We’re living in an era of tennis when so many games seem like the best ever.
This generation of players is already the most outstanding of all time, but a century of the game has served up some other legendary players.
The search for the all-time greatest has been going on for some time and a number of names regularly appear in the discussions.
Bijorn Borg
The Swede was a great player.
He finished his career with 11 grand slam titles in just nine seasons and prematurely retired at 26.
He never won the Australian nor the US Open, but won six at Roland Garros and five at Wimbledon.
Pete Sampras
Sampras belongs to the generation before the ‘big four’.
The American achieved the then-unattainable figure of 14 grand slams and many thought it would take centuries for his record to be matched.
He retired without ever winning in Paris, but his ability took tennis to another level, marked by his performances in England.
His quarter-final at Wimbledon in 2001 will never be forgotten against a young Swiss boy called Roger Federer.
At 32, surely he’ll end his career with more major titles than anyone.
When Federer and Rafael Nadal retire, he’ll still be there fighting at the top.
He managed to reach 14 grand slams in just 10 years, and got 16 two years later.
He’s versatile and can compete on all surfaces.
Rafael Nadal
It didn’t take long for him to be noticed as a clay specialist.
He’s a competitive animal and became a machine on all surfaces.
His ageless rivalry with Federer helped to lift them both to new levels and his latest win in the US Open has him within one step of matching the Swiss’ total.
Roger Federer
It’s hard to imagine seeing another player able to play like Federer.
His elegance is hard to match.
He has Wimbledon’s all-time record with eight wins.
He was also pushed on by Nadal‘s level, but he’s now threatening to continue beyond 40 years of age and has already lifted his 100th title.
