand Slam singles titles and before the Open Era a record fifteen Pro Slam titles . Rosewall won 9 slams in doubles with a career double grand slam... P. (Aus.) |
both ranked equally | Joe McCauley; L'Équipe; Robert Geist; McCauley p57 World Series Round Robin matches for the world championship among 4 players: Gonzales 49-8, Rosewall 32-25, Segura 22-28, Alex Olmedo Alex Olmedo Alejandro "Alex" Rodríguez Olmedo is a former tennis player from Peru, who was ranked as the top amateur player in the world in 1959. Although born and raised in Peru, he came to Southern California and was mentored by Perry T. Jones, President of the Southern California Tennis Association at the... 11-44; just after Gonzales won a small tournament and then shortly retired; Olmedo beat Trabert in a depleted U.S. Pro; Rosewall beat Segura in Wembley Pro; Rosewall beat Hoad in French Pro; once again Kramer ranked Gonzales & Sedgman 1 and 2 for the year but Sedgman didn't win as much as in 1959; L'Équipe L'Équipe L'Équipe is a French nationwide daily newspaper devoted to sports, owned by Éditions Philippe Amaury. The paper is noted for coverage of football , rugby, motorsports and cycling... ranked Rosewall No. 1 because of European results; in his book "DER GRÖSSTE MEISTER Die denkwürdige Karriere des australischen Tennisspielers Kenneth Robert Rosewall" Robert Geist co-ranked Gonzales & Rosewall #1. |
| 1961 | Ken Rosewall Ken Rosewall Kenneth Robert Rosewall AM MBE is a former world top-ranking amateur and professional tennis player from Australia. He won 23 Majors including eight Grand Slam singles titles and before the Open Era a record fifteen Pro Slam titles . Rosewall won 9 slams in doubles with a career double grand slam... P. (Aus.) |
Pancho Gonzales Pancho Gonzales Ricardo Alonso González , generally known as Richard "Pancho" Gonzales was an American tennis player. He was the world no. 1 professional tennis player for an unequalled eight years in the 1950s and early 1960s... P. (USA) |
Joe McCauley; L'Équipe, Robert Geist; there were 47 World Series Round Robin matches for the world championship among 6 players, followed by 28 head-to-head matches between the top 1 & 2 and 3 & 4 to determine the final champion; Rosewall, however, took several long vacations and played very little in the first half of the year; substitutions were permitted for injured players in the round robin: Gonzales-(Segura) 33-14, Andrés Gimeno Andrés Gimeno Andrés Gimeno Tolaguera is a retired Spanish tennis player. He major achievement came in 1972, when he won the French Open.... 27-20, Hoad-(Trabert, Cooper, Sedgman) 24-23, Barry MacKay Barry MacKay Barry MacKay is a former American tennis player and tournament director and a current tennis broadcaster. While competing in college for the University of Michigan, he won the singles title at the 1957 NCAA Men's Tennis Championship to clinch the team title for Michigan. He was also a finalist... 22-25, Olmedo 18-29, Butch Buchholz Butch Buchholz Earl "Butch" Buchholz, Jr., is a former professional tennis player from the United States who was one of the game's top players in the late-1950s and early-1960s.... 16-31; #1 Gonzales then def. #2 Gimeno 21-7, #3 Sedgman (who definitely replaced Hoad) def. #4 MacKay 15-13; in tournaments Gonzales beat Sedgman in a depleted U.S. Pro; Rosewall beat Hoad in Wembley Pro; Rosewall beat Gonzales in French Pro; at the end of the year (October 25) Gonzales retired once again for 20 months (back in the circuit on June 27, 1963); L'Équipe L'Équipe L'Équipe is a French nationwide daily newspaper devoted to sports, owned by Éditions Philippe Amaury. The paper is noted for coverage of football , rugby, motorsports and cycling... once again ranked Rosewall No. 1 (2) Gonzales, 3) Hoad, 4) Trabert, 5) Segura, 6) Gimeno, 7) Cooper, 8) MacKay, 9) Olmedo, 10) Buchholz, 11) Laver, 12) Anderson, 13) Emerson, 14) Pietrangeli, 15) Santana, 16) Ayala, 17) Krishnan, 18) Sangster, 19) Lundquist, 20) McKinley, 21) Darmon, ... 23) Neale Fraser) primarily because of European results in second half of year; McCauley's 1961 chapter is entitled: Gonzales Still World Champion but says in the text that Rosewall had a good claim to being No. 1; Geist ranked Rosewall #1 alone. |
| 1962 | Ken Rosewall Ken Rosewall Kenneth Robert Rosewall AM MBE is a former world top-ranking amateur and professional tennis player from Australia. He won 23 Majors including eight Grand Slam singles titles and before the Open Era a record fifteen Pro Slam titles . Rosewall won 9 slams in doubles with a career double grand slam... P. (Aus.) |
Lew Hoad Lew Hoad Lewis Alan Hoad was a champion tennis player.... P. (Aus.) |
Joe McCauley; Ken Rosewall; no American tour, very little tennis for first 6 months; Rosewall had a sensational pro year winning 10 tournaments including the big European tournaments; Butch Buchholz Butch Buchholz Earl "Butch" Buchholz, Jr., is a former professional tennis player from the United States who was one of the game's top players in the late-1950s and early-1960s.... beat Segura in a depleted U.S. Pro; Rosewall beat Hoad in Wembley Pro; Rosewall beat Gimeno in French Pro; Rod Laver Rod Laver Rodney George "Rod" Laver MBE is an Australian former tennis player who holds the record for titles won in career, and was the World No. 1 player for seven consecutive years, from 1964 to 1970... had a sensational amateur year, winning with Emerson the Davis Cup, and alone all 4 of the Grand Slam Grand Slam (tennis) The four Major tennis tournaments, also called the Slams, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world tour ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, strength and size of player field, and public attention. They are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and... s, but was severely beaten for his pro debut in 1963, suggesting that the pros were still the best players; Rosewall announced his Pro rankings at the end of 1962, omitting Segura then semi-retired : #1 Rosewall, #2 Hoad, #3 Gimeno, #4 Laver, #5 Buchholz. |
| 1963 | Ken Rosewall Ken Rosewall Kenneth Robert Rosewall AM MBE is a former world top-ranking amateur and professional tennis player from Australia. He won 23 Majors including eight Grand Slam singles titles and before the Open Era a record fifteen Pro Slam titles . Rosewall won 9 slams in doubles with a career double grand slam... P. (Aus.) |
Rod Laver Rod Laver Rodney George "Rod" Laver MBE is an Australian former tennis player who holds the record for titles won in career, and was the World No. 1 player for seven consecutive years, from 1964 to 1970... P. (Aus.) |
Joe McCauley; Frank Sedgman; Rosewall on Australasian grass dominated the new pro recruit Rod Laver, 11 victories to 2 and Hoad was omnipotent, winning 8-0 against Laver; then the World Championship Series was held in the USA with 6 players, two local players Buchholz and MacKay, one Spaniard Gimeno, one Chilean Ayala and only two Australians Rosewall and Laver (if Hoad had been selected there would have been too many Aussies in the US) : in the first phase Rosewall ended first (31 wins - 10 losses) ahead Laver (26- 16), Buchholz (23-18), Gimeno, MacKay and Ayala. In the second (and final) phase Rosewall won the tour, beating Laver 14-4, and Gimeno won 3rd place, beating Buchholz 11-7. Then Rosewall captured five tournaments including the 3 majors of that year and Laver reached the finals of two majors and also won 5 tournaments making him undoubtedly the vice-king; Rosewall def. Laver in U.S. Pro; Rosewall def. Laver in French Pro; Rosewall def. Hoad in Wembley Pro; in January 1964 Sedgman clearly stated that Laver was second to Rosewall and a real threat to his elder. |
| 1964 | Rod Laver Rod Laver Rodney George "Rod" Laver MBE is an Australian former tennis player who holds the record for titles won in career, and was the World No. 1 player for seven consecutive years, from 1964 to 1970... P. (Aus.) - Ken Rosewall Ken Rosewall Kenneth Robert Rosewall AM MBE is a former world top-ranking amateur and professional tennis player from Australia. He won 23 Majors including eight Grand Slam singles titles and before the Open Era a record fifteen Pro Slam titles . Rosewall won 9 slams in doubles with a career double grand slam... P. (Aus.) |
both ranked equally | Joe McCauley; Robert Geist; Laver won 11 tournaments and Rosewall 10; Laver beat Rosewall 15-4 in head-to-head matches; Gonzales unretired and won two great tournaments; Laver, rather modest in his speech, is quoted by McCauley as saying: "I ... would like to be the World's No. 1 ... I am not that yet — Ken is. I may have beaten him more often than he has beaten me this year but he has won the biggest tournaments... I've lost to other people but Ken hasn't"; A point system for 19 pro tournaments (excluding at least 10 other tournaments) also resulted in Rosewall being No. 1 to Laver's No. 2 but that system granted each tournament the same points and then was unfair to the big events where Laver was superior to Rosewall : Laver beat Rosewall & Gonzales in U.S. Pro; Laver again beat Rosewall in Wembley Pro; Rosewall beat Laver in French Pro; McCauley's 1964 chapter is entitled: Rosewall Tops Again But Only Just but Robert Geist co-ranked Laver & Rosewall #1 (in his book "DER GRÖSSTE MEISTER Die denkwürdige Karriere des australischen Tennisspielers Kenneth Robert Rosewall"). |
| 1965 | Rod Laver Rod Laver Rodney George "Rod" Laver MBE is an Australian former tennis player who holds the record for titles won in career, and was the World No. 1 player for seven consecutive years, from 1964 to 1970... P. (Aus.) |
Ken Rosewall Ken Rosewall Kenneth Robert Rosewall AM MBE is a former world top-ranking amateur and professional tennis player from Australia. He won 23 Majors including eight Grand Slam singles titles and before the Open Era a record fifteen Pro Slam titles . Rosewall won 9 slams in doubles with a career double grand slam... P. (Aus.) |
Joe McCauley; though Rosewall has won 2 of the 3 very major tournaments, Laver was the new undisputed king of tennis, winning 17 tournaments, including Wembley Pro, to Rosewall's 6; Laver also beat Rosewall 13-5 in head-to-head matches; Rosewall beat Laver in U.S. Pro; Rosewall beat Laver in French Pro; Laver beat Gimeno in Wembley Pro. |
| 1966 | Rod Laver Rod Laver Rodney George "Rod" Laver MBE is an Australian former tennis player who holds the record for titles won in career, and was the World No. 1 player for seven consecutive years, from 1964 to 1970... P. (Aus.) |
Ken Rosewall Ken Rosewall Kenneth Robert Rosewall AM MBE is a former world top-ranking amateur and professional tennis player from Australia. He won 23 Majors including eight Grand Slam singles titles and before the Open Era a record fifteen Pro Slam titles . Rosewall won 9 slams in doubles with a career double grand slam... P. (Aus.) |
Joe McCauley; this was the year of the greatest rivalry between Laver and Rosewall; they shared all the major tournaments with Laver slightly ahead : in the world circuit played by the leading pros, Laver won 15 tournaments including Forest Hills Pro, the U.S. Pro and Wembley Pro over Rosewall runner-up the three times, Rosewall won 9 tournaments including Madison Square Garden Pro and the French Pro over ... Laver finalist both times, Gimeno won 6 tournaments, Gonzales won 1; Laver and Rosewall were tied 7-7 in head-to-head matches. |
| 1967 | Rod Laver Rod Laver Rodney George "Rod" Laver MBE is an Australian former tennis player who holds the record for titles won in career, and was the World No. 1 player for seven consecutive years, from 1964 to 1970... P. (Aus.) |
Ken Rosewall Ken Rosewall Kenneth Robert Rosewall AM MBE is a former world top-ranking amateur and professional tennis player from Australia. He won 23 Majors including eight Grand Slam singles titles and before the Open Era a record fifteen Pro Slam titles . Rosewall won 9 slams in doubles with a career double grand slam... P. (Aus.) |
Joe McCauley; Laver probably was at the peak of his whole career, at least on fast courts, winning 19 tournaments including all the majors : the Madison Square Garden Pro, the U.S. Pro, Wimbledon Pro Wimbledon Pro During Wimbledon in 1966, Jack Kramer was doing radio commentary for the BBC when Wimbledon's working chairman Herman David came to the broadcast booth and talked to Kramer and BBC tennis exec Bryan Cowgill to discuss the possibility of making the tournament "open" to both amateurs and pros. The... , the French Pro and Wembley Pro; Rosewall stayed the n°2 in the world capturing 7 tournaments and reaching 3 majors finals in Madison Square Garden Pro, Wimbledon Pro and Wembley Pro; Gimeno was very close to Rosewall winning 3 tournaments and runner-up in two majors, the U.S. Pro and the French Pro; in head-to-head matches Laver beat Rosewall 8-5 and Gimeno 12-4, Rosewall and Gimeno were equal, 7-7. |
| 1968 | Rod Laver Rod Laver Rodney George "Rod" Laver MBE is an Australian former tennis player who holds the record for titles won in career, and was the World No. 1 player for seven consecutive years, from 1964 to 1970... P. (Aus.) |
Arthur Ashe Arthur Ashe Arthur Robert Ashe, Jr. was a professional tennis player, born and raised in Richmond, Virginia. During his career, he won three Grand Slam titles, putting him among the best ever from the United States... A. (USA) |
Bud Collins; Joe McCauley; Lance Tingay; first year of Open era; at least 10 open tournaments were played, with professionals winning 8 and amateurs 2; of 244 matches, professionals won 199, amateurs 45. Laver beat Tony Roche Tony Roche Anthony "Tony" Dalton Roche is a former professional Australian tennis player, native of Tarcutta. He played junior tennis in the New South Wales regional city of Wagga Wagga. He won one Grand Slam singles title and twelve Grand Slam doubles titles. He is also very well known for coaching... in Wimbledon Open; Arthur Ashe beat Tom Okker Tom Okker Thomas S. Okker is a former Dutch tennis player. He was ranked among the world's top 10 singles players for seven consecutive years, 1968–74, reaching a career high of world # 3 in 1969. He also was ranked World # 1 in doubles in 1969.-Tennis career:Okker was the Dutch champion from 1964 through... in the US Open; Ken Rosewall Ken Rosewall Kenneth Robert Rosewall AM MBE is a former world top-ranking amateur and professional tennis player from Australia. He won 23 Majors including eight Grand Slam singles titles and before the Open Era a record fifteen Pro Slam titles . Rosewall won 9 slams in doubles with a career double grand slam... beat Laver in the French Open; Laver beat Rosewall in the Pacific Southwest Open (Los Angeles); Laver beat John Newcombe John Newcombe John David Newcombe, AO, OBE is a former World No. 1 tennis player.-Biography:He won seven Grand Slam singles titles, A natural athlete, Newcombe played several sports as a boy until devoting himself to tennis. He was the Australian junior champion in 1961, 1962, and 1963 and was a member of... in U.S. Pro; Rosewall beat Newcombe in Wembley Pro; Laver beat Newcombe in French Pro, the last one of tennis history (again at Roland Garros on clay after a 5-year interval at Stade Pierre de Coubertin on wood); Okker and Clark Graebner Clark Graebner Clark Graebner , is a retired American professional tennis player, originally from Cleveland, Ohio, who won a number of championships. He graduated from Northwestern University, where he joined the Delta Upsilon fraternity. Graebner's deceased wife, Carole, was also a successful touring tennis... shared the Queen's title; in World Tennis magazine, McCauley ranked the top 10, professional and amateur, as being Laver, Ashe, Tom Okker Tom Okker Thomas S. Okker is a former Dutch tennis player. He was ranked among the world's top 10 singles players for seven consecutive years, 1968–74, reaching a career high of world # 3 in 1969. He also was ranked World # 1 in doubles in 1969.-Tennis career:Okker was the Dutch champion from 1964 through... , Rosewall, Newcombe, Tony Roche Tony Roche Anthony "Tony" Dalton Roche is a former professional Australian tennis player, native of Tarcutta. He played junior tennis in the New South Wales regional city of Wagga Wagga. He won one Grand Slam singles title and twelve Grand Slam doubles titles. He is also very well known for coaching... , Clark Graebner Clark Graebner Clark Graebner , is a retired American professional tennis player, originally from Cleveland, Ohio, who won a number of championships. He graduated from Northwestern University, where he joined the Delta Upsilon fraternity. Graebner's deceased wife, Carole, was also a successful touring tennis... , Cliff Drysdale Cliff Drysdale Cliff Drysdale is a former top-ranked professional tennis player of the 1960s and early 1970s who became a well-known tennis announcer. He was one of the Handsome Eight, signed by Lamar Hunt in 1968 for the newly formed World Championship Tennis group... , Gonzales, Dennis Ralston Dennis Ralston Richard Dennis Ralston is an American former professional tennis player. He attended the University of Southern California and won NCAA championships under their legendary coach, George Toley. He was coached in his earlier years by the legendary tennis player, Pancho Gonzales... ; Lance Tingay ranked the best players as being Laver, Ashe, Rosewall, Okker, Roche, Newcombe, Graebner, Ralston, Drysdale, Gonzales; and Collins proposed Laver, Ashe, Rosewall, Roche, Okker, Newcombe, Graebner, Ralston, Drysdale, Gonzales; a panel of 17 journalists, mostly Europeans, ranked the best players as being 1) Laver, 2) Ashe, 3) Rosewall, 4) Okker, 5) Newcombe, 6) Roche, 7) Graebner, 8) Drysdale, 9) Ralston, 10) Gonzales |
| 1969 | Rod Laver Rod Laver Rodney George "Rod" Laver MBE is an Australian former tennis player who holds the record for titles won in career, and was the World No. 1 player for seven consecutive years, from 1964 to 1970... P. (Aus.) |
Tony Roche Tony Roche Anthony "Tony" Dalton Roche is a former professional Australian tennis player, native of Tarcutta. He played junior tennis in the New South Wales regional city of Wagga Wagga. He won one Grand Slam singles title and twelve Grand Slam doubles titles. He is also very well known for coaching... P. (Aus.) |
Bud Collins; Lance Tingay; Laver won 18 tournaments including small events and in particular did the Grand Slam Open with all the best players present at last and he also won the South African Open, the U.S. Pro over Newcombe, Wembley Pro over Roche. Though the latter has won 5 matches over Laver in 9 meetings, Laver has always won the real important ones. That year Laver was the best on every surface; a panel of the SID (Sport Informations-Dienst) by Ulrich Kaiser, with 17 journalists (mostly from European newspapers including Hellberg, Mezzanotte, Grau, Bellamy, Tingay, De Bie, etc..., and also McCauley) proposed the following ranking : 1) Laver (170), 2) Roche (153), 3) Newcombe (134), 4) Okker (109), 5) Ashe (104), 6) Rosewall (87), 7) Gonzales (39), 8) Drysdale (34), 9) Gimeno (33), Stolle (33 tied), 11) Emerson (28). |
| 1970 | Rod Laver Rod Laver Rodney George "Rod" Laver MBE is an Australian former tennis player who holds the record for titles won in career, and was the World No. 1 player for seven consecutive years, from 1964 to 1970... P. (Aus.) - Ken Rosewall Ken Rosewall Kenneth Robert Rosewall AM MBE is a former world top-ranking amateur and professional tennis player from Australia. He won 23 Majors including eight Grand Slam singles titles and before the Open Era a record fifteen Pro Slam titles . Rosewall won 9 slams in doubles with a career double grand slam... P. (Aus.) - John Newcombe John Newcombe John David Newcombe, AO, OBE is a former World No. 1 tennis player.-Biography:He won seven Grand Slam singles titles, A natural athlete, Newcombe played several sports as a boy until devoting himself to tennis. He was the Australian junior champion in 1961, 1962, and 1963 and was a member of... P. (Aus.) |
all 3 ranked equally | Joe McCauley; Bud Collins; Lance Tingay; The panel of the 'Martini and Rosso' award; The WCT panel; Robert Geist; in the two biggest events, by far, of the year Newcombe won Wimbledon (over Rosewall) and Rosewall beat Newcombe and Roche in succession in the US Open; Smith beat Laver in the Masters; if Laver greatly failed in Grand Slam tournaments he also greatly succeeded in tournaments less important but nevertheless big ones as Philadelphia (over Roche), Dunlop Sydney Open (over Rosewall), the Pacific Southwest Open (Los Angeles) (over Newcombe) and Wembley Pro (over Cliff Richey Cliff Richey Cliff Richey played amateur and professional tennis in the 1960s and 1970s. He is the brother of fellow player Nancy Richey.... ); Roche beat Laver in U.S. Pro. Then with no player really dominating the circuit, different arguable opinions can be given to designate the World Champion : The panel of 10 international journalists for the 'Martini and Rosso' Cup, ranked Rosewall number 1 with 97 points (out of a possible 100) over Laver with 89 points and Newcombe 3rd with 81 points; the rest of the top ten were 4. Roche, 5. Ashe, 6. Richey, 7. Okker, 8. Emerson, 9. Nastase, 10. Gimeno; Judith Elian from L'Équipe placed Rosewall first ahead Newcombe, Roche and Laver; Lance Tingay, Joe McCauley and Bud Collins each ranked Newcombe ahead Rosewall; the panel of journalists which made the WCT draw for 1971 ranked Laver #1, Rosewall #2, Newcombe #3; and Robert Geist co-ranked Rosewall, Laver and Newcombe #1, summarizing all the opinions. |
| 1971 | Stan Smith Stan Smith Stanley Roger "Stan" Smith is a former American tennis player and two time Grand Slam singles champion who also, with his partner Bob Lutz, formed one of the most successful doubles teams of all time. Together, they won many major titles all over the world... P. (USA) - John Newcombe John Newcombe John David Newcombe, AO, OBE is a former World No. 1 tennis player.-Biography:He won seven Grand Slam singles titles, A natural athlete, Newcombe played several sports as a boy until devoting himself to tennis. He was the Australian junior champion in 1961, 1962, and 1963 and was a member of... P. (Aus.) |
both ranked equally | Lance Tingay; Bud Collins; Martini-Rossi award; Judith Elian; Ilie Năstase Ilie Nastase Ilie Nastase is a Romanian former professional tennis player, one of the world's top players of the 1970s. Năstase was the World No. 1 tennis player between 1973 and 1974 . He is one of the five players in history to win more than 100 ATP professional titles . He was inducted into the... ; Newcombe beat Smith in Wimbledon; Smith beat Kodes in US Open; Rosewall beat Ashe in Australian Open; Rosewall beat Laver in the WCT Finals; Laver beat Kodes in the Italian Open; Kodes beat Năstase in the French Open; Năstase beat Smith in the Masters; Rosewall beat Drysdale in U.S. Pro; Ilie Năstase Ilie Nastase Ilie Nastase is a Romanian former professional tennis player, one of the world's top players of the 1970s. Năstase was the World No. 1 tennis player between 1973 and 1974 . He is one of the five players in history to win more than 100 ATP professional titles . He was inducted into the... beat Laver in Wembley Pro; Tingay and Collins ranked Newcombe #1 ahead Smith; the Martini-Rossi award, voted for by 11 journalists, was given jointly to Smith and Newcombe; they both received 96 points (out of 110); 3rd was Rosewall with 91 points and 4th Laver with 90 points ; this is very close which is further reflected in the fact that Newcombe, Smith and Laver all received 3 first place votes with Rosewall receiving the other 2; the rest of the top ten were 5. Kodes, 6. Okker, 7. Ashe, 8. Nastase, 9. Drydsdale, 10. Riessen ; Judith Elian co-ranked Newcombe and Smith equal; Năstase's ranking : 1) Smith, 2) Newcombe, 3) Kodes; Robeist Geist co-ranked Smith, Newcombe and Rosewall equal. |
| 1972 | Stan Smith Stan Smith Stanley Roger "Stan" Smith is a former American tennis player and two time Grand Slam singles champion who also, with his partner Bob Lutz, formed one of the most successful doubles teams of all time. Together, they won many major titles all over the world... P. (USA) |
Ilie Năstase Ilie Nastase Ilie Nastase is a Romanian former professional tennis player, one of the world's top players of the 1970s. Năstase was the World No. 1 tennis player between 1973 and 1974 . He is one of the five players in history to win more than 100 ATP professional titles . He was inducted into the... P. (Rom.) |
Judith Elian; Lance Tingay; Joe McCauley; Bud Collins; the WCT players were not allowed to play the French Open, Wimbledon, or the Davis Cup because of the ILTF ban; Năstase def. Ashe in US Open in the only tournament of the year with all the best players in the world; Rosewall def. Laver in WCT Finals (Dallas); Smith has won the two tournaments with the best fields after the US Open : the Pacific Southwest Open in Los Angeles (Roscoe Tanner Roscoe Tanner Roscoe Tanner is an American former professional tennis player, who turned pro in 1972 and reached a career high world singles ranking of World No... runner-up) and Stockholm Open (Okker finalist); Ashe won the Autumn WCT Finals in Rome; Smith def. Năstase in a depleted Wimbledon; Gimeno def. Patrick Proisy Patrick Proisy Patrick Proisy is a French former professional tennis player best remembered for reaching the finals of the French Open in 1972 losing against Spaniard Andrés Gimeno in four sets. He added to that one more final and a single title in Hilversum, 1977.-Runner-ups :-References:... in a depleted French Open; Bob Lutz Bob Lutz (tennis player) Robert Lutz was a top amateur and professional tennis player of the 1960s and 1970s. He and his longtime partner Stan Smith were one of the best doubles teams of all time. Together they won many major titles all over the world. In 1972 Lutz was briefly the World No. 7 ranked male player in the... def. Tom Okker in U.S. Pro; Richey def. Clark Graebner Clark Graebner Clark Graebner , is a retired American professional tennis player, originally from Cleveland, Ohio, who won a number of championships. He graduated from Northwestern University, where he joined the Delta Upsilon fraternity. Graebner's deceased wife, Carole, was also a successful touring tennis... in Wembley Pro; Judith Elian, Tingay and McCauley all three ranked Smith #1, Năstase #2 and Rosewall #3; Collins disagreed and ranked Rosewall ahead of Năstase. |
| 1973 | Ilie Năstase Ilie Nastase Ilie Nastase is a Romanian former professional tennis player, one of the world's top players of the 1970s. Năstase was the World No. 1 tennis player between 1973 and 1974 . He is one of the five players in history to win more than 100 ATP professional titles . He was inducted into the... P. (Rom.) |
John Newcombe John Newcombe John David Newcombe, AO, OBE is a former World No. 1 tennis player.-Biography:He won seven Grand Slam singles titles, A natural athlete, Newcombe played several sports as a boy until devoting himself to tennis. He was the Australian junior champion in 1961, 1962, and 1963 and was a member of... P. (Aus.) |
ATP; Tennis (US magazine); Newcombe def. Kodes in US Open the only tournament of the year with all the best players (except Emerson); Năstase def. Nikola Pilić Nikola Pilic Nikola "Niki" Pilić is a retired Croatian professional tennis player who competed for SFR Yugoslavia. He was one of the Handsome Eight.-Biography:... at the French Open the only other Grand Slam tournament which deserved this label that year; Kodes def. Metreveli in a depleted Wimbledon; Năstase def. Okker in the Masters; Smith def. Ashe in the WCT Finals; about 13 out of the 20 best players in the world tried to be selected in the first Davis Cup Open of tennis history : Laver was undefeated in 4 singles matches (and two doubles); Năstase won 17 tournaments; Jimmy Connors Jimmy Connors James Scott "Jimmy" Connors is an American former world no. 1 tennis player.... beat Ashe in U.S. Pro; Tennis (US magazine) ranked Năstase #1 and Newcombe #2 as the ATP computer. |
| 1974 | Jimmy Connors Jimmy Connors James Scott "Jimmy" Connors is an American former world no. 1 tennis player.... P. (USA) |
John Newcombe John Newcombe John David Newcombe, AO, OBE is a former World No. 1 tennis player.-Biography:He won seven Grand Slam singles titles, A natural athlete, Newcombe played several sports as a boy until devoting himself to tennis. He was the Australian junior champion in 1961, 1962, and 1963 and was a member of... P. (Aus.) |
Tennis (US magazine); Connors, who has lost only 4 matches, has won Wimbledon and the US Open over Rosewall each time; Newcombe has captured 10 tournaments including the WCT Finals; Björn Borg Björn Borg Björn Rune Borg is a former world no. 1 tennis player from Sweden. Between 1974 and 1981 he won 11 Grand Slam singles titles. He won five consecutive Wimbledon singles titles and six French Open singles titles... has won the French Open (Manuel Orantes Manuel Orantes Manuel Orantes Corral was a tennis champion in the 1970s and 1980s. He won the US Open in 1975, beating defending champion Jimmy Connors in the final.-Career:... runner-up), the Italian Open in Rome (Năstase finalist) and the U.S. Pro (Okker runner-up); Guillermo Vilas Guillermo Vilas Guillermo Apolinario Vilas is a retired and former World No. 2 professional tennis player from Argentina. He was the second Latin-American to win a Grand Slam tournament.-Career:... prevented Nastase to capture a fourth Masters in a row; Tennis (US magazine) ranked Connors #1 and Newcombe #2 as the ATP computer (if every expert undoubtedly ranked Connors #1, the second place was more disputed : Elian ranked Borg #2 while Tingay chose Rosewall and Collins proposed Vilas). |
| 1975 | Arthur Ashe Arthur Ashe Arthur Robert Ashe, Jr. was a professional tennis player, born and raised in Richmond, Virginia. During his career, he won three Grand Slam titles, putting him among the best ever from the United States... P. (USA) |
Björn Borg Björn Borg Björn Rune Borg is a former world no. 1 tennis player from Sweden. Between 1974 and 1981 he won 11 Grand Slam singles titles. He won five consecutive Wimbledon singles titles and six French Open singles titles... P. (Swe.) - Jimmy Connors Jimmy Connors James Scott "Jimmy" Connors is an American former world no. 1 tennis player.... P. (USA) - Manuel Orantes Manuel Orantes Manuel Orantes Corral was a tennis champion in the 1970s and 1980s. He won the US Open in 1975, beating defending champion Jimmy Connors in the final.-Career:... P. (Spain) probably all equal |
Bud Collins; Judith Elian; Barry Lorge; Lance Tingay; World Tennis; Steve Flink; ATP Awards ATP Awards This is a list of all the awards given by the ATP World Tour to players of particular distinction during a given season. The 2011 awards were announced on November 19.-Player of the Year:-Doubles Team of the Year:-Most Improved Player:... ; Ashe, who won 9 tournaments, def. Connors in Wimbledon; Orantes def. Connors in the US Open; Ashe def. Borg in the WCT Finals; Năstase def. Borg in the Masters; Borg beat Vilas at both the French Open and the U.S. Pro; Collins, Elian and Lorge all ranked Ashe #1 and Borg #2; Tingay ranked Ashe #1, Orantes #2, Connors #3, Borg #4; World Tennis ranked Ashe #1, Connors #2, Borg #3, Orantes #4; Steve Flink ranked Ashe #1, Orantes #2, Borg #3, Connors #4 (very different from the ATP ranking) and the ATP itself awarded Ashe "Player of The Year" contradicting its computer ranking. |
| 1976 | Jimmy Connors Jimmy Connors James Scott "Jimmy" Connors is an American former world no. 1 tennis player.... P. (USA) |
Björn Borg Björn Borg Björn Rune Borg is a former world no. 1 tennis player from Sweden. Between 1974 and 1981 he won 11 Grand Slam singles titles. He won five consecutive Wimbledon singles titles and six French Open singles titles... P. (Swe.) |
Bud Collins; Lance Tingay; John Barrett; Peter Bodo; Judith Elian; Joe McCauley; ATP Awards; Tennis Magazine (France); Connors won 10 tournaments including the US Open (Borg runner-up), the U.S. Pro Indoor in Philadelphia (Borg finalist), Palm Springs and Las Vegas; Connors has beaten Borg 4 times out of 4; Borg def. Năstase in Wimbledon, Vilas in the WCT Finals and Harold Solomon Harold Solomon Harold Solomon was an American professional tennis player during the 1970s and 1980s. He achieved a career-high ranking of No. 5 in the world in 1980.- Tennis career :... in the U.S. Pro; Adriano Panatta Adriano Panatta Adriano Panatta is a former professional tennis player from Italy. He is best remembered for winning the French Open in 1976, and for being the only player to ever defeat Björn Borg at Roland Garros, which he did on two occasions.-Career:... won the French Open over Solomon and the Italian Open in Rome over Vilas; Collins, Tingay, John Barrett, Peter Bodo, McCauley and Judith Elian all ranked Connors #1 and Borg #2; Collins, Barrett, McCauley, Elian ranked Nastase #3; a minority of journalists ranked Borg #1, among them Tennis Magazine (France) and the ATP itself which awarded Borg "Player of The Year" contradicting its computer ranking. |
| 1977 | Björn Borg Björn Borg Björn Rune Borg is a former world no. 1 tennis player from Sweden. Between 1974 and 1981 he won 11 Grand Slam singles titles. He won five consecutive Wimbledon singles titles and six French Open singles titles... P. (Swe.) - Guillermo Vilas Guillermo Vilas Guillermo Apolinario Vilas is a retired and former World No. 2 professional tennis player from Argentina. He was the second Latin-American to win a Grand Slam tournament.-Career:... P. (Arg.) |
both ranked equally | Tennis Magazine (France); Michel Sutter; World Tennis; London Daily Telegraph; Tennis Club Magazine (Rome); ATP Awards; Borg won Wimbledon over Connors who also lost the US Open against Vilas; Connors captured both the Masters beating Borg and the WCT Finals (Dick Stockton Dick Stockton (tennis) Dick Stockton , was a professional tennis player from the United States. He is currently the head coach of the men's tennis team at the University of Virginia.... runner-up); Vilas also won a depleted French Open without Connors, Borg, Vitas Gerulaitis Vitas Gerulaitis Vytautas Kevin Gerulaitis was a Lithuanian–American professional tennis player. He is known for winning the men's singles title at one of the two Australian Open tournaments held in 1977. Gerulaitis won the tournament held in December, while Roscoe Tanner won the earlier January tournament... , Orantes and Stockton; Orantes beat Eddie Dibbs Eddie Dibbs Eddie Dibbs is a retired American tennis player. He attained a career high ranking of World No. 5 in July 1978.-Wins :-Runner-ups :-Grand Slam singles tournament timeline:... in the U.S. Pro; Tennis Magazine (France) ranked Borg #1 because he won Wimbledon and he had also defeated Vilas 3 times out of 3; Lance Tingay of the London Daily Telegraph and Rino Tommasi of Rome's Tennis Club magazine also rated Borg first; while World Tennis and Michel Sutter considered Vilas the best one because among other reasons he won 46 matches in a row (even 50 including the Rye tournament excluded in ATP statistics) and 16 titles (or 17 Rye included); the ATP itself awarded Borg "Player of The Year" contradicting its computer ranking (Connors N° 1). |
| 1978 | Björn Borg Björn Borg Björn Rune Borg is a former world no. 1 tennis player from Sweden. Between 1974 and 1981 he won 11 Grand Slam singles titles. He won five consecutive Wimbledon singles titles and six French Open singles titles... P. (Swe.) |
Jimmy Connors Jimmy Connors James Scott "Jimmy" Connors is an American former world no. 1 tennis player.... P. (USA) |
Tennis Magazine (France); ITF (International Tennis Federation); ATP Awards; Borg def. Connors at Wimbledon; Borg def. Vilas at the French Open; Connors def. Borg at the US Open; Vilas won a depleted Australian Open; John McEnroe John McEnroe John Patrick McEnroe, Jr. is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player from the United States. During his career, he won seven Grand Slam singles titles , nine Grand Slam men's doubles titles, and one Grand Slam mixed doubles title... def. Ashe in the Masters; Gerulaitis won the WCT Finals; Connors won the U.S. Pro Indoor; Orantes beat Solomon in U.S. Pro; the ITF awarded Borg as World Champion; the ATP itself awarded Borg "Player of The Year" contradicting its computer ranking; Tennis Magazine (France) ranked Borg #1 and Connors #2. |
| 1979 | Björn Borg Björn Borg Björn Rune Borg is a former world no. 1 tennis player from Sweden. Between 1974 and 1981 he won 11 Grand Slam singles titles. He won five consecutive Wimbledon singles titles and six French Open singles titles... P. (Swe.) |
John McEnroe John McEnroe John Patrick McEnroe, Jr. is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player from the United States. During his career, he won seven Grand Slam singles titles , nine Grand Slam men's doubles titles, and one Grand Slam mixed doubles title... P. (USA) |
Tennis Magazine (France); ITF; ATP Awards; Borg has done a sort of Little Slam at the time winning Wimbledon (Tanner runner-up), the French Open (Victor Pecci Víctor Pecci Víctor Pecci is a former professional Paraguayan tennis player. Pecci was born in Asunción.Pecci was ranked as high as World No. 9 in singles in 1980 and World No. 31 in doubles in 1984. Pecci is famous for reaching the 1979 French Open final... finalist) and the Masters (Gerulaitis finalist) which was in 1979 the real 4th tournament in the world; the Australian Open having a very weak field without any of the great grasscourt players as Borg, McEnroe, Connors or Tanner (Vilas repeat the victory of 78); McEnroe def. Gerulaitis in the US Open; José Higueras José Higueras José Higueras is a tennis coach and former professional tennis player from Spain.Between 1976 and 1984, Higueras won 16 top-level singles titles. A semi-finalist at the French Open in 1982 and 1983, he reached the World No. 6 singles ranking in 1983... beat Hans Gildemeister Hans Gildemeister Hans Gildemeister Bohner , is a former Chilean tennis player of German ancestry, who won four singles and 23 doubles titles during his professional career. He is the brother of Heinz and Fritz Gildemeister, who are also tennis players... in the U.S. Pro; ITF awarded Borg as World Champion; the ATP awarded Borg "Player of The Year"; Tennis Magazine (France) ranked Borg #1, McEnroe #2 and Connors #3. |
| 1980 | Björn Borg Björn Borg Björn Rune Borg is a former world no. 1 tennis player from Sweden. Between 1974 and 1981 he won 11 Grand Slam singles titles. He won five consecutive Wimbledon singles titles and six French Open singles titles... P. (Swe.) |
John McEnroe John McEnroe John Patrick McEnroe, Jr. is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player from the United States. During his career, he won seven Grand Slam singles titles , nine Grand Slam men's doubles titles, and one Grand Slam mixed doubles title... P. (USA.) |
Tennis Magazine (France); ITF; ATP Awards; not only Borg repeated his performance of the previous year winning again Wimbledon (McEnroe runner-up), the French Open (Gerulaitis finalist) and the Masters (Ivan Lendl Ivan Lendl Ivan Lendl is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player. Originally from Czechoslovakia, Lendl became a United States citizen. He was one of the game's most dominant players in the 1980s and remained a top competitor into the early 1990s. He is considered to be one of the greatest tennis... runner-up) but he also reached the final of the US Open won by McEnroe (after a dubious call in the fifth set); Dibbs beat Gene Mayer Gene Mayer Gene Mayer is a former tennis player from the United States who won fourteen singles titles during his career.Mayer was born in Flushing, Queens, New York. He grew up in Wayne, New Jersey, and played tennis at Wayne Valley High School, where he went unbeaten in his two years on the tennis team... in U.S. Pro; ITF awarded Borg as World Champion; the ATP awarded Borg "Player of The Year"; Tennis Magazine (France) ranked Borg #1, McEnroe #2 and Connors #3 as previous year. |
| 1981 | John McEnroe John McEnroe John Patrick McEnroe, Jr. is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player from the United States. During his career, he won seven Grand Slam singles titles , nine Grand Slam men's doubles titles, and one Grand Slam mixed doubles title... P. (USA) |
Björn Borg Björn Borg Björn Rune Borg is a former world no. 1 tennis player from Sweden. Between 1974 and 1981 he won 11 Grand Slam singles titles. He won five consecutive Wimbledon singles titles and six French Open singles titles... P. (Swe.) |
Tennis Magazine (France); ITF; ATP Awards; McEnroe won Wimbledon and the US Open beating each time Borg; Borg captured the French Open beating Lendl; Lendl def. Gerulaitis in the Masters; José Luis Clerc José Luis Clerc José Luis Clerc is a former Argentine professional tennis player, and one of the most important Argentine players in history.... def. Gildemeister in the U.S. Pro; after his defeat to Tim Gullikson in October in the second round of Tokyo indoor, Borg semi-retired; ITF awarded McEnroe as World Champion; the ATP awarded McEnroe "Player of The Year"; Tennis Magazine (France) ranked McEnroe #1, Borg #2. |
| 1982 | Jimmy Connors Jimmy Connors James Scott "Jimmy" Connors is an American former world no. 1 tennis player.... P. (USA) |
Ivan Lendl Ivan Lendl Ivan Lendl is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player. Originally from Czechoslovakia, Lendl became a United States citizen. He was one of the game's most dominant players in the 1980s and remained a top competitor into the early 1990s. He is considered to be one of the greatest tennis... P. (Cze.) |
L'Équipe; Tennis Magazine (France); ITF; ATP Awards; Connors won both Wimbledon (McEnroe runner-up) and the US Open (Lendl finalist); Mats Wilander Mats Wilander Mats Wilander is a former World No. 1 tennis player from Sweden. From 1982 through 1988, he won seven Grand Slam singles titles , and one Grand Slam men's doubles title... def. Vilas at the French Open; Lendl made one of his best and strongest performances of his whole career in decisevely beating McEnroe in the Masters final and again in the WCT Final; Vilas beat Mel Purcell Mel Purcell Mel Purcell is a former World No. 17 tennis player in the ATP tennis rankings. He is the head coach of the Murray State University men's tennis team... in U.S. Pro; small anecdote : though retired of the official circuit, Borg played in many invitational tournaments or exhibitions and he was able to win 2 matches out of 6 against Connors and he beat Gerulaitis, McEnroe and Lendl in the Sydney Akai Gold Challenge; ITF awarded Connors as World Champion; the ATP awarded Connors "Player of The Year" contradicting its computer ranking; L'Équipe and Tennis Magazine (France) ranked Connors n°1 player in the world ahead of Lendl n°2 and McEnroe n°3 also strongly contradicting the ATP ranking. |
| 1983 | John McEnroe John McEnroe John Patrick McEnroe, Jr. is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player from the United States. During his career, he won seven Grand Slam singles titles , nine Grand Slam men's doubles titles, and one Grand Slam mixed doubles title... P. (USA) |
Mats Wilander Mats Wilander Mats Wilander is a former World No. 1 tennis player from Sweden. From 1982 through 1988, he won seven Grand Slam singles titles , and one Grand Slam men's doubles title... P. (Swe.) |
Tennis Magazine (France); ITF; ATP Awards; McEnroe def. Chris Lewis in Wimbledon; Connors def. Lendl at the US Open; Yannick Noah Yannick Noah Yannick Noah is a former professional tennis player from France. He is best remembered for being the last French man to win the French Open in 1983, and as a highly-successful captain of France's Davis Cup and Fed Cup teams... overcame Wilander at the French Open final; for the first time since 1971 the Australian Open deserved the "Grand Slam tournament" label because great players came back (McEnroe, Lendl and Wilander entered the tournament) : Wilander def. Lendl; McEnroe beat Lendl both in the Masters and in the WCT Finals; Clerc beat Jimmy Arias Jimmy Arias James Arias is a former tennis touring professional player from the United States, a bronze medallist.From Grand Island, near Buffalo, New York, Arias's peak year was 1983, when as a 19 year-old he finished the year ranked World No. 6, having reached the U.S... in U.S. Pro; ITF awarded McEnroe as World Champion (against Wilander); the ATP awarded McEnroe "Player of The Year"; Tennis Magazine (France) ranked McEnroe #1 and Wilander #2. |
| 1984 | John McEnroe John McEnroe John Patrick McEnroe, Jr. is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player from the United States. During his career, he won seven Grand Slam singles titles , nine Grand Slam men's doubles titles, and one Grand Slam mixed doubles title... P. (USA) |
Ivan Lendl Ivan Lendl Ivan Lendl is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player. Originally from Czechoslovakia, Lendl became a United States citizen. He was one of the game's most dominant players in the 1980s and remained a top competitor into the early 1990s. He is considered to be one of the greatest tennis... P. (Cze.) |
Tennis Magazine (France); ITF; ATP Awards; McEnroe lost 3 matches in 1984 but two were very important : the final of the French Open won by Lendl and his match against Henrik Sundström Henrik Sundström Henrik Sundström is a former professional male tennis player from Sweden. He is nicknamed Henke. Sundström was at his best on clay and achieved his strongest results on this surface, with his solid and heavy topspin groundstrokes from the baseline.- Tennis career :Sundström turned professional in... in the Davis Cup won by Sweden and moreover McEnroe was deprived of the Australian Open, won by Wilander over Kevin Curren Kevin Curren ----Kevin Melvyn Curren is a former professional tennis player. He played in two Grand Slam singles finals and won four Grand Slam doubles titles.-Career:... , because of his suspension following his ugly behaviour in the Stockholm tournament; however McEnroe played the best tennis of his life in 1984 : according to his autobiography the best tournament he has ever played was the Brussels tournament in March where he never lost more than 3 games in a set, and his performance in the Wimbledon final against Connors is one of the greatest; McEnroe def. Lendl both in the US Open and in the Masters (the last great win of the US citizen); Aaron Krickstein Aaron Krickstein Aaron Krickstein , nicknamed "Marathon Man", is a former American professional tennis player, who competed on the ATP Tour from 1983 to 1996. Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, he currently competes on the Outback Champions Series Over-30 tour.Krickstein reached his career high ATP ranking of World No.... beat Clerc in U.S. Pro; ITF awarded McEnroe as World Champion; the ATP awarded McEnroe "Player of The Year"; Tennis Magazine (France) approved it. |
| 1985 | Ivan Lendl Ivan Lendl Ivan Lendl is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player. Originally from Czechoslovakia, Lendl became a United States citizen. He was one of the game's most dominant players in the 1980s and remained a top competitor into the early 1990s. He is considered to be one of the greatest tennis... P. (Cze.) |
Mats Wilander Mats Wilander Mats Wilander is a former World No. 1 tennis player from Sweden. From 1982 through 1988, he won seven Grand Slam singles titles , and one Grand Slam men's doubles title... P. (Swe.) |
Tennis Magazine (France); ITF; ATP Awards; Lendl won the US Open over McEnroe and the Masters over Boris Becker Boris Becker Boris Franz Becker is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Germany. He is a six-time Grand Slam singles champion, an Olympic gold medalist, and the youngest-ever winner of the men's singles title at Wimbledon at the age of 17... ; Mats Wilander Mats Wilander Mats Wilander is a former World No. 1 tennis player from Sweden. From 1982 through 1988, he won seven Grand Slam singles titles , and one Grand Slam men's doubles title... beat Lendl at the French Open and Martín Jaite Martín Jaite Martín Jaite is an Argentine right-handed former top-10 professional tour tennis player.Jaite's ATP highest tour ranking was World # 10, which he achieved in the summer of 1990, and he won a total of 12 titles and $1,873,881 in tour prize money during his career.Jaite's playing style leveraged his... in U.S. Pro; Boris Becker def. Curren in Wimbledon; Stefan Edberg Stefan Edberg Stefan Bengt Edberg is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Sweden. A major proponent of the serve-and-volley style of tennis, he won six Grand Slam singles titles and three Grand Slam men's doubles titles. He also won one season ending championship title the Masters Grand Prix... beat Wilander in the Australian Open; Tim Mayotte Tim Mayotte Timothy "Tim" Mayotte is a former professional tennis player from the United States.- Career :... overcame Scott Davis in the ATP tournament (considered at the time as the 6th tournament in the world (with fields between 96 and 128 players) after the Grand Slam tournaments and the Masters : it was created by Earl "Butch" Buchholz (probably about the sixth or fifth player in the world in 1962 and in 1963) and held at Delray Beach in 1985, at Boca West in 1986, and since 1987 at Key Biscayne (it has become in the 2000s the ATP Masters Series Miami)); ITF awarded Lendl as World Champion; the ATP awarded Lendl "Player of The Year"; Tennis Magazine (France) ranked Lendl #1 and Wilander #2. |
| 1986 | Ivan Lendl Ivan Lendl Ivan Lendl is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player. Originally from Czechoslovakia, Lendl became a United States citizen. He was one of the game's most dominant players in the 1980s and remained a top competitor into the early 1990s. He is considered to be one of the greatest tennis... P. (Cze.) |
Boris Becker Boris Becker Boris Franz Becker is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Germany. He is a six-time Grand Slam singles champion, an Olympic gold medalist, and the youngest-ever winner of the men's singles title at Wimbledon at the age of 17... P. (Ger.) |
Tennis Magazine (France); ITF; ATP Awards; Lendl has won a sort of "Little Slam" in winning the US Open (Miloslav Mečíř Miloslav Mecír Miloslav Mečíř is a former professional tennis player from Slovakia. He won the men's singles gold medal at the 1988 Olympic Games where he represented Czechoslovakia and played in two Grand Slam singles finals... runner-up), the French Open (Mikael Pernfors Mikael Pernfors Mikael Pernfors is a former professional tennis player from Sweden. He is best remembered for reaching the men's singles final at the French Open in 1986.-Career:Pernfors was born in Malmö.... runner-up) and the Masters (Becker finalist) because there was no Australian Open that year given the tournament dates had been delayed for one month (from December 1986 to January 1987); Becker def. Lendl in Wimbledon and has won 3 tournaments (Sydney indoor, Tokyo indoor, Paris-Bercy indoor) in 3 weeks on 3 continents; Lendl def. Wilander in the "ATP tournament" at Boca West; Andrés Gómez Andrés Gómez Andrés Gómez Santos is a former professional tennis player from Ecuador. He is best remembered for winning the men's singles title at the French Open in 1990.-Career:... beat Jaite in U.S. Pro; ITF awarded Lendl as World Champion; the ATP awarded Lendl "Player of The Year"; Tennis Magazine (France) ranked Lendl #1 and Becker #2. |
| 1987 | Ivan Lendl Ivan Lendl Ivan Lendl is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player. Originally from Czechoslovakia, Lendl became a United States citizen. He was one of the game's most dominant players in the 1980s and remained a top competitor into the early 1990s. He is considered to be one of the greatest tennis... P. (Cze.) |
Stefan Edberg Stefan Edberg Stefan Bengt Edberg is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Sweden. A major proponent of the serve-and-volley style of tennis, he won six Grand Slam singles titles and three Grand Slam men's doubles titles. He also won one season ending championship title the Masters Grand Prix... P. (Swe.) |
ITF; ATP Awards; Lendl won US Open, French Open and the Masters each time against Wilander; Pat Cash Pat Cash Patrick Hart "Pat" Cash is a retired Australian professional tennis player who won the men's singles title at Wimbledon in 1987.-Early career:... def. Lendl in Wimbledon; Edberg def. Cash in the Australian Open; Mecir def. Lendl in the ATP tournament at Key Biscayne; Wilander beat Kent Carlsson Kent Carlsson Kent Carlsson is a former tennis player from Sweden.- Playing career :Carlsson was a successful junior winning the Kalle Anka Cup, which is a Swedish junior tournament through the under 11, under 13s twice and under 15. He still holds the record for the most titles wins at 4 in front of Thomas... in U.S. Pro; ITF awarded Lendl as World Champion; the ATP awarded Lendl "Player of The Year". |
| 1988 | Mats Wilander Mats Wilander Mats Wilander is a former World No. 1 tennis player from Sweden. From 1982 through 1988, he won seven Grand Slam singles titles , and one Grand Slam men's doubles title... P. (Swe.) |
Ivan Lendl Ivan Lendl Ivan Lendl is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player. Originally from Czechoslovakia, Lendl became a United States citizen. He was one of the game's most dominant players in the 1980s and remained a top competitor into the early 1990s. He is considered to be one of the greatest tennis... P. (Cze.) |
Tennis Magazine (France); ITF; ATP Awards; Wilander won the "Little Slam" defeating Cash at the Australian Open, Henri Leconte Henri Leconte Henri Leconte is a former French professional tennis player. He reached the men's singles final at the French Open in 1988, won the French Open men's doubles title in 1984, and helped France win the Davis Cup in 1991.-Biography and career:... at the French Open and Lendl at the US Open; Wilander also won the ATP tournament at Key Biscayne over Connors; Edberg def. Becker in Wimbledon; Becker def. Lendl in the Masters; Thomas Muster Thomas Muster Thomas Muster is a former world no. 1 tennis player from Austria. One of the world's leading clay court players in the 1990s, Muster won the 1995 French Open and at his peak was known as "The King of Clay." In addition, he won eight Masters 1000 series titles, placing him sixth on the all-time list... beat Lawson Duncan Lawson Duncan Lawson Duncan is a retired American tennis player. The right-hander reached his highest Association of Tennis Professionals singles ranking on May 20, 1985, when he became World No. 47... in U.S. Pro; ITF awarded Wilander as World Champion; the ATP awarded Wilander "Player of The Year"; Tennis Magazine (France) ranked Wilander #1 and Lendl #2. |
| 1989 | Boris Becker Boris Becker Boris Franz Becker is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Germany. He is a six-time Grand Slam singles champion, an Olympic gold medalist, and the youngest-ever winner of the men's singles title at Wimbledon at the age of 17... P. (Ger.) |
Ivan Lendl Ivan Lendl Ivan Lendl is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player. Originally from Czechoslovakia, Lendl became a United States citizen. He was one of the game's most dominant players in the 1980s and remained a top competitor into the early 1990s. He is considered to be one of the greatest tennis... P. (Cze.) |
Tennis Magazine (France); ITF; ATP Awards; Becker has been impressive in 1989 by winning Wimbledon over Lendl and Edberg and the US Open over Lendl; Becker was also undefeated in Davis Cup beating such players as Andre Agassi Andre Agassi Andre Kirk Agassi is a retired American professional tennis player and former world no. 1. Generally considered by critics and fellow players to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Agassi has been called the best service returner in the history of the game... , Wilander and Edberg; Lendl won the Australian Open (Mecir runner-up) and the ATP tournament at Key Biscayne (Thomas Muster runner-up); Michael Chang Michael Chang Michael Te-Pei Chang is a former American professional tennis player. He is best remembered for becoming the youngest-ever male player to win a Grand Slam singles title when he won the French Open in 1989 at the age of 17.... has become the youngest winner of the French Open (Edberg finalist); Edberg def. Becker in the Masters; Gomez beat Wilander in the U.S. Pro; ITF awarded Becker as World Champion; the ATP awarded Becker "Player of The Year" contradicting its computer ranking; Tennis Magazine (France) ranked Becker #1 and Lendl #2. |
| 1990 | Stefan Edberg Stefan Edberg Stefan Bengt Edberg is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Sweden. A major proponent of the serve-and-volley style of tennis, he won six Grand Slam singles titles and three Grand Slam men's doubles titles. He also won one season ending championship title the Masters Grand Prix... P. (Swe.) |
Andre Agassi Andre Agassi Andre Kirk Agassi is a retired American professional tennis player and former world no. 1. Generally considered by critics and fellow players to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Agassi has been called the best service returner in the history of the game... P. (USA) |
Tennis Magazine (France); ATP Awards; Edberg def. Becker in Wimbledon; Pete Sampras Pete Sampras Pete Sampras is a retired American tennis player and former world no. 1. During his 15-year tour career, he won 14 Grand Slam singles titles and became recognized as one of the greatest tennis players of all time.... won his first Grand Slam tournament in the US Open over Agassi who also lost the French Open final against Gomez; Lendl def. Edberg who defaulted in the third set of the Australian Open final; Agassi won the Singles Championship (the ex-Masters and the future Tennis Masters Cup) and the ATP tournament at Key Biscayne beating Edberg in both tournaments; Jaite beat Libor Nemecek in the U.S. Pro; this is the only time when the ITF award was strongly criticized : the ITF had punished Edberg for he didn't want to play the Grand Slam Cup, a Chatrier's invention to fight the new ATP circuit (the ITF wrongly designated Lendl); the ATP awarded Edberg "Player of The Year" confirming its computer ranking but contradicting the ITF; Tennis Magazine (France) rightly ranked Edberg #1 and Agassi #2 (Lendl was only ranked #3). |
| 1991 | Stefan Edberg Stefan Edberg Stefan Bengt Edberg is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Sweden. A major proponent of the serve-and-volley style of tennis, he won six Grand Slam singles titles and three Grand Slam men's doubles titles. He also won one season ending championship title the Masters Grand Prix... P. (Sweden) |
Jim Courier Jim Courier James Spencer "Jim" Courier, Jr. is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player from the United States. During his career, he won four Grand Slam singles titles, two at the French Open and two at the Australian Open... P. (U.S.) |
Tennis Magazine (France); International Tennis Federation International Tennis Federation The International Tennis Federation is the governing body of world tennis, made up of 205 national tennis associations.It was established as the International Lawn Tennis Federation by 12 national associations meeting at a conference in Paris, France on 1 March 1913... (ITF); Association of Tennis Professionals Association of Tennis Professionals The Association of Tennis Professionals or ATP was formed in 1972 by Donald Dell, Jack Kramer, and Cliff Drysdale to protect the interests of male professional tennis players. Since 1990, the association has organized the worldwide tennis tour for men and linked the title of the tour with the... (ATP) awards and year-ending computer rankings. Michael Stich Michael Stich Michael Detlef Stich is a former professional tennis player from Germany. He is best remembered for winning the men's singles title at Wimbledon in 1991... won Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors... (defeating Boris Becker Boris Becker Boris Franz Becker is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Germany. He is a six-time Grand Slam singles champion, an Olympic gold medalist, and the youngest-ever winner of the men's singles title at Wimbledon at the age of 17... in the final). Stefan Edberg Stefan Edberg Stefan Bengt Edberg is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Sweden. A major proponent of the serve-and-volley style of tennis, he won six Grand Slam singles titles and three Grand Slam men's doubles titles. He also won one season ending championship title the Masters Grand Prix... won the US Open U.S. Open (tennis) The US Open, formally the United States Open Tennis Championships, is a hardcourt tennis tournament which is the modern iteration of one of the oldest tennis championships in the world, the U.S. National Championship, which for men's singles was first contested in 1881... (defeating Jim Courier Jim Courier James Spencer "Jim" Courier, Jr. is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player from the United States. During his career, he won four Grand Slam singles titles, two at the French Open and two at the Australian Open... in the final). Courier won the French Open (defeating Andre Agassi Andre Agassi Andre Kirk Agassi is a retired American professional tennis player and former world no. 1. Generally considered by critics and fellow players to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Agassi has been called the best service returner in the history of the game... in the final) and the Lipton International Players Championships in Key Biscayne, Florida Key Biscayne, Florida Key Biscayne is a village in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States on the island of Key Biscayne. The population was 10,507 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 10,324.... (defeating David Wheaton David Wheaton David Wheaton is a former professional tennis player from the United States.Born in Minneapolis, Wheaton played in his first tournament at age eight, and won the Minnesota State High School tennis title in 1984, as a ninth grader. In 1987, he won the US Open junior title and was ranked the No. 1... in the final). Becker won the Australian Open Australian Open The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court... (defeating Ivan Lendl Ivan Lendl Ivan Lendl is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player. Originally from Czechoslovakia, Lendl became a United States citizen. He was one of the game's most dominant players in the 1980s and remained a top competitor into the early 1990s. He is considered to be one of the greatest tennis... in the final). Pete Sampras Pete Sampras Pete Sampras is a retired American tennis player and former world no. 1. During his 15-year tour career, he won 14 Grand Slam singles titles and became recognized as one of the greatest tennis players of all time.... won the year-ending ATP Tour World Championship Tennis Masters Cup The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals is a tennis tournament played at the end of each year, involving the top eight players in the men's tennis world rankings.... (defeating Courier in the final). The ITF named Edberg as its World Champion. The members of the ATP voted Edberg "Player of The Year." Tennis Magazine (France) ranked Edberg first and Courier second. In the ATP's year-ending rankings, Edberg finished first, Courier second, and Becker third. |
| 1992 | Jim Courier Jim Courier James Spencer "Jim" Courier, Jr. is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player from the United States. During his career, he won four Grand Slam singles titles, two at the French Open and two at the Australian Open... P. (U.S.) |
Stefan Edberg Stefan Edberg Stefan Bengt Edberg is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Sweden. A major proponent of the serve-and-volley style of tennis, he won six Grand Slam singles titles and three Grand Slam men's doubles titles. He also won one season ending championship title the Masters Grand Prix... P. (Sweden) |
Tennis Magazine (France); International Tennis Federation International Tennis Federation The International Tennis Federation is the governing body of world tennis, made up of 205 national tennis associations.It was established as the International Lawn Tennis Federation by 12 national associations meeting at a conference in Paris, France on 1 March 1913... (ITF); Association of Tennis Professionals Association of Tennis Professionals The Association of Tennis Professionals or ATP was formed in 1972 by Donald Dell, Jack Kramer, and Cliff Drysdale to protect the interests of male professional tennis players. Since 1990, the association has organized the worldwide tennis tour for men and linked the title of the tour with the... (ATP) awards and year-ending computer rankings. Andre Agassi Andre Agassi Andre Kirk Agassi is a retired American professional tennis player and former world no. 1. Generally considered by critics and fellow players to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Agassi has been called the best service returner in the history of the game... won his first Grand Slam Grand Slam (tennis) The four Major tennis tournaments, also called the Slams, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world tour ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, strength and size of player field, and public attention. They are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and... tournament at Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors... (defeating Goran Ivanišević Goran Ivaniševic Goran Ivanišević is a retired Croatian professional tennis player. He is best remembered for being the only person to win the men's singles title at Wimbledon as a wildcard. He achieved this in 2001, having previously been runner-up at the championships in 1992, 1994 and 1998. Ivanišević is famous... in the final). Jim Courier Jim Courier James Spencer "Jim" Courier, Jr. is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player from the United States. During his career, he won four Grand Slam singles titles, two at the French Open and two at the Australian Open... won the Australian Open Australian Open The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court... (defeating Stefan Edberg Stefan Edberg Stefan Bengt Edberg is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Sweden. A major proponent of the serve-and-volley style of tennis, he won six Grand Slam singles titles and three Grand Slam men's doubles titles. He also won one season ending championship title the Masters Grand Prix... in the final) and the French Open (defeating Petr Korda Petr Korda Petr Korda is a former professional tennis player from the Czech Republic. He is best known for winning the Australian Open in 1998 and for testing positive for the banned substance, nandrolone, following a match at Wimbledon that same year.-Career:Korda was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia.He first... in the final). Edberg won his last Grand Slam tournament at the US Open U.S. Open (tennis) The US Open, formally the United States Open Tennis Championships, is a hardcourt tennis tournament which is the modern iteration of one of the oldest tennis championships in the world, the U.S. National Championship, which for men's singles was first contested in 1881... (defeating Pete Sampras Pete Sampras Pete Sampras is a retired American tennis player and former world no. 1. During his 15-year tour career, he won 14 Grand Slam singles titles and became recognized as one of the greatest tennis players of all time.... in the final). Boris Becker Boris Becker Boris Franz Becker is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Germany. He is a six-time Grand Slam singles champion, an Olympic gold medalist, and the youngest-ever winner of the men's singles title at Wimbledon at the age of 17... won the year-ending ATP Tour World Championship Tennis Masters Cup The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals is a tennis tournament played at the end of each year, involving the top eight players in the men's tennis world rankings.... (defeating Courier in the final). Michael Chang Michael Chang Michael Te-Pei Chang is a former American professional tennis player. He is best remembered for becoming the youngest-ever male player to win a Grand Slam singles title when he won the French Open in 1989 at the age of 17.... won the Lipton International Players Championships in Key Biscayne, Florida Key Biscayne, Florida Key Biscayne is a village in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States on the island of Key Biscayne. The population was 10,507 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 10,324.... (defeating Alberto Mancini Alberto Mancini Alberto César Mancini is a former professional tennis player from Argentina. He turned professional in 1987. In 1988, he won his first top-level singles title at Bologna, and his first tour doubles title at St. Vincent.... in the final). The ITF named Courier as its World Champion. The members of the ATP voted Courier "Player of The Year." Tennis Magazine (France) ranked Courier first. In the ATP's year-ending rankings, Courier finished first, Edberg second, and Sampras third. |
| 1993 | Pete Sampras Pete Sampras Pete Sampras is a retired American tennis player and former world no. 1. During his 15-year tour career, he won 14 Grand Slam singles titles and became recognized as one of the greatest tennis players of all time.... P. (U.S.) |
No consensus among the sources: Jim Courier Jim Courier James Spencer "Jim" Courier, Jr. is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player from the United States. During his career, he won four Grand Slam singles titles, two at the French Open and two at the Australian Open... P. (U.S.) Michael Stich Michael Stich Michael Detlef Stich is a former professional tennis player from Germany. He is best remembered for winning the men's singles title at Wimbledon in 1991... P. (Germany) |
Tennis Magazine (France); International Tennis Federation International Tennis Federation The International Tennis Federation is the governing body of world tennis, made up of 205 national tennis associations.It was established as the International Lawn Tennis Federation by 12 national associations meeting at a conference in Paris, France on 1 March 1913... (ITF); Association of Tennis Professionals Association of Tennis Professionals The Association of Tennis Professionals or ATP was formed in 1972 by Donald Dell, Jack Kramer, and Cliff Drysdale to protect the interests of male professional tennis players. Since 1990, the association has organized the worldwide tennis tour for men and linked the title of the tour with the... (ATP) awards and year-ending computer rankings. Pete Sampras Pete Sampras Pete Sampras is a retired American tennis player and former world no. 1. During his 15-year tour career, he won 14 Grand Slam singles titles and became recognized as one of the greatest tennis players of all time.... won Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors... (defeating Jim Courier Jim Courier James Spencer "Jim" Courier, Jr. is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player from the United States. During his career, he won four Grand Slam singles titles, two at the French Open and two at the Australian Open... in the final), the US Open U.S. Open (tennis) The US Open, formally the United States Open Tennis Championships, is a hardcourt tennis tournament which is the modern iteration of one of the oldest tennis championships in the world, the U.S. National Championship, which for men's singles was first contested in 1881... (defeating Cédric Pioline Cédric Pioline Cédric Pioline is a retired French professional tennis player who played on the professional tour from 1989 to 2002. He reached the men's singles final at the 1993 US Open and at Wimbledon in 1997... in the final), and the Lipton International Players Championships in Key Biscayne, Florida Key Biscayne, Florida Key Biscayne is a village in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States on the island of Key Biscayne. The population was 10,507 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 10,324.... (defeating MaliVai Washington MaliVai Washington MaliVai "Mal" Washington is a former professional tennis player from the United States. He is best remembered for reaching the men's singles final at Wimbledon in 1996.-Family:... in the final). Sergi Bruguera Sergi Bruguera Sergi Bruguera i Torner is a former professional tennis player from Spain. He is best remembered for winning consecutive men's singles titles at the French Open in 1993 and 1994.-Career:... won the French Open (defeating Courier in the final). Courier won the Australian Open Australian Open The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court... (defeating Stefan Edberg Stefan Edberg Stefan Bengt Edberg is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Sweden. A major proponent of the serve-and-volley style of tennis, he won six Grand Slam singles titles and three Grand Slam men's doubles titles. He also won one season ending championship title the Masters Grand Prix... in the final and Michael Stich Michael Stich Michael Detlef Stich is a former professional tennis player from Germany. He is best remembered for winning the men's singles title at Wimbledon in 1991... in the semifinals). Stich won the year-ending ATP Tour World Championship Tennis Masters Cup The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals is a tennis tournament played at the end of each year, involving the top eight players in the men's tennis world rankings.... (defeating Sampras in the final and Courier in a round robin match). The ITF named Sampras as its World Champion. The members of the ATP voted Sampras "Player of The Year." Tennis Magazine (France) ranked Sampras first and Courier second. In the ATP's year-ending rankings, Sampras finished first, Stich second, and Courier third. This was the first of six consecutive years that Sampras was the year-end World No. 1 according to the ATP rankings. |
| 1994 | Pete Sampras Pete Sampras Pete Sampras is a retired American tennis player and former world no. 1. During his 15-year tour career, he won 14 Grand Slam singles titles and became recognized as one of the greatest tennis players of all time.... P. (U.S.) |
Andre Agassi Andre Agassi Andre Kirk Agassi is a retired American professional tennis player and former world no. 1. Generally considered by critics and fellow players to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Agassi has been called the best service returner in the history of the game... P. (U.S.) |
Tennis Magazine (France); International Tennis Federation International Tennis Federation The International Tennis Federation is the governing body of world tennis, made up of 205 national tennis associations.It was established as the International Lawn Tennis Federation by 12 national associations meeting at a conference in Paris, France on 1 March 1913... (ITF); Association of Tennis Professionals Association of Tennis Professionals The Association of Tennis Professionals or ATP was formed in 1972 by Donald Dell, Jack Kramer, and Cliff Drysdale to protect the interests of male professional tennis players. Since 1990, the association has organized the worldwide tennis tour for men and linked the title of the tour with the... (ATP) awards and year-ending computer rankings. Pete Sampras Pete Sampras Pete Sampras is a retired American tennis player and former world no. 1. During his 15-year tour career, he won 14 Grand Slam singles titles and became recognized as one of the greatest tennis players of all time.... won the Australian Open Australian Open The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court... (defeating Todd Martin Todd Martin ----Todd Christopher Martin is a former professional tennis player from the United States.-Playing career:... in the final), Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors... (defeating Goran Ivanišević Goran Ivaniševic Goran Ivanišević is a retired Croatian professional tennis player. He is best remembered for being the only person to win the men's singles title at Wimbledon as a wildcard. He achieved this in 2001, having previously been runner-up at the championships in 1992, 1994 and 1998. Ivanišević is famous... in the final), the Lipton International Players Championships in Key Biscayne, Florida Key Biscayne, Florida Key Biscayne is a village in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States on the island of Key Biscayne. The population was 10,507 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 10,324.... (defeating Andre Agassi Andre Agassi Andre Kirk Agassi is a retired American professional tennis player and former world no. 1. Generally considered by critics and fellow players to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Agassi has been called the best service returner in the history of the game... in the final), and the year-ending ATP Tour World Championship Tennis Masters Cup The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals is a tennis tournament played at the end of each year, involving the top eight players in the men's tennis world rankings.... (defeating Boris Becker Boris Becker Boris Franz Becker is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Germany. He is a six-time Grand Slam singles champion, an Olympic gold medalist, and the youngest-ever winner of the men's singles title at Wimbledon at the age of 17... in the final and Agassi in the semifinals). Jim Courier Jim Courier James Spencer "Jim" Courier, Jr. is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player from the United States. During his career, he won four Grand Slam singles titles, two at the French Open and two at the Australian Open... defeated Sampras in the French Open quarterfinals, thus ending Sampras's bid to win a fourth consecutive Grand Slam Grand Slam (tennis) The four Major tennis tournaments, also called the Slams, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world tour ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, strength and size of player field, and public attention. They are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and... singles title. Sergi Bruguera Sergi Bruguera Sergi Bruguera i Torner is a former professional tennis player from Spain. He is best remembered for winning consecutive men's singles titles at the French Open in 1993 and 1994.-Career:... again won the French Open (defeating Alberto Berasategui Alberto Berasategui Alberto Berasategui is a former professional tennis player from Spain. He reached the men's singles final at the French Open in 1994.... in the final). Agassi won the US Open U.S. Open (tennis) The US Open, formally the United States Open Tennis Championships, is a hardcourt tennis tournament which is the modern iteration of one of the oldest tennis championships in the world, the U.S. National Championship, which for men's singles was first contested in 1881... (defeating Michael Stich Michael Stich Michael Detlef Stich is a former professional tennis player from Germany. He is best remembered for winning the men's singles title at Wimbledon in 1991... in the final). The ITF named Sampras as its World Champion. The members of the ATP voted Sampras "Player of The Year." Tennis Magazine (France) ranked Sampras first and Agassi second. In the ATP's year-ending rankings, Sampras finished first, Agassi second, Becker third, and Bruguera fourth. |
| 1995 | Pete Sampras Pete Sampras Pete Sampras is a retired American tennis player and former world no. 1. During his 15-year tour career, he won 14 Grand Slam singles titles and became recognized as one of the greatest tennis players of all time.... P. (U.S.) |
Andre Agassi Andre Agassi Andre Kirk Agassi is a retired American professional tennis player and former world no. 1. Generally considered by critics and fellow players to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Agassi has been called the best service returner in the history of the game... P. (U.S.) |
Tennis Magazine (France); International Tennis Federation International Tennis Federation The International Tennis Federation is the governing body of world tennis, made up of 205 national tennis associations.It was established as the International Lawn Tennis Federation by 12 national associations meeting at a conference in Paris, France on 1 March 1913... (ITF); Association of Tennis Professionals Association of Tennis Professionals The Association of Tennis Professionals or ATP was formed in 1972 by Donald Dell, Jack Kramer, and Cliff Drysdale to protect the interests of male professional tennis players. Since 1990, the association has organized the worldwide tennis tour for men and linked the title of the tour with the... (ATP) awards and year-ending computer rankings. Pete Sampras Pete Sampras Pete Sampras is a retired American tennis player and former world no. 1. During his 15-year tour career, he won 14 Grand Slam singles titles and became recognized as one of the greatest tennis players of all time.... won Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors... (defeating Boris Becker Boris Becker Boris Franz Becker is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Germany. He is a six-time Grand Slam singles champion, an Olympic gold medalist, and the youngest-ever winner of the men's singles title at Wimbledon at the age of 17... in the final) and the US Open U.S. Open (tennis) The US Open, formally the United States Open Tennis Championships, is a hardcourt tennis tournament which is the modern iteration of one of the oldest tennis championships in the world, the U.S. National Championship, which for men's singles was first contested in 1881... (defeating Andre Agassi Andre Agassi Andre Kirk Agassi is a retired American professional tennis player and former world no. 1. Generally considered by critics and fellow players to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Agassi has been called the best service returner in the history of the game... in the final). Thomas Muster Thomas Muster Thomas Muster is a former world no. 1 tennis player from Austria. One of the world's leading clay court players in the 1990s, Muster won the 1995 French Open and at his peak was known as "The King of Clay." In addition, he won eight Masters 1000 series titles, placing him sixth on the all-time list... won the French Open (defeating Michael Chang Michael Chang Michael Te-Pei Chang is a former American professional tennis player. He is best remembered for becoming the youngest-ever male player to win a Grand Slam singles title when he won the French Open in 1989 at the age of 17.... in the final). Agassi won the Australian Open Australian Open The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court... and the Lipton International Players Championships in Key Biscayne, Florida Key Biscayne, Florida Key Biscayne is a village in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States on the island of Key Biscayne. The population was 10,507 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 10,324.... (defeating Sampras in both finals). Becker won the year-ending ATP Tour World Championship Tennis Masters Cup The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals is a tennis tournament played at the end of each year, involving the top eight players in the men's tennis world rankings.... (defeating Chang in the final). The ITF named Sampras as its World Champion. The members of the ATP voted Sampras "Player of The Year." Tennis Magazine (France) ranked Sampras first and Agassi second. In the ATP's year-ending rankings, Sampras finished first, Agassi second, Muster third, and Becker fourth. |
| 1996 | Pete Sampras Pete Sampras Pete Sampras is a retired American tennis player and former world no. 1. During his 15-year tour career, he won 14 Grand Slam singles titles and became recognized as one of the greatest tennis players of all time.... P. (U.S.) |
Michael Chang Michael Chang Michael Te-Pei Chang is a former American professional tennis player. He is best remembered for becoming the youngest-ever male player to win a Grand Slam singles title when he won the French Open in 1989 at the age of 17.... P. (U.S.) |
International Tennis Federation International Tennis Federation The International Tennis Federation is the governing body of world tennis, made up of 205 national tennis associations.It was established as the International Lawn Tennis Federation by 12 national associations meeting at a conference in Paris, France on 1 March 1913... (ITF); Association of Tennis Professionals Association of Tennis Professionals The Association of Tennis Professionals or ATP was formed in 1972 by Donald Dell, Jack Kramer, and Cliff Drysdale to protect the interests of male professional tennis players. Since 1990, the association has organized the worldwide tennis tour for men and linked the title of the tour with the... (ATP) awards and year-ending computer rankings. Pete Sampras Pete Sampras Pete Sampras is a retired American tennis player and former world no. 1. During his 15-year tour career, he won 14 Grand Slam singles titles and became recognized as one of the greatest tennis players of all time.... won the US Open U.S. Open (tennis) The US Open, formally the United States Open Tennis Championships, is a hardcourt tennis tournament which is the modern iteration of one of the oldest tennis championships in the world, the U.S. National Championship, which for men's singles was first contested in 1881... (defeating Michael Chang Michael Chang Michael Te-Pei Chang is a former American professional tennis player. He is best remembered for becoming the youngest-ever male player to win a Grand Slam singles title when he won the French Open in 1989 at the age of 17.... in the final). Richard Krajicek Richard Krajicek Richard Peter Stanislav Krajicek is a Dutch former professional tennis player. In 1996 he won the men's singles title at Wimbledon, the only Dutch player to have done so. In the quarterfinals of that tournament he defeated Pete Sampras. This was Sampras' only singles defeat at Wimbledon between... won Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors... (defeating MaliVai Washington MaliVai Washington MaliVai "Mal" Washington is a former professional tennis player from the United States. He is best remembered for reaching the men's singles final at Wimbledon in 1996.-Family:... in the final). Yevgeny Kafelnikov Yevgeny Kafelnikov Yevgeny Aleksandrovich Kafelnikov is a former World No. 1 tennis player from Russia. He won two Grand Slam singles titles , four Grand Slam doubles titles, and the men's singles gold medal at the Sydney Olympic Games. He also helped Russia win the Davis Cup in 2002... won the French Open (defeating Michael Stich Michael Stich Michael Detlef Stich is a former professional tennis player from Germany. He is best remembered for winning the men's singles title at Wimbledon in 1991... in the final). Boris Becker Boris Becker Boris Franz Becker is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Germany. He is a six-time Grand Slam singles champion, an Olympic gold medalist, and the youngest-ever winner of the men's singles title at Wimbledon at the age of 17... won the Australian Open Australian Open The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court... (defeating Chang in the final). Sampras won the year-ending ATP Tour World Championship Tennis Masters Cup The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals is a tennis tournament played at the end of each year, involving the top eight players in the men's tennis world rankings.... (defeating Becker in the final). The ITF named Sampras as its World Champion. The members of the ATP voted Sampras "Player of The Year." In the ATP's year-ending rankings, Sampras finished first and Chang second. |
| 1997 | Pete Sampras Pete Sampras Pete Sampras is a retired American tennis player and former world no. 1. During his 15-year tour career, he won 14 Grand Slam singles titles and became recognized as one of the greatest tennis players of all time.... P. (U.S.) |
Patrick Rafter Patrick Rafter Patrick "Pat" Michael Rafter is an Australian former World No. 1 tennis player. He twice won the men's singles title at the US Open and was twice the runner-up at Wimbledon. Rafter was elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2006. He was known for his natural serve-and-volley style of... P. (Australia) |
International Tennis Federation International Tennis Federation The International Tennis Federation is the governing body of world tennis, made up of 205 national tennis associations.It was established as the International Lawn Tennis Federation by 12 national associations meeting at a conference in Paris, France on 1 March 1913... (ITF); Association of Tennis Professionals Association of Tennis Professionals The Association of Tennis Professionals or ATP was formed in 1972 by Donald Dell, Jack Kramer, and Cliff Drysdale to protect the interests of male professional tennis players. Since 1990, the association has organized the worldwide tennis tour for men and linked the title of the tour with the... (ATP) awards and year-ending computer rankings. Pete Sampras Pete Sampras Pete Sampras is a retired American tennis player and former world no. 1. During his 15-year tour career, he won 14 Grand Slam singles titles and became recognized as one of the greatest tennis players of all time.... won Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors... (defeating Cédric Pioline Cédric Pioline Cédric Pioline is a retired French professional tennis player who played on the professional tour from 1989 to 2002. He reached the men's singles final at the 1993 US Open and at Wimbledon in 1997... in the final). Sampras beat Carlos Moyà Carlos Moyá Carlos Moya Llompart is a retired former world no. 1 tennis player from Spain. He was the French Open singles champion in 1998 and was the singles runner-up at the 1997 Australian Open. In 2004, he helped his country win the Davis Cup. He currently resides in Switzerland... in the Australian Open Australian Open The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court... final and Yevgeny Kafelnikov Yevgeny Kafelnikov Yevgeny Aleksandrovich Kafelnikov is a former World No. 1 tennis player from Russia. He won two Grand Slam singles titles , four Grand Slam doubles titles, and the men's singles gold medal at the Sydney Olympic Games. He also helped Russia win the Davis Cup in 2002... in the year-ending ATP Tour World Championship Tennis Masters Cup The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals is a tennis tournament played at the end of each year, involving the top eight players in the men's tennis world rankings.... final. Gustavo Kuerten Gustavo Kuerten Gustavo Kuerten is a retired former World No. 1 tennis player from Brazil. He won the French Open three times between 1997 and 2001, and was the Tennis Masters Cup champion in 2000... won the French Open (defeating Sergi Bruguera Sergi Bruguera Sergi Bruguera i Torner is a former professional tennis player from Spain. He is best remembered for winning consecutive men's singles titles at the French Open in 1993 and 1994.-Career:... in the final). Patrick Rafter Patrick Rafter Patrick "Pat" Michael Rafter is an Australian former World No. 1 tennis player. He twice won the men's singles title at the US Open and was twice the runner-up at Wimbledon. Rafter was elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2006. He was known for his natural serve-and-volley style of... won the US Open U.S. Open (tennis) The US Open, formally the United States Open Tennis Championships, is a hardcourt tennis tournament which is the modern iteration of one of the oldest tennis championships in the world, the U.S. National Championship, which for men's singles was first contested in 1881... (defeating Greg Rusedski Greg Rusedski Gregory "Greg" Rusedski is a British Canadian former tennis player who turned professional in 1991 and played until his retirement on 7 April 2007, at the age of 33... in the final). The ITF named Sampras as its World Champion. The members of the ATP voted Sampras "Player of The Year." In the ATP's year-ending rankings, Sampras finished first and Rafter second. |
| 1998 | Pete Sampras Pete Sampras Pete Sampras is a retired American tennis player and former world no. 1. During his 15-year tour career, he won 14 Grand Slam singles titles and became recognized as one of the greatest tennis players of all time.... P. (U.S.) |
Marcelo Ríos Marcelo Ríos Marcelo Andrés Ríos Mayorga is a former World No. 1 tennis player from Chile. Nicknamed El Chino and El zurdo de Vitacura , he became the first Latin American player to reach the top position on the Association of Tennis Professionals singles rankings in 1998. He held the World No... P. (Chile) |
Tennis magazine (U.S.); International Tennis Federation International Tennis Federation The International Tennis Federation is the governing body of world tennis, made up of 205 national tennis associations.It was established as the International Lawn Tennis Federation by 12 national associations meeting at a conference in Paris, France on 1 March 1913... (ITF); Association of Tennis Professionals Association of Tennis Professionals The Association of Tennis Professionals or ATP was formed in 1972 by Donald Dell, Jack Kramer, and Cliff Drysdale to protect the interests of male professional tennis players. Since 1990, the association has organized the worldwide tennis tour for men and linked the title of the tour with the... (ATP) awards and year-ending computer rankings. Pete Sampras Pete Sampras Pete Sampras is a retired American tennis player and former world no. 1. During his 15-year tour career, he won 14 Grand Slam singles titles and became recognized as one of the greatest tennis players of all time.... won Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors... (defeating Goran Ivanišević Goran Ivaniševic Goran Ivanišević is a retired Croatian professional tennis player. He is best remembered for being the only person to win the men's singles title at Wimbledon as a wildcard. He achieved this in 2001, having previously been runner-up at the championships in 1992, 1994 and 1998. Ivanišević is famous... in the final). Patrick Rafter Patrick Rafter Patrick "Pat" Michael Rafter is an Australian former World No. 1 tennis player. He twice won the men's singles title at the US Open and was twice the runner-up at Wimbledon. Rafter was elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2006. He was known for his natural serve-and-volley style of... won the US Open U.S. Open (tennis) The US Open, formally the United States Open Tennis Championships, is a hardcourt tennis tournament which is the modern iteration of one of the oldest tennis championships in the world, the U.S. National Championship, which for men's singles was first contested in 1881... (defeating Mark Philippoussis Mark Philippoussis Mark Anthony Philippoussis is an Australian tennis player. He turned professional in 1994. His father is Greek, while his mother is of Italian ancestry.... in the final). Carlos Moyà Carlos Moyá Carlos Moya Llompart is a retired former world no. 1 tennis player from Spain. He was the French Open singles champion in 1998 and was the singles runner-up at the 1997 Australian Open. In 2004, he helped his country win the Davis Cup. He currently resides in Switzerland... won the French Open (defeating Àlex Corretja Àlex Corretja Àlex Corretja i Verdegay is a former professional tennis player from Spain. During his career, he finished runner-up twice at the French Open . He won the ATP Tour World Championships in 1998 and reached his career-high singles ranking of world no. 2 in 1999... in the final). Petr Korda Petr Korda Petr Korda is a former professional tennis player from the Czech Republic. He is best known for winning the Australian Open in 1998 and for testing positive for the banned substance, nandrolone, following a match at Wimbledon that same year.-Career:Korda was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia.He first... won the Australian Open Australian Open The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court... (defeating Marcelo Ríos Marcelo Ríos Marcelo Andrés Ríos Mayorga is a former World No. 1 tennis player from Chile. Nicknamed El Chino and El zurdo de Vitacura , he became the first Latin American player to reach the top position on the Association of Tennis Professionals singles rankings in 1998. He held the World No... in the final). Corretja won the year-ending ATP Tour World Championship Tennis Masters Cup The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals is a tennis tournament played at the end of each year, involving the top eight players in the men's tennis world rankings.... (defeating Moya in the final). Rios won the Lipton International Players Championships in Key Biscayne, Florida Key Biscayne, Florida Key Biscayne is a village in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States on the island of Key Biscayne. The population was 10,507 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 10,324.... (defeating Andre Agassi Andre Agassi Andre Kirk Agassi is a retired American professional tennis player and former world no. 1. Generally considered by critics and fellow players to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Agassi has been called the best service returner in the history of the game... in the final). The ITF named Sampras as its World Champion. The members of the ATP voted Sampras "Player of The Year." Tennis magazine (U.S.), however, ranked Rafter first. In the ATP's year-ending rankings, Sampras finished first, Rios second, Corretja third, and Rafter fourth. |
| 1999 | Andre Agassi Andre Agassi Andre Kirk Agassi is a retired American professional tennis player and former world no. 1. Generally considered by critics and fellow players to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Agassi has been called the best service returner in the history of the game... P. (U.S.) |
No consensus among the sources: Pete Sampras Pete Sampras Pete Sampras is a retired American tennis player and former world no. 1. During his 15-year tour career, he won 14 Grand Slam singles titles and became recognized as one of the greatest tennis players of all time.... P. (U.S.) Yevgeny Kafelnikov Yevgeny Kafelnikov Yevgeny Aleksandrovich Kafelnikov is a former World No. 1 tennis player from Russia. He won two Grand Slam singles titles , four Grand Slam doubles titles, and the men's singles gold medal at the Sydney Olympic Games. He also helped Russia win the Davis Cup in 2002... P. (Russia) |
Tennis Magazine (France); International Tennis Federation International Tennis Federation The International Tennis Federation is the governing body of world tennis, made up of 205 national tennis associations.It was established as the International Lawn Tennis Federation by 12 national associations meeting at a conference in Paris, France on 1 March 1913... (ITF); Association of Tennis Professionals Association of Tennis Professionals The Association of Tennis Professionals or ATP was formed in 1972 by Donald Dell, Jack Kramer, and Cliff Drysdale to protect the interests of male professional tennis players. Since 1990, the association has organized the worldwide tennis tour for men and linked the title of the tour with the... (ATP) awards and year-ending computer rankings. Pete Sampras Pete Sampras Pete Sampras is a retired American tennis player and former world no. 1. During his 15-year tour career, he won 14 Grand Slam singles titles and became recognized as one of the greatest tennis players of all time.... won Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors... and the year-ending ATP Tour World Championship Tennis Masters Cup The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals is a tennis tournament played at the end of each year, involving the top eight players in the men's tennis world rankings.... (defeating Andre Agassi Andre Agassi Andre Kirk Agassi is a retired American professional tennis player and former world no. 1. Generally considered by critics and fellow players to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Agassi has been called the best service returner in the history of the game... in both finals). Agassi won the French Open (defeating Andrei Medvedev Andrei Medvedev Andriy Medvedev , is a former professional tennis player from Ukraine. Medvedev made a splash on the international tennis scene when, as a 17-year-old, he won titles in Genoa and Stuttgart... in the final) and the US Open U.S. Open (tennis) The US Open, formally the United States Open Tennis Championships, is a hardcourt tennis tournament which is the modern iteration of one of the oldest tennis championships in the world, the U.S. National Championship, which for men's singles was first contested in 1881... (defeating Todd Martin Todd Martin ----Todd Christopher Martin is a former professional tennis player from the United States.-Playing career:... in the final). Yevgeny Kafelnikov Yevgeny Kafelnikov Yevgeny Aleksandrovich Kafelnikov is a former World No. 1 tennis player from Russia. He won two Grand Slam singles titles , four Grand Slam doubles titles, and the men's singles gold medal at the Sydney Olympic Games. He also helped Russia win the Davis Cup in 2002... won the Australian Open Australian Open The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court... (defeating Thomas Enqvist Thomas Enqvist Thomas Karl Johan Enqvist is a former professional tennis player from Sweden.He was quickly touted as the only Swede who could follow in the footsteps of Stefan Edberg and Björn Borg, and was ranked as high as No. 4 on the ATP Rankings.Enqvist was a force on the Swedish Davis Cup team... in the final). Sampras won four of five matches with Agassi. The ITF named Agassi as its World Champion. The members of the ATP voted Agassi "Player of The Year." Tennis Magazine (France) ranked Agassi first, Sampras second, and Kafelnikov third. In the ATP's year-ending rankings, Agassi finished first, Kafelnikov second, and Sampras third. |
| 2000 | Gustavo Kuerten Gustavo Kuerten Gustavo Kuerten is a retired former World No. 1 tennis player from Brazil. He won the French Open three times between 1997 and 2001, and was the Tennis Masters Cup champion in 2000... P. (Brazil) |
Marat Safin Marat Safin Marat Mikhailovich Safin is a retired Russian tennis player of Tatar descent. Safin won two grand slams and reached the world number 1 ranking during his career. He was also famous for his emotional outbursts and sometimes fiery temper on court. Safin also holds the record for most broken... P. (Russia) |
Tennis Magazine (France); International Tennis Federation International Tennis Federation The International Tennis Federation is the governing body of world tennis, made up of 205 national tennis associations.It was established as the International Lawn Tennis Federation by 12 national associations meeting at a conference in Paris, France on 1 March 1913... (ITF); Association of Tennis Professionals Association of Tennis Professionals The Association of Tennis Professionals or ATP was formed in 1972 by Donald Dell, Jack Kramer, and Cliff Drysdale to protect the interests of male professional tennis players. Since 1990, the association has organized the worldwide tennis tour for men and linked the title of the tour with the... (ATP) awards and year-ending computer rankings. Pete Sampras Pete Sampras Pete Sampras is a retired American tennis player and former world no. 1. During his 15-year tour career, he won 14 Grand Slam singles titles and became recognized as one of the greatest tennis players of all time.... won Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors... (defeating Patrick Rafter Patrick Rafter Patrick "Pat" Michael Rafter is an Australian former World No. 1 tennis player. He twice won the men's singles title at the US Open and was twice the runner-up at Wimbledon. Rafter was elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2006. He was known for his natural serve-and-volley style of... in the final). Gustavo Kuerten Gustavo Kuerten Gustavo Kuerten is a retired former World No. 1 tennis player from Brazil. He won the French Open three times between 1997 and 2001, and was the Tennis Masters Cup champion in 2000... won the French Open (defeating Magnus Norman Magnus Norman Magnus Norman is a retired Swedish professional tennis player who is best known for being the runner-up at the French Open in 2000 and for briefly being ranked World Number 2. He won 12 singles titles, including a Tennis Masters Series tournament in Rome, Italy.Norman reached his career high... in the final) and the year-ending Tennis Masters Cup Tennis Masters Cup The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals is a tennis tournament played at the end of each year, involving the top eight players in the men's tennis world rankings.... (defeating Andre Agassi Andre Agassi Andre Kirk Agassi is a retired American professional tennis player and former world no. 1. Generally considered by critics and fellow players to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Agassi has been called the best service returner in the history of the game... in the final). Marat Safin Marat Safin Marat Mikhailovich Safin is a retired Russian tennis player of Tatar descent. Safin won two grand slams and reached the world number 1 ranking during his career. He was also famous for his emotional outbursts and sometimes fiery temper on court. Safin also holds the record for most broken... won the US Open U.S. Open (tennis) The US Open, formally the United States Open Tennis Championships, is a hardcourt tennis tournament which is the modern iteration of one of the oldest tennis championships in the world, the U.S. National Championship, which for men's singles was first contested in 1881... (defeating Sampras in the final). Agassi won the Australian Open Australian Open The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court... (defeating Yevgeny Kafelnikov Yevgeny Kafelnikov Yevgeny Aleksandrovich Kafelnikov is a former World No. 1 tennis player from Russia. He won two Grand Slam singles titles , four Grand Slam doubles titles, and the men's singles gold medal at the Sydney Olympic Games. He also helped Russia win the Davis Cup in 2002... in the final). The ITF named Kuerten as its World Champion. The members of the ATP voted Kuerten "Player of The Year." Tennis Magazine (France) confirmed the ATP year-ending rankings: Kuerten first, Safin second, Sampras third. |
| 2001 | Lleyton Hewitt Lleyton Hewitt Lleyton Glynn Hewitt born 24 February 1981) is an Australian professional tennis player and former world no. 1.In 2000, Hewitt had won ATP titles on all three major surfaces and reached one final on carpet. By 2001, he became the youngest male ever to be ranked no. 1 at the age of 20... P. (Australia) |
Gustavo Kuerten Gustavo Kuerten Gustavo Kuerten is a retired former World No. 1 tennis player from Brazil. He won the French Open three times between 1997 and 2001, and was the Tennis Masters Cup champion in 2000... P. (Brazil) |
Tennis Magazine (France); International Tennis Federation International Tennis Federation The International Tennis Federation is the governing body of world tennis, made up of 205 national tennis associations.It was established as the International Lawn Tennis Federation by 12 national associations meeting at a conference in Paris, France on 1 March 1913... (ITF); Association of Tennis Professionals Association of Tennis Professionals The Association of Tennis Professionals or ATP was formed in 1972 by Donald Dell, Jack Kramer, and Cliff Drysdale to protect the interests of male professional tennis players. Since 1990, the association has organized the worldwide tennis tour for men and linked the title of the tour with the... (ATP) awards and year-ending computer rankings. Lleyton Hewitt Lleyton Hewitt Lleyton Glynn Hewitt born 24 February 1981) is an Australian professional tennis player and former world no. 1.In 2000, Hewitt had won ATP titles on all three major surfaces and reached one final on carpet. By 2001, he became the youngest male ever to be ranked no. 1 at the age of 20... won the US Open U.S. Open (tennis) The US Open, formally the United States Open Tennis Championships, is a hardcourt tennis tournament which is the modern iteration of one of the oldest tennis championships in the world, the U.S. National Championship, which for men's singles was first contested in 1881... (defeating Pete Sampras Pete Sampras Pete Sampras is a retired American tennis player and former world no. 1. During his 15-year tour career, he won 14 Grand Slam singles titles and became recognized as one of the greatest tennis players of all time.... in the final) and the year-ending Tennis Masters Cup Tennis Masters Cup The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals is a tennis tournament played at the end of each year, involving the top eight players in the men's tennis world rankings.... (defeating Sébastien Grosjean Sébastien Grosjean Sébastien René Grosjean is a retired tennis player from France. His career-high ATP Entry ranking is No. 4 . He retired from tennis on May 27, 2010.-Career:... in the final). Goran Ivanišević Goran Ivaniševic Goran Ivanišević is a retired Croatian professional tennis player. He is best remembered for being the only person to win the men's singles title at Wimbledon as a wildcard. He achieved this in 2001, having previously been runner-up at the championships in 1992, 1994 and 1998. Ivanišević is famous... won Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors... (defeating Patrick Rafter Patrick Rafter Patrick "Pat" Michael Rafter is an Australian former World No. 1 tennis player. He twice won the men's singles title at the US Open and was twice the runner-up at Wimbledon. Rafter was elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2006. He was known for his natural serve-and-volley style of... in the final). Gustavo Kuerten Gustavo Kuerten Gustavo Kuerten is a retired former World No. 1 tennis player from Brazil. He won the French Open three times between 1997 and 2001, and was the Tennis Masters Cup champion in 2000... won the French Open (defeating Àlex Corretja Àlex Corretja Àlex Corretja i Verdegay is a former professional tennis player from Spain. During his career, he finished runner-up twice at the French Open . He won the ATP Tour World Championships in 1998 and reached his career-high singles ranking of world no. 2 in 1999... in the final). Andre Agassi Andre Agassi Andre Kirk Agassi is a retired American professional tennis player and former world no. 1. Generally considered by critics and fellow players to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Agassi has been called the best service returner in the history of the game... won the Australian Open Australian Open The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court... (defeating Arnaud Clément Arnaud Clément Arnaud Clément is a professional tennis player from France. His best achievement is reaching the final of the 2001 Australian Open.-Career:Clément was born in Aix-en-Provence, and currently lives in Geneva, Switzerland... in the final). The ITF named Hewitt as its World Champion. The members of the ATP voted Hewitt "Player of The Year." Tennis Magazine (France) confirmed the ATP year-ending rankings: Hewitt first, Kuerten second, Agassi third. |
| 2002 | Lleyton Hewitt Lleyton Hewitt Lleyton Glynn Hewitt born 24 February 1981) is an Australian professional tennis player and former world no. 1.In 2000, Hewitt had won ATP titles on all three major surfaces and reached one final on carpet. By 2001, he became the youngest male ever to be ranked no. 1 at the age of 20... P. (Australia) |
Andre Agassi Andre Agassi Andre Kirk Agassi is a retired American professional tennis player and former world no. 1. Generally considered by critics and fellow players to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Agassi has been called the best service returner in the history of the game... P. (U.S.) |
Tennis Magazine (France); International Tennis Federation International Tennis Federation The International Tennis Federation is the governing body of world tennis, made up of 205 national tennis associations.It was established as the International Lawn Tennis Federation by 12 national associations meeting at a conference in Paris, France on 1 March 1913... (ITF); Association of Tennis Professionals Association of Tennis Professionals The Association of Tennis Professionals or ATP was formed in 1972 by Donald Dell, Jack Kramer, and Cliff Drysdale to protect the interests of male professional tennis players. Since 1990, the association has organized the worldwide tennis tour for men and linked the title of the tour with the... (ATP) awards and year-ending computer rankings. Lleyton Hewitt Lleyton Hewitt Lleyton Glynn Hewitt born 24 February 1981) is an Australian professional tennis player and former world no. 1.In 2000, Hewitt had won ATP titles on all three major surfaces and reached one final on carpet. By 2001, he became the youngest male ever to be ranked no. 1 at the age of 20... won Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors... (defeating David Nalbandian David Nalbandian David Pablo Nalbandian is an Argentine professional tennis player and former world no. 3. He was runner-up at the 2002 Wimbledon Championships and the winner of the Tennis Masters Cup in 2005.-Biography:... in the final) and the Tennis Masters Cup Tennis Masters Cup The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals is a tennis tournament played at the end of each year, involving the top eight players in the men's tennis world rankings.... (defeating Juan Carlos Ferrero Juan Carlos Ferrero Juan Carlos Ferrero Donat is a professional tennis player, and a former world no. 1 player, from Spain. He captured the men's singles title at the 2003 French Open, and in September of that year, he became the 21st player to hold the world no. 1 ranking. He was also the runner-up at the 2002... in the final). Pete Sampras Pete Sampras Pete Sampras is a retired American tennis player and former world no. 1. During his 15-year tour career, he won 14 Grand Slam singles titles and became recognized as one of the greatest tennis players of all time.... won the US Open U.S. Open (tennis) The US Open, formally the United States Open Tennis Championships, is a hardcourt tennis tournament which is the modern iteration of one of the oldest tennis championships in the world, the U.S. National Championship, which for men's singles was first contested in 1881... (defeating Andre Agassi Andre Agassi Andre Kirk Agassi is a retired American professional tennis player and former world no. 1. Generally considered by critics and fellow players to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Agassi has been called the best service returner in the history of the game... in the final). Albert Costa Albert Costa Albert Costa i Casals is a former professional tennis player from Spain. He is best remembered for winning the men's singles title at the French Open in 2002.-Tennis career:... won the French Open (defeating Ferrero in the final). Thomas Johansson Thomas Johansson Karl Thomas Conny Johansson , commonly known as Thomas Johansson, is a former Swedish professional tennis player. He is a former Australian Open singles champion and Olympic silver medalist in doubles.-Junior career:... won the Australian Open Australian Open The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court... (defeating Marat Safin Marat Safin Marat Mikhailovich Safin is a retired Russian tennis player of Tatar descent. Safin won two grand slams and reached the world number 1 ranking during his career. He was also famous for his emotional outbursts and sometimes fiery temper on court. Safin also holds the record for most broken... in the final). The ITF named Hewitt as its World Champion. The members of the ATP voted Hewitt "Player of The Year." Tennis Magazine (France) confirmed the ATP year-ending rankings: Hewitt first, Agassi second, Safin third. |
| 2003 | Andy Roddick Andy Roddick Andrew Stephen "Andy" Roddick is an American professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. He is currently the second highest-ranked American player, behind Mardy Fish.... P. (U.S.) |
No consensus among the sources: Juan Carlos Ferrero Juan Carlos Ferrero Juan Carlos Ferrero Donat is a professional tennis player, and a former world no. 1 player, from Spain. He captured the men's singles title at the 2003 French Open, and in September of that year, he became the 21st player to hold the world no. 1 ranking. He was also the runner-up at the 2002... P. (Spain) Roger Federer Roger Federer Roger Federer is a Swiss professional tennis player who held the ATP no. 1 position for a record 237 consecutive weeks, and 285 weeks overall. As of 28 November 2011, he is ranked World No. 3 by the Association of Tennis Professionals . Federer has won a men's record 16 Grand Slam singles titles... P. (Switzerland) |
Tennis Magazine (France); International Tennis Federation International Tennis Federation The International Tennis Federation is the governing body of world tennis, made up of 205 national tennis associations.It was established as the International Lawn Tennis Federation by 12 national associations meeting at a conference in Paris, France on 1 March 1913... (ITF); Association of Tennis Professionals Association of Tennis Professionals The Association of Tennis Professionals or ATP was formed in 1972 by Donald Dell, Jack Kramer, and Cliff Drysdale to protect the interests of male professional tennis players. Since 1990, the association has organized the worldwide tennis tour for men and linked the title of the tour with the... (ATP) awards and year-ending computer rankings. Roger Federer Roger Federer Roger Federer is a Swiss professional tennis player who held the ATP no. 1 position for a record 237 consecutive weeks, and 285 weeks overall. As of 28 November 2011, he is ranked World No. 3 by the Association of Tennis Professionals . Federer has won a men's record 16 Grand Slam singles titles... won Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors... (defeating Mark Philippoussis Mark Philippoussis Mark Anthony Philippoussis is an Australian tennis player. He turned professional in 1994. His father is Greek, while his mother is of Italian ancestry.... in the final) and the year-ending Tennis Masters Cup Tennis Masters Cup The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals is a tennis tournament played at the end of each year, involving the top eight players in the men's tennis world rankings.... (defeating Andre Agassi Andre Agassi Andre Kirk Agassi is a retired American professional tennis player and former world no. 1. Generally considered by critics and fellow players to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Agassi has been called the best service returner in the history of the game... in the final). Andy Roddick Andy Roddick Andrew Stephen "Andy" Roddick is an American professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. He is currently the second highest-ranked American player, behind Mardy Fish.... won six tournaments, including three in a row, two Tennis Masters Series tournaments, and the US Open U.S. Open (tennis) The US Open, formally the United States Open Tennis Championships, is a hardcourt tennis tournament which is the modern iteration of one of the oldest tennis championships in the world, the U.S. National Championship, which for men's singles was first contested in 1881... (defeating Juan Carlos Ferrero Juan Carlos Ferrero Juan Carlos Ferrero Donat is a professional tennis player, and a former world no. 1 player, from Spain. He captured the men's singles title at the 2003 French Open, and in September of that year, he became the 21st player to hold the world no. 1 ranking. He was also the runner-up at the 2002... in the final). Ferrero won the French Open (defeating Martin Verkerk Martin Verkerk Martin Willem Verkerk is a retired Dutch tennis player. As a relatively unknown player, he had a brilliant run at the French Open in 2003, reaching the final before losing to Spaniard Juan Carlos Ferrero... in the final). Agassi won the Australian Open Australian Open The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court... (defeating Rainer Schüttler Rainer Schüttler Rainer Schüttler is a German professional tennis player, ranked World No. 113 in the ATP rankings. He is the last German player who reached a final in a grand slam tournament.... in the final). The ITF named Roddick as its World Champion. The members of the ATP voted Roddick "Player of The Year." Tennis Magazine (France) ranked Roddick first, Ferrero second, Agassi third, and Federer fourth. In the ATP's year-ending rankings, Roddick finished first, Federer second, Ferrero third, and Agassi fourth. |
| 2004 | Roger Federer Roger Federer Roger Federer is a Swiss professional tennis player who held the ATP no. 1 position for a record 237 consecutive weeks, and 285 weeks overall. As of 28 November 2011, he is ranked World No. 3 by the Association of Tennis Professionals . Federer has won a men's record 16 Grand Slam singles titles... P. (Switzerland) |
No consensus among the sources: Lleyton Hewitt Lleyton Hewitt Lleyton Glynn Hewitt born 24 February 1981) is an Australian professional tennis player and former world no. 1.In 2000, Hewitt had won ATP titles on all three major surfaces and reached one final on carpet. By 2001, he became the youngest male ever to be ranked no. 1 at the age of 20... P. (Australia) Andy Roddick Andy Roddick Andrew Stephen "Andy" Roddick is an American professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. He is currently the second highest-ranked American player, behind Mardy Fish.... P. (U.S.) |
Tennis Magazine (France); International Tennis Federation International Tennis Federation The International Tennis Federation is the governing body of world tennis, made up of 205 national tennis associations.It was established as the International Lawn Tennis Federation by 12 national associations meeting at a conference in Paris, France on 1 March 1913... (ITF); Association of Tennis Professionals Association of Tennis Professionals The Association of Tennis Professionals or ATP was formed in 1972 by Donald Dell, Jack Kramer, and Cliff Drysdale to protect the interests of male professional tennis players. Since 1990, the association has organized the worldwide tennis tour for men and linked the title of the tour with the... (ATP) Awards and year-ending computer rankings. Roger Federer Roger Federer Roger Federer is a Swiss professional tennis player who held the ATP no. 1 position for a record 237 consecutive weeks, and 285 weeks overall. As of 28 November 2011, he is ranked World No. 3 by the Association of Tennis Professionals . Federer has won a men's record 16 Grand Slam singles titles... won three Grand Slam Grand Slam (tennis) The four Major tennis tournaments, also called the Slams, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world tour ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, strength and size of player field, and public attention. They are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and... singles titles: the Australian Open Australian Open The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court... (defeating Marat Safin Marat Safin Marat Mikhailovich Safin is a retired Russian tennis player of Tatar descent. Safin won two grand slams and reached the world number 1 ranking during his career. He was also famous for his emotional outbursts and sometimes fiery temper on court. Safin also holds the record for most broken... in the final), Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors... (defeating Andy Roddick Andy Roddick Andrew Stephen "Andy" Roddick is an American professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. He is currently the second highest-ranked American player, behind Mardy Fish.... in the final), and the US Open U.S. Open (tennis) The US Open, formally the United States Open Tennis Championships, is a hardcourt tennis tournament which is the modern iteration of one of the oldest tennis championships in the world, the U.S. National Championship, which for men's singles was first contested in 1881... (defeating Lleyton Hewitt Lleyton Hewitt Lleyton Glynn Hewitt born 24 February 1981) is an Australian professional tennis player and former world no. 1.In 2000, Hewitt had won ATP titles on all three major surfaces and reached one final on carpet. By 2001, he became the youngest male ever to be ranked no. 1 at the age of 20... in the final). Federer also won the year-ending Tennis Masters Cup Tennis Masters Cup The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals is a tennis tournament played at the end of each year, involving the top eight players in the men's tennis world rankings.... (defeating Hewitt in the final). Gastón Gaudio Gastón Gaudio Gastón Norberto Gaudio is a former tennis player from Argentina. His career-high ATP ranking was World No. 5 in 2005... won the French Open (defeating Guillermo Coria Guillermo Coria Guillermo Sebastián Coria , nicknames include El Mago , is a retired professional tennis player from Argentina who was runner-up in the 2004 French Open... in the final). The ITF named Federer as its World Champion. The members of the ATP voted Federer "Player of The Year." Tennis Magazine (France) ranked Federer first, Hewitt second, and Roddick third. In the ATP's year-ending rankings, Federer finished first, Roddick second, and Hewitt third. |
| 2005 | Roger Federer Roger Federer Roger Federer is a Swiss professional tennis player who held the ATP no. 1 position for a record 237 consecutive weeks, and 285 weeks overall. As of 28 November 2011, he is ranked World No. 3 by the Association of Tennis Professionals . Federer has won a men's record 16 Grand Slam singles titles... P. (Switzerland) |
Rafael Nadal Rafael Nadal Rafael "Rafa" Nadal Parera is a Spanish professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. , he is ranked No. 2 by the Association of Tennis Professionals... P. (Spain) |
Tennis Magazine (France); International Tennis Federation International Tennis Federation The International Tennis Federation is the governing body of world tennis, made up of 205 national tennis associations.It was established as the International Lawn Tennis Federation by 12 national associations meeting at a conference in Paris, France on 1 March 1913... (ITF); Association of Tennis Professionals Association of Tennis Professionals The Association of Tennis Professionals or ATP was formed in 1972 by Donald Dell, Jack Kramer, and Cliff Drysdale to protect the interests of male professional tennis players. Since 1990, the association has organized the worldwide tennis tour for men and linked the title of the tour with the... (ATP) awards and year-ending computer rankings. Roger Federer Roger Federer Roger Federer is a Swiss professional tennis player who held the ATP no. 1 position for a record 237 consecutive weeks, and 285 weeks overall. As of 28 November 2011, he is ranked World No. 3 by the Association of Tennis Professionals . Federer has won a men's record 16 Grand Slam singles titles... reached all four Grand Slam Grand Slam (tennis) The four Major tennis tournaments, also called the Slams, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world tour ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, strength and size of player field, and public attention. They are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and... semifinals, winning Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors... (defeating Andy Roddick Andy Roddick Andrew Stephen "Andy" Roddick is an American professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. He is currently the second highest-ranked American player, behind Mardy Fish.... in the final) and the US Open U.S. Open (tennis) The US Open, formally the United States Open Tennis Championships, is a hardcourt tennis tournament which is the modern iteration of one of the oldest tennis championships in the world, the U.S. National Championship, which for men's singles was first contested in 1881... (defeating Andre Agassi Andre Agassi Andre Kirk Agassi is a retired American professional tennis player and former world no. 1. Generally considered by critics and fellow players to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Agassi has been called the best service returner in the history of the game... in the final). Marat Safin Marat Safin Marat Mikhailovich Safin is a retired Russian tennis player of Tatar descent. Safin won two grand slams and reached the world number 1 ranking during his career. He was also famous for his emotional outbursts and sometimes fiery temper on court. Safin also holds the record for most broken... won the Australian Open Australian Open The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court... (defeating Lleyton Hewitt Lleyton Hewitt Lleyton Glynn Hewitt born 24 February 1981) is an Australian professional tennis player and former world no. 1.In 2000, Hewitt had won ATP titles on all three major surfaces and reached one final on carpet. By 2001, he became the youngest male ever to be ranked no. 1 at the age of 20... in the final). Rafael Nadal Rafael Nadal Rafael "Rafa" Nadal Parera is a Spanish professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. , he is ranked No. 2 by the Association of Tennis Professionals... won the French Open (defeating Mariano Puerta Mariano Puerta Mariano Ruben Puerta is a former Argentine professional male tennis player best known for making the final of the French Open in 2005, where he lost to Rafael Nadal in four sets.-Career:... in the final). David Nalbandian David Nalbandian David Pablo Nalbandian is an Argentine professional tennis player and former world no. 3. He was runner-up at the 2002 Wimbledon Championships and the winner of the Tennis Masters Cup in 2005.-Biography:... won the year-ending Tennis Masters Cup Tennis Masters Cup The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals is a tennis tournament played at the end of each year, involving the top eight players in the men's tennis world rankings.... (defeating Federer in the final). The ITF named Federer as its World Champion. The members of the ATP voted Federer "Player of The Year." Tennis Magazine (France) ranked Federer first, Nadal second, Hewitt third, and Roddick fourth. In the ATP's year-ending rankings, Federer finished first, Nadal second, Roddick third, and Hewitt fourth. |
| 2006 | Roger Federer Roger Federer Roger Federer is a Swiss professional tennis player who held the ATP no. 1 position for a record 237 consecutive weeks, and 285 weeks overall. As of 28 November 2011, he is ranked World No. 3 by the Association of Tennis Professionals . Federer has won a men's record 16 Grand Slam singles titles... P. (Switzerland) |
Rafael Nadal Rafael Nadal Rafael "Rafa" Nadal Parera is a Spanish professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. , he is ranked No. 2 by the Association of Tennis Professionals... P. (Spain) |
Tennis Magazine (France); International Tennis Federation International Tennis Federation The International Tennis Federation is the governing body of world tennis, made up of 205 national tennis associations.It was established as the International Lawn Tennis Federation by 12 national associations meeting at a conference in Paris, France on 1 March 1913... (ITF); Association of Tennis Professionals Association of Tennis Professionals The Association of Tennis Professionals or ATP was formed in 1972 by Donald Dell, Jack Kramer, and Cliff Drysdale to protect the interests of male professional tennis players. Since 1990, the association has organized the worldwide tennis tour for men and linked the title of the tour with the... (ATP) year-ending computer rankings. Roger Federer Roger Federer Roger Federer is a Swiss professional tennis player who held the ATP no. 1 position for a record 237 consecutive weeks, and 285 weeks overall. As of 28 November 2011, he is ranked World No. 3 by the Association of Tennis Professionals . Federer has won a men's record 16 Grand Slam singles titles... lost only five matches the entire year and won three Grand Slam Grand Slam (tennis) The four Major tennis tournaments, also called the Slams, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world tour ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, strength and size of player field, and public attention. They are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and... singles titles: the Australian Open Australian Open The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court... (defeating Marcos Baghdatis Marcos Baghdatis At the French Open, Baghdatis lost in the second round in five sets to Frenchman Julien Benneteau, 6-3, 4-6, 3-6, 7-6, 4-6.At Wimbledon, Baghdatis defeated British player Andy Murray in the fourth round in straight sets. In the quarterfinals, Baghdatis beat the 2002 champion and former world no. 1... in the final), Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors... (defeating Rafael Nadal Rafael Nadal Rafael "Rafa" Nadal Parera is a Spanish professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. , he is ranked No. 2 by the Association of Tennis Professionals... in the final), and the US Open U.S. Open (tennis) The US Open, formally the United States Open Tennis Championships, is a hardcourt tennis tournament which is the modern iteration of one of the oldest tennis championships in the world, the U.S. National Championship, which for men's singles was first contested in 1881... (defeating Andy Roddick Andy Roddick Andrew Stephen "Andy" Roddick is an American professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. He is currently the second highest-ranked American player, behind Mardy Fish.... in the final). Federer also won the year-ending Tennis Masters Cup Tennis Masters Cup The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals is a tennis tournament played at the end of each year, involving the top eight players in the men's tennis world rankings.... (defeating James Blake James Blake James Riley Blake is an American professional tennis player. Blake is known for his speed and powerful, flat forehand. As of August 2011, Blake is ranked no. 63 among active male players with 24 career finals appearances... in the final). Nadal won the French Open (defeating Federer in the final). Tennis Magazine (France) ranked Federer first, Nadal second, Nikolay Davydenko Nikolay Davydenko Nikolay Vladimirovich Davydenko is a Ukrainian-Russian tennis player. Davydenko's best result in a Grand Slam tournament has been reaching the semifinals, which he has done on four occasions: twice each at the French Open and the U.S. Open. His biggest achievement to date was winning the 2009 ATP... third, David Nalbandian David Nalbandian David Pablo Nalbandian is an Argentine professional tennis player and former world no. 3. He was runner-up at the 2002 Wimbledon Championships and the winner of the Tennis Masters Cup in 2005.-Biography:... fourth, and Roddick fifth. In the ATP's year-ending rankings, Federer finished first, Nadal second, Davydenko third, Blake fourth, and Ivan Ljubičić Ivan Ljubicic ----Ivan Ljubičić is a Croatian tennis player born in Bosnia and Herzegovina . His career-high ATP ranking to date has been no. 3, and he stands at no. 37.... fifth. |
| 2007 | Roger Federer Roger Federer Roger Federer is a Swiss professional tennis player who held the ATP no. 1 position for a record 237 consecutive weeks, and 285 weeks overall. As of 28 November 2011, he is ranked World No. 3 by the Association of Tennis Professionals . Federer has won a men's record 16 Grand Slam singles titles... P. (Switzerland) |
Rafael Nadal Rafael Nadal Rafael "Rafa" Nadal Parera is a Spanish professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. , he is ranked No. 2 by the Association of Tennis Professionals... P. (Spain) |
Tennis Magazine (France); International Tennis Federation International Tennis Federation The International Tennis Federation is the governing body of world tennis, made up of 205 national tennis associations.It was established as the International Lawn Tennis Federation by 12 national associations meeting at a conference in Paris, France on 1 March 1913... (ITF); Association of Tennis Professionals Association of Tennis Professionals The Association of Tennis Professionals or ATP was formed in 1972 by Donald Dell, Jack Kramer, and Cliff Drysdale to protect the interests of male professional tennis players. Since 1990, the association has organized the worldwide tennis tour for men and linked the title of the tour with the... (ATP) year-ending computer rankings. Roger Federer Roger Federer Roger Federer is a Swiss professional tennis player who held the ATP no. 1 position for a record 237 consecutive weeks, and 285 weeks overall. As of 28 November 2011, he is ranked World No. 3 by the Association of Tennis Professionals . Federer has won a men's record 16 Grand Slam singles titles... became the first male player ever to win three Grand Slam Grand Slam (tennis) The four Major tennis tournaments, also called the Slams, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world tour ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, strength and size of player field, and public attention. They are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and... singles titles in a year in three different years. He won the Australian Open Australian Open The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court... (defeating Fernando González Fernando González ----Fernando Francisco González Ciuffardi is a professional tennis player from Chile. He is known for having one of the hardest forehands on the circuit. In Spanish he is called El Bombardero de La Reina and Mano de Piedra... in the final), Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors... (defeating Rafael Nadal Rafael Nadal Rafael "Rafa" Nadal Parera is a Spanish professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. , he is ranked No. 2 by the Association of Tennis Professionals... in the final), and the US Open U.S. Open (tennis) The US Open, formally the United States Open Tennis Championships, is a hardcourt tennis tournament which is the modern iteration of one of the oldest tennis championships in the world, the U.S. National Championship, which for men's singles was first contested in 1881... (defeating Novak Djokovic Novak Djokovic Novak Djokovic is a Serbian professional tennis player who has been ranked world no. 1 by the Association of Tennis Professionals since 4 July 2011. He has won four Grand Slam singles titles: the 2008 and 2011 Australian Open, the 2011 Wimbledon Championships, and the 2011 US Open... in the final). Federer also won the year-ending Tennis Masters Cup Tennis Masters Cup The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals is a tennis tournament played at the end of each year, involving the top eight players in the men's tennis world rankings.... (defeating David Ferrer David Ferrer David Ferrer Ern is a Spanish professional tennis player who lives in Valencia, Spain who is currently no. 5 in the ATP Rankings and the second-highest ranked Spaniard behind world no. 2 Rafael Nadal. He turned professional in 2000... in the final). Nadal won the French Open (defeating Federer in the final). The ITF named Federer as its World Champion. Tennis Magazine (France) ranked Federer first, Nadal second, Djokovic third, and Nikolay Davydenko Nikolay Davydenko Nikolay Vladimirovich Davydenko is a Ukrainian-Russian tennis player. Davydenko's best result in a Grand Slam tournament has been reaching the semifinals, which he has done on four occasions: twice each at the French Open and the U.S. Open. His biggest achievement to date was winning the 2009 ATP... fourth. In the ATP's year-ending rankings, Federer finished first, Nadal second, Djokovic third, and Davydenko fourth. |
| 2008 | Rafael Nadal Rafael Nadal Rafael "Rafa" Nadal Parera is a Spanish professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. , he is ranked No. 2 by the Association of Tennis Professionals... P. (Spain) |
Roger Federer Roger Federer Roger Federer is a Swiss professional tennis player who held the ATP no. 1 position for a record 237 consecutive weeks, and 285 weeks overall. As of 28 November 2011, he is ranked World No. 3 by the Association of Tennis Professionals . Federer has won a men's record 16 Grand Slam singles titles... P. (Switzerland) |
Tennis Magazine (France); International Tennis Federation International Tennis Federation The International Tennis Federation is the governing body of world tennis, made up of 205 national tennis associations.It was established as the International Lawn Tennis Federation by 12 national associations meeting at a conference in Paris, France on 1 March 1913... (ITF); Association of Tennis Professionals Association of Tennis Professionals The Association of Tennis Professionals or ATP was formed in 1972 by Donald Dell, Jack Kramer, and Cliff Drysdale to protect the interests of male professional tennis players. Since 1990, the association has organized the worldwide tennis tour for men and linked the title of the tour with the... (ATP) year-ending computer rankings. Rafael Nadal Rafael Nadal Rafael "Rafa" Nadal Parera is a Spanish professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. , he is ranked No. 2 by the Association of Tennis Professionals... won the French Open for the fourth consecutive year (defeating Federer for the fourth time in that tournament and for the third time consecutively in the final). He also won Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors... (defeating Federer in the final), and he became the first Spaniard male player to win the Olympic Games Tennis at the Summer Olympics Tennis was part of the Summer Olympic Games program from the inaugural 1896 Summer Olympics, but was dropped after the 1924 Summer Olympics... tennis singles title. Federer won the US Open (defeating Andy Murray in the final) for the fifth consecutive time. Novak Djokovic Novak Djokovic Novak Djokovic is a Serbian professional tennis player who has been ranked world no. 1 by the Association of Tennis Professionals since 4 July 2011. He has won four Grand Slam singles titles: the 2008 and 2011 Australian Open, the 2011 Wimbledon Championships, and the 2011 US Open... won his first Grand Slam singles title at the Australian Open Australian Open The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court... and also won the year-ending Tennis Masters Cup Tennis Masters Cup The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals is a tennis tournament played at the end of each year, involving the top eight players in the men's tennis world rankings.... (defeating Nikolay Davydenko Nikolay Davydenko Nikolay Vladimirovich Davydenko is a Ukrainian-Russian tennis player. Davydenko's best result in a Grand Slam tournament has been reaching the semifinals, which he has done on four occasions: twice each at the French Open and the U.S. Open. His biggest achievement to date was winning the 2009 ATP... in the final). The ITF named Nadal as its World Champion. Tennis Magazine (France) chose Nadal as player of the year and Federer second. In the ATP's year-ending rankings, Nadal finished first, Federer second, Djokovic third, and Murray fourth. |
| 2009 | Roger Federer Roger Federer Roger Federer is a Swiss professional tennis player who held the ATP no. 1 position for a record 237 consecutive weeks, and 285 weeks overall. As of 28 November 2011, he is ranked World No. 3 by the Association of Tennis Professionals . Federer has won a men's record 16 Grand Slam singles titles... P. (Switzerland) |
Rafael Nadal Rafael Nadal Rafael "Rafa" Nadal Parera is a Spanish professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. , he is ranked No. 2 by the Association of Tennis Professionals... P. (Spain) |
Tennis Magazine (France); International Tennis Federation International Tennis Federation The International Tennis Federation is the governing body of world tennis, made up of 205 national tennis associations.It was established as the International Lawn Tennis Federation by 12 national associations meeting at a conference in Paris, France on 1 March 1913... (ITF); Association of Tennis Professionals Association of Tennis Professionals The Association of Tennis Professionals or ATP was formed in 1972 by Donald Dell, Jack Kramer, and Cliff Drysdale to protect the interests of male professional tennis players. Since 1990, the association has organized the worldwide tennis tour for men and linked the title of the tour with the... (ATP) year-ending computer rankings. Roger Federer Roger Federer Roger Federer is a Swiss professional tennis player who held the ATP no. 1 position for a record 237 consecutive weeks, and 285 weeks overall. As of 28 November 2011, he is ranked World No. 3 by the Association of Tennis Professionals . Federer has won a men's record 16 Grand Slam singles titles... became the sixth male player to complete a career Grand Slam Grand Slam (tennis) The four Major tennis tournaments, also called the Slams, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world tour ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, strength and size of player field, and public attention. They are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and... and surpassed former Pete Sampras record of 14 tournaments of Grand Slam. He won the French Open (defeating Robin Söderling Robin Söderling Robin Bo Carl Söderling is a professional tennis player from Sweden who is currently ranked number 13 in the ATP rankings. Söderling reached successive French Open finals in 2009 and 2010... in the final) and Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors... (defeating Andy Roddick Andy Roddick Andrew Stephen "Andy" Roddick is an American professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. He is currently the second highest-ranked American player, behind Mardy Fish.... in the final). Rafael Nadal Rafael Nadal Rafael "Rafa" Nadal Parera is a Spanish professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. , he is ranked No. 2 by the Association of Tennis Professionals... won the Australian Open Australian Open The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court... (defeating Federer in the final) and Del Potro won the U.S. Open U.S. Open The term U.S. Open or US Open is applied to "open" United States-hosted championships in a particular sport , in which anyone, amateur or professional, American or non-American, may compete.... (defeating Roger Federer Roger Federer Roger Federer is a Swiss professional tennis player who held the ATP no. 1 position for a record 237 consecutive weeks, and 285 weeks overall. As of 28 November 2011, he is ranked World No. 3 by the Association of Tennis Professionals . Federer has won a men's record 16 Grand Slam singles titles... in the final). Nikolay Davydenko Nikolay Davydenko Nikolay Vladimirovich Davydenko is a Ukrainian-Russian tennis player. Davydenko's best result in a Grand Slam tournament has been reaching the semifinals, which he has done on four occasions: twice each at the French Open and the U.S. Open. His biggest achievement to date was winning the 2009 ATP... won the year-ending Tennis Masters Cup (defeating Del Potro in the final). The ITF named Federer as its World Champion. Tennis Magazine (France) ranked Federer first. In the ATP's year-ending rankings, Federer finished first, Nadal second, Djokovic third, Murray fourth and Del Potro fifth. |
| 2010 | Rafael Nadal Rafael Nadal Rafael "Rafa" Nadal Parera is a Spanish professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. , he is ranked No. 2 by the Association of Tennis Professionals... P. (Spain) |
Roger Federer Roger Federer Roger Federer is a Swiss professional tennis player who held the ATP no. 1 position for a record 237 consecutive weeks, and 285 weeks overall. As of 28 November 2011, he is ranked World No. 3 by the Association of Tennis Professionals . Federer has won a men's record 16 Grand Slam singles titles... P. (Switzerland) |
Tennis Magazine (France); International Tennis Federation International Tennis Federation The International Tennis Federation is the governing body of world tennis, made up of 205 national tennis associations.It was established as the International Lawn Tennis Federation by 12 national associations meeting at a conference in Paris, France on 1 March 1913... (ITF); Association of Tennis Professionals Association of Tennis Professionals The Association of Tennis Professionals or ATP was formed in 1972 by Donald Dell, Jack Kramer, and Cliff Drysdale to protect the interests of male professional tennis players. Since 1990, the association has organized the worldwide tennis tour for men and linked the title of the tour with the... (ATP) year-ending computer rankings. Rafael Nadal Rafael Nadal Rafael "Rafa" Nadal Parera is a Spanish professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. , he is ranked No. 2 by the Association of Tennis Professionals... became the seventh male player to complete a career Grand Slam Grand Slam (tennis) The four Major tennis tournaments, also called the Slams, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world tour ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, strength and size of player field, and public attention. They are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and... . He won the French Open (defeating Robin Söderling Robin Söderling Robin Bo Carl Söderling is a professional tennis player from Sweden who is currently ranked number 13 in the ATP rankings. Söderling reached successive French Open finals in 2009 and 2010... in the final), Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors... (defeating Thomas Berdych in the final) and the U.S. Open U.S. Open The term U.S. Open or US Open is applied to "open" United States-hosted championships in a particular sport , in which anyone, amateur or professional, American or non-American, may compete.... (defeating Novak Djokovic Novak Djokovic Novak Djokovic is a Serbian professional tennis player who has been ranked world no. 1 by the Association of Tennis Professionals since 4 July 2011. He has won four Grand Slam singles titles: the 2008 and 2011 Australian Open, the 2011 Wimbledon Championships, and the 2011 US Open... in the final). Roger Federer Roger Federer Roger Federer is a Swiss professional tennis player who held the ATP no. 1 position for a record 237 consecutive weeks, and 285 weeks overall. As of 28 November 2011, he is ranked World No. 3 by the Association of Tennis Professionals . Federer has won a men's record 16 Grand Slam singles titles... won the Australian Open Australian Open The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court... (defeating Andy Murray in the final) and the year-ending Tennis Masters Cup (defeating Nadal in the final). The ITF named Nadal as its World Champion. Tennis Magazine (France) ranked Nadal first. In the ATP's year-ending rankings, Nadal finished first, Federer second, Djokovic third and Murray fourth. |
| 2011 | Novak Djokovic Novak Djokovic Novak Djokovic is a Serbian professional tennis player who has been ranked world no. 1 by the Association of Tennis Professionals since 4 July 2011. He has won four Grand Slam singles titles: the 2008 and 2011 Australian Open, the 2011 Wimbledon Championships, and the 2011 US Open... P. (Serbia) |
Rafael Nadal Rafael Nadal Rafael "Rafa" Nadal Parera is a Spanish professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. , he is ranked No. 2 by the Association of Tennis Professionals... P. (Spain) |
Tennis Magazine (France); International Tennis Federation International Tennis Federation The International Tennis Federation is the governing body of world tennis, made up of 205 national tennis associations.It was established as the International Lawn Tennis Federation by 12 national associations meeting at a conference in Paris, France on 1 March 1913... (ITF); Association of Tennis Professionals Association of Tennis Professionals The Association of Tennis Professionals or ATP was formed in 1972 by Donald Dell, Jack Kramer, and Cliff Drysdale to protect the interests of male professional tennis players. Since 1990, the association has organized the worldwide tennis tour for men and linked the title of the tour with the... (ATP) year-ending computer rankings. Novak Djokovic Novak Djokovic Novak Djokovic is a Serbian professional tennis player who has been ranked world no. 1 by the Association of Tennis Professionals since 4 July 2011. He has won four Grand Slam singles titles: the 2008 and 2011 Australian Open, the 2011 Wimbledon Championships, and the 2011 US Open... won the Australian Open Australian Open The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court... (defeating Andy Murray in the final), Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors... and the U.S. Open U.S. Open The term U.S. Open or US Open is applied to "open" United States-hosted championships in a particular sport , in which anyone, amateur or professional, American or non-American, may compete.... (defeating Rafael Nadal Rafael Nadal Rafael "Rafa" Nadal Parera is a Spanish professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. , he is ranked No. 2 by the Association of Tennis Professionals... in the final). Nadal won the French Open (defeating Roger Federer Roger Federer Roger Federer is a Swiss professional tennis player who held the ATP no. 1 position for a record 237 consecutive weeks, and 285 weeks overall. As of 28 November 2011, he is ranked World No. 3 by the Association of Tennis Professionals . Federer has won a men's record 16 Grand Slam singles titles... in the final). Federer won the year-ending Tennis Masters Cup. The ITF named Djokovic as its World Champion. Tennis Magazine (France) ranked Djokovic first. In the ATP's year-ending rankings, Djokovic finished first, Nadal second, Federer third and Murray fourth. |
Male tennis players World Number One or Co-Number One since 1877
Undisputed Number One for the year is shown in Bold font and Co-Number Ones are shown in normal font.| Total | World Number One | Years |
|---|---|---|
| 8 years |  Pancho GonzalesPancho Gonzales Ricardo Alonso González , generally known as Richard "Pancho" Gonzales was an American tennis player. He was the world no. 1 professional tennis player for an unequalled eight years in the 1950s and early 1960s... |
1952, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960 |
| 7 years | William Renshaw William Renshaw William "Willie" Charles Renshaw is one of the greatest British male tennis players of all time, and a candidate for the greatest tennis player of all time... |
1881, 1882, 1883, 1884, 1885, 1886, 1889 |
| Bill Tilden Bill Tilden William Tatem Tilden II , nicknamed "Big Bill," is often considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time. An American tennis player who was the World No. 1 player for seven years, he won 14 Majors including ten Grand Slams and four Pro Slams. Bill Tilden dominated the world of... |
1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1931 | |
 Rod LaverRod Laver Rodney George "Rod" Laver MBE is an Australian former tennis player who holds the record for titles won in career, and was the World No. 1 player for seven consecutive years, from 1964 to 1970... |
1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970 | |
| 6 years | Reggie Doherty | 1897, 1898, 1899, 1900, 1901, 1902 |
| Jack Kramer |
1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1953 | |
| Ken Rosewall Ken Rosewall Kenneth Robert Rosewall AM MBE is a former world top-ranking amateur and professional tennis player from Australia. He won 23 Majors including eight Grand Slam singles titles and before the Open Era a record fifteen Pro Slam titles . Rosewall won 9 slams in doubles with a career double grand slam... |
1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1970 | |
| Pete Sampras Pete Sampras Pete Sampras is a retired American tennis player and former world no. 1. During his 15-year tour career, he won 14 Grand Slam singles titles and became recognized as one of the greatest tennis players of all time.... |
1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998 | |
| 5 years | Joshua Pim Joshua Pim Dr. Joshua Pim F.R.C.S.I was a medical doctor and a renowned Irish amateur tennis player. He won the Wimbledon men's singles title two years in a row, in 1893 and 1894.-Family life:... |
1890, 1891, 1893, 1894, 1895 |
| William Larned William Larned William Augustus Larned was an American male tennis player.-Biography:He was raised in Summit, New Jersey on the estate of his father, William Zebedee Larned. Larned Road in Summit honors both father and son. William came from a family that could trace its American roots to shortly after the... |
1901, 1902, 1908, 1909, 1910 | |
| Lawrence Doherty | 1902, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906 | |
| Fred Perry Fred Perry Frederick John Perry was a championship-winning English tennis and table tennis player who won 10 Majors including eight Grand Slams and two Pro Slams. Perry won three consecutive Wimbledon Championships between 1934 and 1936 and was World No. 1 four years in a row... |
1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1941 | |
| Don Budge Don Budge John Donald Budge was an American tennis champion who was a World No. 1 player for five years, first as an amateur and then as a professional... |
1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1942 | |
 Roger FedererRoger Federer Roger Federer is a Swiss professional tennis player who held the ATP no. 1 position for a record 237 consecutive weeks, and 285 weeks overall. As of 28 November 2011, he is ranked World No. 3 by the Association of Tennis Professionals . Federer has won a men's record 16 Grand Slam singles titles... |
2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009 | |
| 4 years | Wilfred Baddeley Wilfred Baddeley Wilfred Baddeley was a British male tennis player and the elder of the Baddeley twins. His brother Herbert died on 20 July 1931 in Cannes, France.- Career :... |
1891, 1892, 1895, 1896 |
| Ellsworth Vines Ellsworth Vines Henry Ellsworth Vines, Jr. was an American tennis champion of the 1930s, the World No. 1 player or the co-No. 1 for four years in 1932, 1935, 1936 and 1937.-Biography:... |
1932, 1935, 1936, 1937 | |
| Bobby Riggs Bobby Riggs Robert Larimore "Bobby" Riggs was a 1930s–40s tennis player who was the World No. 1 or the co-World No. 1 player for three years, first as an amateur in 1941, then as a professional in 1946 and 1947... |
1941, 1943-1945, 1946, 1947 | |
 Björn BorgBjörn Borg Björn Rune Borg is a former world no. 1 tennis player from Sweden. Between 1974 and 1981 he won 11 Grand Slam singles titles. He won five consecutive Wimbledon singles titles and six French Open singles titles... |
1977, 1978, 1979, 1980 | |
| 3 years | Ernest Renshaw Ernest Renshaw Ernest Renshaw was an English tennis player.Together with his twin brother William Renshaw, Ernest won the men's doubles at Wimbledon five times. He also won the singles championship at Wimbledon once, in 1888 and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1983... |
1887, 1888, 1892 |
 Anthony Wilding |
1911, 1912, 1913 | |
 Henri CochetHenri Cochet Henri Jean Cochet was a champion tennis player, one of the famous "Four Musketeers" from France who dominated tennis in the late 1920s and early 1930s.... |
1928, 1929, 1930 | |
| Jimmy Connors Jimmy Connors James Scott "Jimmy" Connors is an American former world no. 1 tennis player.... |
1974, 1976, 1982 | |
| John McEnroe John McEnroe John Patrick McEnroe, Jr. is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player from the United States. During his career, he won seven Grand Slam singles titles , nine Grand Slam men's doubles titles, and one Grand Slam mixed doubles title... |
1981, 1983, 1984 | |
 Ivan LendlIvan Lendl Ivan Lendl is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player. Originally from Czechoslovakia, Lendl became a United States citizen. He was one of the game's most dominant players in the 1980s and remained a top competitor into the early 1990s. He is considered to be one of the greatest tennis... |
1985, 1986, 1987 | |
| 2 years | John Hartley | 1879, 1880 |
| Willoughby Hamilton Willoughby Hamilton Willoughby Hamilton was an Irish male tennis player.... |
1889, 1890 | |
| Ernest Lewis | 1890, 1891 | |
| Malcolm Whitman Malcolm Whitman Malcolm "Mal" Douglass Whitman was a male American tennis player.Whitman is best known for this hat trick at the U.S. Championships. Between 1898 and 1900, he stayed undefeated there... |
1899, 1900 | |
| Norman Brookes Norman Brookes Brookes was also an Australian rules footballer in his youth, playing two matches for Victorian Football League club St Kilda Football Club in 1898, kicking two goals.-Honours:Norman Brookes was knighted "in recognition of service to public service" in 1939... |
1907, 1911 | |
| Maurice McLoughlin Maurice McLoughlin Maurice Evans McLoughlin was an American tennis player. Known for his powerful serve and overhead volley, McLoughlin was the first male tennis champion from the western United States.-Biography:... |
1912, 1914 | |
| Bill Johnston |
1919, 1922 | |
| René Lacoste René Lacoste Jean René Lacoste was a French tennis player and businessman. He was nicknamed "the Crocodile" by fans because of his tenacity on the court; he is also known worldwide as the namesake of the Lacoste tennis shirt, which he introduced in 1929.Lacoste was one of The Four Musketeers, French tennis... |
1926, 1927 | |
 Pancho SeguraPancho Segura Pancho Segura, born Francisco Olegario Segura , was a leading tennis player of the 1940s and 1950s, both as an amateur and as a professional. In 1950 and 1952, as a professional, he was the World Co-No. 1 player... |
1950, 1952 | |
| John Newcombe John Newcombe John David Newcombe, AO, OBE is a former World No. 1 tennis player.-Biography:He won seven Grand Slam singles titles, A natural athlete, Newcombe played several sports as a boy until devoting himself to tennis. He was the Australian junior champion in 1961, 1962, and 1963 and was a member of... |
1970, 1971 | |
 Stan SmithStan Smith Stanley Roger "Stan" Smith is a former American tennis player and two time Grand Slam singles champion who also, with his partner Bob Lutz, formed one of the most successful doubles teams of all time. Together, they won many major titles all over the world... |
1971, 1972 | |
| Stefan Edberg Stefan Edberg Stefan Bengt Edberg is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Sweden. A major proponent of the serve-and-volley style of tennis, he won six Grand Slam singles titles and three Grand Slam men's doubles titles. He also won one season ending championship title the Masters Grand Prix... |
1990, 1991 | |
| Lleyton Hewitt Lleyton Hewitt Lleyton Glynn Hewitt born 24 February 1981) is an Australian professional tennis player and former world no. 1.In 2000, Hewitt had won ATP titles on all three major surfaces and reached one final on carpet. By 2001, he became the youngest male ever to be ranked no. 1 at the age of 20... |
2001, 2002 | |
 Rafael NadalRafael Nadal Rafael "Rafa" Nadal Parera is a Spanish professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. , he is ranked No. 2 by the Association of Tennis Professionals... |
2008, 2010 | |
| 1 year | Spencer Gore | 1877 |
| Frank Hadow Frank Hadow Patrick Francis Hadow was an English tennis player, who won the Wimbledon championship in 1878.... |
1878 | |
| Herbert Lawford Herbert Lawford Herbert Lawford was a tennis player from Great Britain who won the men's singles championship at Wimbledon in 1887, and was runner-up five times.... |
1887 | |
| Wilberforce Eaves Wilberforce Eaves Wilberforce Vaughan Eaves was a male tennis player from the United Kingdom. At the 1908 London Olympics he won a bronze medal in the men's singles tournament. He was also the first non-American to reach the final in the US National Singles Championships in 1897.-Runner-ups :... |
1897 | |
| Robert Wrenn Robert Wrenn ----Robert "Bob" Duffield Wrenn was a left-handed American tennis player, four-time U.S. singles championship winner, and one of the first "enshrinees" in the International Tennis Hall of Fame.... |
1897 | |
| Arthur Gore | 1901 | |
| Gerald Patterson Gerald Patterson Gerald Leighton Patterson MC was an Australian male tennis player. He was born in Melbourne, educated at Scotch College Melbourne and died in Melbourne in 13 June 1967. He was the co-World No... |
1919 | |
| Jack Crawford |
1933 | |
 Ilie NăstaseIlie Nastase Ilie Nastase is a Romanian former professional tennis player, one of the world's top players of the 1970s. Năstase was the World No. 1 tennis player between 1973 and 1974 . He is one of the five players in history to win more than 100 ATP professional titles . He was inducted into the... |
1973 | |
| Arthur Ashe Arthur Ashe Arthur Robert Ashe, Jr. was a professional tennis player, born and raised in Richmond, Virginia. During his career, he won three Grand Slam titles, putting him among the best ever from the United States... |
1975 | |
 Guillermo VilasGuillermo Vilas Guillermo Apolinario Vilas is a retired and former World No. 2 professional tennis player from Argentina. He was the second Latin-American to win a Grand Slam tournament.-Career:... |
1977 | |
| Mats Wilander Mats Wilander Mats Wilander is a former World No. 1 tennis player from Sweden. From 1982 through 1988, he won seven Grand Slam singles titles , and one Grand Slam men's doubles title... |
1988 | |
 Boris BeckerBoris Becker Boris Franz Becker is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Germany. He is a six-time Grand Slam singles champion, an Olympic gold medalist, and the youngest-ever winner of the men's singles title at Wimbledon at the age of 17... |
1989 | |
| Jim Courier Jim Courier James Spencer "Jim" Courier, Jr. is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player from the United States. During his career, he won four Grand Slam singles titles, two at the French Open and two at the Australian Open... |
1992 | |
| Andre Agassi Andre Agassi Andre Kirk Agassi is a retired American professional tennis player and former world no. 1. Generally considered by critics and fellow players to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Agassi has been called the best service returner in the history of the game... |
1999 | |
 Gustavo KuertenGustavo Kuerten Gustavo Kuerten is a retired former World No. 1 tennis player from Brazil. He won the French Open three times between 1997 and 2001, and was the Tennis Masters Cup champion in 2000... |
2000 | |
| Andy Roddick Andy Roddick Andrew Stephen "Andy" Roddick is an American professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. He is currently the second highest-ranked American player, behind Mardy Fish.... |
2003 | |
 Novak DjokovicNovak Djokovic Novak Djokovic is a Serbian professional tennis player who has been ranked world no. 1 by the Association of Tennis Professionals since 4 July 2011. He has won four Grand Slam singles titles: the 2008 and 2011 Australian Open, the 2011 Wimbledon Championships, and the 2011 US Open... |
2011 |
Top tennis players by decade
- 1870s - John Hartley, 1879
- 1880s - William RenshawWilliam RenshawWilliam "Willie" Charles Renshaw is one of the greatest British male tennis players of all time, and a candidate for the greatest tennis player of all time...
, 1881, 1882, 1883, 1884, 1885, 1886 - 1890s - Joshua PimJoshua PimDr. Joshua Pim F.R.C.S.I was a medical doctor and a renowned Irish amateur tennis player. He won the Wimbledon men's singles title two years in a row, in 1893 and 1894.-Family life:...
, 1890, 1891, 1893, 1894, 1895 - 1900s - Hugh Lawrence "Laurie" Doherty, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906
- 1910s - Anthony Wilding, 1911, 1912, 1913
- 1920s - Bill TildenBill TildenWilliam Tatem Tilden II , nicknamed "Big Bill," is often considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time. An American tennis player who was the World No. 1 player for seven years, he won 14 Majors including ten Grand Slams and four Pro Slams. Bill Tilden dominated the world of...
, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925 - 1930s - Ellsworth VinesEllsworth VinesHenry Ellsworth Vines, Jr. was an American tennis champion of the 1930s, the World No. 1 player or the co-No. 1 for four years in 1932, 1935, 1936 and 1937.-Biography:...
, 1932, 1935, 1936, 1937 & Fred PerryFred PerryFrederick John Perry was a championship-winning English tennis and table tennis player who won 10 Majors including eight Grand Slams and two Pro Slams. Perry won three consecutive Wimbledon Championships between 1934 and 1936 and was World No. 1 four years in a row...
, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937 - 1940s - Bobby RiggsBobby RiggsRobert Larimore "Bobby" Riggs was a 1930s–40s tennis player who was the World No. 1 or the co-World No. 1 player for three years, first as an amateur in 1941, then as a professional in 1946 and 1947...
, 1941, 1943-1945, 1946, 1947 - 1950s - Pancho GonzalesPancho GonzalesRicardo Alonso González , generally known as Richard "Pancho" Gonzales was an American tennis player. He was the world no. 1 professional tennis player for an unequalled eight years in the 1950s and early 1960s...
, 1952, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959 - 1960s - Rod LaverRod LaverRodney George "Rod" Laver MBE is an Australian former tennis player who holds the record for titles won in career, and was the World No. 1 player for seven consecutive years, from 1964 to 1970...
, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969
Open-Era
- 1970s - Björn BorgBjörn BorgBjörn Rune Borg is a former world no. 1 tennis player from Sweden. Between 1974 and 1981 he won 11 Grand Slam singles titles. He won five consecutive Wimbledon singles titles and six French Open singles titles...
, 1977, 1978, 1979 - 1980s - John McEnroeJohn McEnroeJohn Patrick McEnroe, Jr. is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player from the United States. During his career, he won seven Grand Slam singles titles , nine Grand Slam men's doubles titles, and one Grand Slam mixed doubles title...
, 1981, 1983, 1984 & Ivan LendlIvan LendlIvan Lendl is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player. Originally from Czechoslovakia, Lendl became a United States citizen. He was one of the game's most dominant players in the 1980s and remained a top competitor into the early 1990s. He is considered to be one of the greatest tennis...
, 1985, 1986, 1987 - 1990s - Pete SamprasPete SamprasPete Sampras is a retired American tennis player and former world no. 1. During his 15-year tour career, he won 14 Grand Slam singles titles and became recognized as one of the greatest tennis players of all time....
, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998 - 2000s - Roger FedererRoger FedererRoger Federer is a Swiss professional tennis player who held the ATP no. 1 position for a record 237 consecutive weeks, and 285 weeks overall. As of 28 November 2011, he is ranked World No. 3 by the Association of Tennis Professionals . Federer has won a men's record 16 Grand Slam singles titles...
, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009 - 2010s - Rafael NadalRafael NadalRafael "Rafa" Nadal Parera is a Spanish professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. , he is ranked No. 2 by the Association of Tennis Professionals...
, 2010 & Novak DjokovicNovak DjokovicNovak Djokovic is a Serbian professional tennis player who has been ranked world no. 1 by the Association of Tennis Professionals since 4 July 2011. He has won four Grand Slam singles titles: the 2008 and 2011 Australian Open, the 2011 Wimbledon Championships, and the 2011 US Open...
, 2011
History
- History of the Pro Tennis Wars, by Ray Bowers
- Chapter I: Suzanne Lenglen and the First Pro Tour
- Chapter II, Part 1: The eminence of Karel Kozeluh and Vincent Richards 1927-1928
- Chapter II, Part 2: Deja vu 1929-1930
- Chapter III: Tilden's Year of Triumph in 1931
- Chapter IV: Tilden and Nusslein, 1932-1933
- Chapter V: The Early Ascendancy of Vines, 1934
- Chapter VI: Vines's Second Year: 1935
- Chapter VII: Awaiting Perry, 1936
- Chapter VIII: Perry and Vines, 1937
- Chapter IX: Readying for Budge, 1938
- Chapter X: Budge's Great Pro Year, 1939
- Chapter XI: America, 1940-1941
- Chapter XII: America, 1942