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The lawns of Wimbledon, the clay of Roland-Garros and the hard courts of New York and Melbourne person each been privileged capable to spot elated tennis players collapsing successful euphoria aft achieving their lifelong Grand Slam dreams.
For the recently-retired Rafael Nadal, each and each 1 of his unrivalled 14 French Open successes tasted arsenic saccharine arsenic the last.
For Roger Federer, the 2017 Australian Open whitethorn unrecorded longest successful the memory, having missed fractional a twelvemonth done wounded earlier coming up trumps Down Under successful his mid-30s.
For Novak Djokovic, the long-awaited Olympic golden astatine Paris 2024 whitethorn person trumped immoderate of the 24 large titles helium has won during his illustrious playing career, and portion the Serbian is present successful his twilight years, helium inactive has an unprecedented 25th successful his sights.
Debates volition ever rage arsenic to which subordinate of the 'Big Three' is genuinely the GOAT, and connected this time of celebration, Sports Mole casts its ballot for the 10 top antheral tennis players to ever grace the game.
10. Roy Emerson
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Achievements
An all-time large of the pre-Open Era, Australia's Roy Emerson racked up 12 large singles titles implicit the people of his career, six of which came Down Under astatine his location Australian Open.
Emerson's dominance successful the archetypal large of the twelvemonth did not waver from the 1963 to 1967 seasons, and helium remains the lone antheral pre oregon post-Open Era to triumph 5 successive AO men's singles titles.
Also a terrific doubles performer, helium is the lone antheral to execute a vocation Grand Slam some connected his ain and with a partner, but helium was ne'er considered 'professional', having opted to stay an amateur passim the entirety of his career.
9. Andre Agassi
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Achievements
The archetypal Open Era antheral successful past to execute the Career Super Slam and Career Grand Slam, Andre Agassi wrote his sanction into tennis folklore by doing that unprecedented feat astatine the 1999 French Open, having already conquered Australia, Wimbledon and New York.
A large maestro either broadside of the millennium, Agassi besides travelled location from the 1996 Olympic Games with the golden medal astir his cervix and won 3 Davis Cup titles with the USA betwixt 1990 and 1995.
Off the court, the American forms 1 fractional of tennis' powerfulness mates with Steffi Graf - whom helium has been joined to since 2001 - and helium volition win John McEnroe arsenic Team USA's Laver Cup skipper from 2025 onwards.
8. Ivan Lendl
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Achievements
Before becoming a recognisable fig arsenic Andy Murray's long-time coach, Ivan Lendl took location 94 vocation titles, 8 Grand Slam honours and 5 year-end title crowns implicit the people of a 16-year elder career.
Renowned for revolutionising the forehand approach, Lendl besides holds the Open Era men's grounds for the astir successive finals won, triumphing successful an unthinkable 18 connected the bounce from 1981 to 1982.
Speaking of unprecedented feats, the Czech-born prima is the lone Open Era antheral subordinate to person a 90%+ winning grounds successful 5 antithetic years, and with his help, Murray achieved thing that his erstwhile mentor ne'er did; winning a Wimbledon title.
7. Jimmy Connors
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Achievements
The antheral who has won much Open Era men's singles titles than anybody else, Jimmy Connors hoisted a trophy aloft a sensational 109 times during his nonrecreational career, 8 of which came successful a Grand Slam setting.
Like Emerson successful Australia, Connors enjoyed his top large occurrence successful his homeland with 5 US Open titles - the joint-most successful past alongside 2 different men connected this database - and helium reached the oregon won 11 of his 12 Grand Slam tournaments betwixt 1974 and 1978.
In summation to his Grand Slam successes, Connors's longevity was besides lauded; helium inactive boasts much lucifer wins (1274) and matches played (1557) than immoderate different men's subordinate successful the Open Era.
6. Bjorn Borg
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Achievements
Bjorn Borg whitethorn beryllium the lone antheral connected this database without either an Australian Open oregon US Open title, but the Swedish sensation shone connected either broadside of the English transmission to go the archetypal Open Era men's subordinate with astatine slightest 10 singles Grand Slam victories.
Six of those successes came astatine the French Open, with different 5 astatine Wimbledon, and his 89.2% triumph complaint from Grand Slam singles tournaments remains the champion of immoderate antheral subordinate successful the Open Era.
Immediately recognisable acknowledgment to his distinctive blonde locks, Borg was a trailblazer of topspin and enjoyed conscionable a fewer high-profile meetings with John McEnroe, the "fire" to his "ice".
5. Rod Laver
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Achievements
Boasting aggregate titles successful each Grand Slam singles tournament, Rod Laver led the mode successful men's tennis for a bully chunk of the 1960s and has much singles titles nether his loop than immoderate different subordinate to person played the game, a ridiculous 198.
On 2 occasions did Laver implicit a Grand Slam, winning each 4 majors successful the 1962 and 1969 seasons, the second being the archetypal and presently lone clip a antheral subordinate has done truthful successful the Open Era.
Laver's unrivalled 1969 run saw him instrumentality location 18 championships successful full - inactive an Open Era men's grounds for the astir successful a azygous twelvemonth - and the Australian Open finals are present contested connected the arena named aft the legendary Queensland native.
4. Pete Sampras
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Achievements
"Pistol Pete", arsenic helium was affectionately known, Pete Sampras flexed his hard-court and grass-court muscles for 14 years from 1988 to 2002, clinching 14 large singles honours and spending 286 weeks astatine satellite fig one.
Sampras besides sits 4th connected the all-time database of men's vocation singles titles - lone down 3 of the apical 4 connected this countdown - and was named year-end satellite fig 1 six times, lone down Novak Djokovic's 8 connected the ATP Tour.
As good arsenic possessing a venomous serve, the American besides proved to beryllium arsenic adept astatine the net, with a serve-and-volley method that would get Tim Henman disconnected his seat.
3. Rafael Nadal
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Achievements
Whether tennis is your cupful of beverage oregon thing that instantly makes you alteration channel, Rafael Nadal and his beaming grin are universally adored, acknowledgment some to his on-court demeanour and bonzer skills with racquet successful hand.
Making Roland-Garros his playground before, during and aft his prime, Nadal was crowned French Open champion a whopping 14 times - unsurprisingly the astir all-time - portion winning 92 top-level singles crowns overall.
Together with large rival Novak Djokovic, Nadal is conscionable 1 of 2 antheral players to triumph singles titles successful 19 successive years successful the Open Era, and the Spaniard's delicate driblet shots and unsocial pre-serve flick-the-hair-back ritual volition beryllium missed to nary end.
2. Roger Federer
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Achievements
Always the recipient of a immense cheer erstwhile his look lights up the large screen, Roger Federer is the lone subordinate connected the ATP Tour to triumph a period of singles titles, clinching an unparalleled 103 earlier calling it quits successful 2022.
The Swiss sensation achieved Grand Slam singles glory connected 20 occasions, has won much matches than immoderate different antheral successful the Open Era (1,251) and spent 310 weeks arsenic the satellite fig one.
While helium won 8 of his large titles astatine Wimbledon and lone conquered Roland-Garros once, Federer was a formidable foe connected immoderate playing aboveground and was celebrated conscionable arsenic overmuch for his grace and decorum.
1. Novak Djokovic
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Achievements
Long aft Nadal, Federer and Djokovic person each deed an ace oregon fired a victor for the last time, statement volition rage implicit which subordinate of the 'Big Three' was genuinely the top of each time, and our enactment volition surely not beryllium good with all.
However, with 24 Grand Slam singles honours, 99 singles titles, a grounds 7 year-end titles and an astounding 428 weeks arsenic the satellite fig one, the scintillating Serbian gets our GOAT vote.
In the past of the Open Era, Djokovic's 83.5% triumph complaint is the champion of immoderate antheral subordinate successful history, and his incredibly affectional Olympics triumph successful 2024 saw him go the lone antheral to implicit a Big Titles vocation sweep, winning each Grand Slam, Tour Finals, Masters and Olympic championships.
The twilight of his vocation whitethorn beryllium approaching, but arsenic Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz wrestle for the torch that Djokovic has passed down, the 24-time Grand Slam victor tin discontinue harmless successful the cognition that helium has much oregon little completed tennis.
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