Tennis' top 20 of all time 06/23/2016 Tennis' Top 20 of All Time Who doesn't love a great debate, especially in sports? In tennis alone, we could deliberate hundreds of meaningful topics, but we decided to go big -- as in the greatest player of all time. With that in mind, we asked a panel of more than 40 ESPN experts to rank their top players in history, men and women combined. Did we get it right? Reporting by Greg Garber, Thomas Neumann and Johnette Howard Photography by: Getty Images Quotables Roger was probably the most complete player we have seen in my years. Great serve, moves really well and was always willing to come in [to net]. His forehand, well, there are so many things he can do with that shot. Just an all-around great player with a phenomenal, all-court game. -- Pete Sampras Defining Moment Federer was only 19 when he seized his 2001 fourth-round Wimbledon upset against seven-time champ Pete Sampras to signal the beginning of the passing of the torch between the two men. Sampras hadn't lost at the All England Club in five years.

Federer went on to cement his claim for best male player ever by passing Sampras' record of 14 Grand Slam wins. The Swiss star now owns 17 majors and has held the world No. 1 ranking for 302 weeks, another record for the Open era. 2 Photography by: Getty Images Quotables Tremendous foot speed. Probably the best mover with the best footwork of that generation. She handled pressure really well in big matches. And that forehand. Bud Collins called her Fraulein Forehand for a reason. That was a huge weapon for her. The serve was solid, and she had a reliable backhand, but her movement is what put her over the top. -- Chris Evert Defining Moment Even if Graf didn't have the edge of 22 Grand Slam titles to Serena Williams' 21, Graf's calendar-year sweep of the four Grand Slams and the Olympics in 1988 is something that separates her from Williams. But Serena -- who did win all four majors in a row, just not in the same year -- is breathing down her neck.

3 Photography by: Getty Images Quotables She doesn't just have power in her game -- she has blow-you-off-the-court power. Serena has the best serve in the history of the game, for power and placement. But maybe her best asset is her competitiveness. When she was playing her best, there was an absolutely insatiable appetite for winning. -- Chris Evert Defining Moment Richard Williams said when Serena and Venus were teenagers that Serena, though younger, would turn out to be the better player between his two daughters. Serena's first Grand Slam win against Venus at the 2002 French Open -- her first win in four matches against Venus at a major -- launched her on the path to 20 more major titles and a 16-11 head-to-head mark over Venus. Serena now trails only Graf and Margaret Court's all-time record of 24. She and Venus still dislike playing each other. 4 Photography by: Getty Images Quotables Martina set a whole new level for physical fitness and power. I think of athleticism. She had tremendous feel on her volleys. She had strong wrists, so she could maneuver volleys anywhere she wanted.

She was the epitome of an all-court player -- more than anyone who came up in that era. -- Chris Evert Defining Moment Navratilova's decision to defect from communist-run Czechoslovakia in 1975 at the age 18 was the defining moment of her career. She didn't feel she'd reach her potential if she stayed behind the Iron Curtain and allowed the Czech Federation to decide where and when she could play. Once in the U.S., Navratilova whipped herself into top shape and put together nearly invincible seasons of 90-3, 86-1, 78-2 and 89-3 from 1982 to '86. She finished with 18 Grand Slam singles titles, same as her great rival, Chris Evert. Navratilova's 167 singles titles and 177 doubles titles are both records. 5 Photography by: Getty Images Quotables He was a sensational player. He even got better after he turned pro. For about the first three or four months, he struggled with the second serve. He worked on getting that a lot better and won his second season Grand Slam after that.

Awfully talented guy, really tough to play over five sets. Didn't have a huge serve, but being left-handed helped him in that regard. He won the Slam twice, and I don't think any other man will ever do it once. -- Roy Emerson Defining Moment Laver straddled the move from the amateur to the Open (or professional) eras of tennis. Although Laver's 200 singles titles are the most in tennis history, it was his ability to pull off a second calendar-year sweep of all four Grand Slam tournaments in 1969 -- seven years after his first Slam sweep! -- that forever underscored his greatness. 6 Photography by: Getty Images Quotables He's the best, most efficient player in terms of not allowing the pressure of the perceived consequence to impact his ability to achieve his goal. Pressure doesn't detract from his ability to achieve that goal. Arguably the best second serve I've ever seen. Hitting spots, first and second serve, when the most pressure was on. Nobody better. -- Paul Annacone Defining Moment Sampras' 2000 victory at Wimbledon arguably established him as the greatest male player of all time (until Roger Federer eclipsed him).

Sampras dominated in an era when power serves were becoming the norm. What also separated him was his ability to play a chip-and-charge game and his athleticism (he loved to show off his hops on overhead smashes). Sampras was never as great from the baseline as Andre Agassi was, but he didn't need to be. 7 Photography by: Getty Images Quotables He never, never missed. You always had to play very steady against Bjorn. You had to win the match; it would never be given you. I think he was ahead of his time, extremely fit and quick. -- Ivan Lendl Defining Moment Borg was a teenage prodigy who played Davis Cup at 15 and was barely 18 when he won his first French Open. But being ranked No. 1 wore greatly on him. Borg's career-defining moment came when John McEnroe passed the Swedish star for the No. 1 ranking by defeating him at the 1981 US Open. Borg made himself the biggest "What if?" in men's tennis history by skipping the postmatch news conference and leaving the stadium without showering, taking a car directly to JFK Airport and leaving town.

He retired for the first time a few months later, with 11 Slam titles. He was only 26. 8 Photography by: Getty Images Quotables Man, he has impressed me the last few years. He's had some of the best results in the history of the game. Look at the competition; he's beaten two of the greatest players ever. It reminds me of what Federer was doing when he dominated. The main thing is he moves better than anyone else. You can't teach that kind of movement and flexibility. Greatest return of serve in the history of the game -- just ahead of Agassi. It's just about impossible to get it by him. -- Pete Sampras Defining Moment Djokovic's victory over Federer in the 2014 Wimbledon final made him -- not Rafael Nadal -- the first man to defeat Federer at all four Grand Slams. Djokovic has also eclipsed the rapidly fading Nadal as the active player with the best chance to eclipse Federer for best ever, even if he has far to go in the major title tally (12 to Federer's 17).

It doesn't hurt that Djokovic has a slight advantage in head-to-head matches against both Federer (23-22) and Nadal (25-23). 9 Photography by: Getty Images Quotables I watched him play in Australia. I was amazed at his energy and presence. He makes his opponents feel that. One of the biggest forehands in the game. Probably, mentally the strongest player out there, always a positive attitude when he's on the court. He never, ever stops running. He's a pit bull, always coming after you, chewing on your leg and never letting go. -- Pete Sampras Defining Moment When Nadal defeated Roger Federer in 2008 at Federer's beloved Wimbledon in one of the greatest matches ever played -- it took 4 hours, 48 minutes to complete between rain delays -- Nadal proved he was more than a clay-court wonder. That match gave him Slam defeats of Federer on hard courts and grass. Nadal's career 23-11 record against Federer has also created a perplexing question: How can Federer be considered the greatest ever when his results are so lopsided versus Nadal?

10 Photography by: Getty Images Quotables He has been one of the greatest players in the history of the game. A very gifted, talented genius -- but with a temper, which had benefits at times and maybe not at times. He was a guy you wanted to watch. Even today, I enjoy watching him play. -- Stefan Edberg Defining Moment Adjectives don't do McEnroe justice. To describe him as boisterous, combative, fiery and controversial would be a start. McEnroe was known for his rivalries with Bjorn Borg and Jimmy Connors, and his loss to Borg in a fifth-set tiebreaker at the 1980 Wimbledon final is one of the most famed matches in history. He defeated Borg in the finals of the 1980 US Open and Wimbledon in 1981. McEnroe went 6-3 against Connors in Grand Slam events, and they split two meetings in the Wimbledon finals. McEnroe holds the men's record with 149 tournament wins in the Open era: 77 in singles and 72 in doubles. 12 Photography by: Getty Images Quotables Very tough to play against, a top competitor.

You just have to be on top of your game. I always had trouble with left-handers. I was always very wary of them. He always presented a lot of issues. -- Ivan Lendl Defining Moment Connors surged to the top of the tennis world in 1974, when he won the first three Grand Slam events of his career at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open. He was barred from competing at the French Open for signing a contract with the World Team Tennis circuit, which cost him a chance at the Grand Slam. However, he embarked on a streak of 160 weeks as the No. 1 player in the world -- a mark that stood as a record until Roger Federer eclipsed it nearly three decades later. Connors still holds the men's career record for most singles tournament wins, with 109. 13 Photography by: Getty Images Quotables Maybe one of, if not the best, strikers of the ball ever. Hits the ball very clean, taking time away from the opponent. A great competitor, a great mover. Just a smart player. He knew his capabilities and his opponents' weaknesses. He loved having a target when guys came in. He would pass you every time.

-- Pete Sampras Defining Moment Greatness was predicted for Agassi even before he turned pro at age 16. He proved worthy of the hype six years later, when he won his first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 1992. Agassi, seeded No. 12, defeated Boris Becker and John McEnroe on his way to the final, in which he outlasted Goran Ivanisevic in five sets. Agassi was a flashy pitchman who made a major splash in the endorsement world. He went on to win seven more Grand Slam singles championships, two Davis Cup titles and an Olympic gold medal. 14 Photography by: Getty Images Quotables Very aggressive. She always wanted to be at the net. She had, I think, the most technically sound volleys of anyone in that era. She was a great competitor, fearless out there. She hated to lose. She had the best backhand in the game. It was versatile, topspin or slice. -- Chris Evert Defining Moment Many observers know King best for her historic victory over outspoken former Wimbledon men's champion Bobby Riggs in the famed Battle of the Sexes in 1973.

Riggs had repeatedly disparaged female tennis players and boasted that, even at age 55, he could beat King. Instead, King beat Riggs in straight sets to earn a $100,000 payday that was witnessed by an estimated 50 million television viewers. Much more impressive, however, are her record 20 Wimbledon championships -- six in singles, 10 in doubles and four in mixed doubles. 15 Photography by: Getty Images Quotables The biggest thing was how athletic she was. She was a terrific serve-and-volleyer. One thing that really helped her was our coach, Harry Hopman, who would bring her down to [men's] practice. She felt that working with the guys gave her a bit of an edge. Speedwise, she was the fittest of all of us. -- Rod Laver Defining Moment It's not easy to identify the career zenith of a player who won a record 24 Grand Slam singles championships and another 40 in doubles. But even in that context, the streak Court enjoyed from January 1969 to January 1971 is extraordinary.

She won eight of the nine Grand Slam singles titles during that span, including six in a row and the first women's Grand Slam of the Open era. 16 Photography by: Getty Images Quotables I feel he changed the game of tennis in 1984. He was serious about nutrition and training in a way we haven't seen. Today, it's something all professionals do. He was way ahead of it. On the court, he was very, very consistent and mentally strong. He always wanted to make improvements. -- Stefan Edberg Defining Moment At a time when John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors were the dominant names in men's tennis, Lendl managed to elbow his way into the conversation by achieving a No. 1 ranking in February 1983. He cemented his place among the sport's elite the next year with his first Grand Slam tournament win by rallying from a two-set deficit against McEnroe in the French Open final. The Czech held the No. 1 ranking for 270 weeks over the course of his career, third only to Roger Federer and Pete Sampras. 17 Photography by: Getty Images Quotables He had a lot of power.

You had to really play well and, most importantly, steady to beat him. The style he played was a very difficult style to play against. When he was on -- which was most of the time -- you had to withstand it. When he wasn't, you had to take advantage of his weaker moments. -- Ivan Lendl Defining Moment Becker is the youngest male champion in Wimbledon singles history, having stunned the tennis world at age 17 in 1985. He was also the first German to claim the men's Wimbledon title. He won three of his matches in five sets before recording a four-set championship victory over Kevin Curren. 18 Photography by: Getty Images Quotables She got a really raw deal. She would have won six to eight more Grand Slams if she hadn't been stabbed. She might have set the record. Remember, she was No. 1 when it happened and missed nearly three years. No one took the ball earlier and created more acute angles. She was tenacious -- just dictated almost every point. -- Chris Evert Defining Moment Seles began a two-year domination of her sport at age 17, when she assumed the No. 1 world ranking.

She won seven of nine Grand Slam events from January 1991 through January 1993. Her career took an unfortunate turn when a crazed fan stabbed her during a match in April 1993, which led to a two-year playing hiatus. She went on to win the 1996 Australian Open but never returned to the level of her previous success. 19 Photography by: Getty Images Quotables He was Mr. Consistency. Good at both singles and doubles, and that's the one thing that had him playing all the time. Maybe that's why, from my standard, he was the fittest player on the circuit. He had a great, great backhand. He was also one of the quickest players on the court, and when he'd serve and volley and get to net, he hit a lot of nice deep volleys. You could not pass him. -- Rod Laver Defining Moment In 1964, Emerson missed becoming the third man to achieve the Grand Slam. He won Wimbledon, the Australian and the U.S. championships but failed to defend his French title from the previous year.

Emerson is the only man who won the career Grand Slam in both singles and doubles and the only man who won five consecutive Australian singles titles. He shares the record of six Australian Open men's singles titles with Novak Djokovic. 20 Jimmy Connors (Tennis Player) - Pics, Videos, Dating, & News Jimmy Connors Tennis Player Male James Scott "Jimmy" Connors is a former world number one tennis player from the United States. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of all time. Connors won eight Grand Slam singles titles and two Grand Slam doubles titles with Ilie NÄstase.… Read More related links Connors A Kyrgios Choice As Coach For Hothead Talent Yahoo News - Oct 20, 2016 ' By Ian Ransom MELBOURNE (Reuters) - American tennis great <mark>Jimmy Connors</mark> has put his hand up for one of the toughest coaching assignments in the world by offering to mentor Australia\'s wayward talent Nick Kyrgios.

The 64-year-old Connors, a famous firebrand through a long career boasting eight grand slam titles, fittingly made his approach on Twitter, a medium favoured highly by the moody 21-year-old, recently banned from the tour for two months. \"Kyrgios-- you want to be the ... That Place Is Gonna Rock And Roll ABC News - Aug 24, 2016 ' var specialURLinexplicable = \'\'; if (window.location.hash != \'\') { specialURLinexplicable = window.location.hash; window.location.hash = \'\'; } T ime doesn\'t wait. It didn\'t wait for Bjorn Borg, who first quit tennis at 26, nor did it for John McEnroe, who never won a Grand Slam after age 25. In 1990, a year before his remarkable US Open run, it did not wait for <mark>Jimmy Connors</mark>, the Open era...

Tennis Fathers Who Have Won Grand Slam Titles Yahoo News - Jul 10, 2016 'LONDON, July 10 (Reuters) - Following Andy Murray\'s triumph in the men\'s singles at Wimbledon on Sunday, this is a list of men who have won grand slam singles titles since 1980 after becoming fathers: Player Majors won after becoming a father <mark>Jimmy Connors</mark> (U.S.) Wimbledon (1982) U.S. Open (1982, 1983) Pat Cash (Australia) Wimbledon (1987) Andres Gomez (Ecuador) French Open (1990) Boris Becker (Germany) Australian Open (1996) Petr Korda (Czech Republic) Australian Open (1998) ... Tennis Federer Sights New Record And Wimbledon Semi Finals Yahoo News - Jul 06, 2016 ' - Seven-time champion Roger Federer can reach an 11th Wimbledon semi-final on Wednesday and become the most successful Grand Slam match winner when he tackles Croatia\'s Marin Cilic.

The 17-time major champion can also go level with <mark>Jimmy Connors</mark>\' Wimbledon record of 84 wins if he beats Cilic for the sixth time in seven meetings. Federer, 34, has a 306-50 win-loss record in Grand Slam matches and is currently joint top of the list with Martina Navratilova (306-49) and ahead of... Learn about the memorable moments in the evolution of Jimmy Connors. CHILDHOOD 1952 Birth Born on September 2, 1952. 1961 8 Years Old Connors grew up in East St. Louis, Illinois, across the Mississippi River from St. Louis. He played in his first U.S. Championship, the U.S. boys' 11-and-under of 1961, when he was nine years old. TEENAGE 1968 15 Years Old Connors' mother, Gloria, took him to Southern California to be coached by Pancho Segura, starting at age 16, in 1968.

… Read More He won the Junior Orange Bowl in both the 12- and the 14-year categories, and is one of only nine tennis players to win the Junior Orange Bowl championship twice in its 70-year history, which list includes Andy Murray, Jennifer Capriati, Monica Seles, and Yishai Oliel. Read Less 1970 17 Years Old In 1970, Connors recorded his first victory in the first round of the Pacific Southwest Open in Los Angeles, defeating Roy Emerson. 1971 18 Years Old In 1971, Connors won the NCAA singles title as a Freshman while attending the University of California, Los Angeles, and attaining All-American status. Show Less He turned professional in 1972 and won his first tournament, the Jacksonville Open. Connors was acquiring a reputation as a maverick in 1972 when he refused to join the newly formed Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), the union that was embraced by most male professional players, in order to play in and dominate a series of smaller tournaments organized by Bill Riordan, his manager.

TWENTIES However, Connors played in other tournaments and won the 1973 US Pro Singles, his first significant title, toppling Arthur Ashe in a five-set final, 6â3, 4â6, 6â4, 3â6, 6â2. … Borg won only four of those meetings, but two of those wins were in the Wimbledon finals of 1977 and 1978. Connors lost his stranglehold on the top ranking to Borg in early 1979 and wound up with an official tour record of 8â15 against Borg. Although Borg is four years younger and won the last ten times they met, Connors won most exhibitions and senior tour matches against Borg, putting Connors "unofficially" ahead of Borg in overall wins (see Borg-Connors rivalry). Head to head in major championship finals, they split their four meetings, Borg winning two Wimbledons (1977 & 1978) and Connors winning two US Opens (1976 & 1978).

<br /><br />Nastase was another rival in Connors' prime. Though six years older than Connors, Nastase won ten of their first 11 meetings. However, Connors won eleven of their final fourteen meetings. Read Less The two would team up to win the doubles championships at the 1973 Wimbledon and the 1975 US Open. … Read More Orantes upset Connors in the final of the 1975 US Open, but Connors is 11â3 overall against Orantes in tour events. On the other hand, Vilas wore down Connors in the final of the 1977 US Open and was much more competitive in all of their meetings. Connors was only able to manage a 5â4 record against Vilas in tour events.<br /><br /> In 1975, Connors won two highly touted "Challenge Matches", both arranged by the Riordan company and televised nationally by CBS Sports from Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. Connors won that match, 6â4, 6â2, 3â6, 7â5.

In April, Connors met Newcombe in a match billed as a $250,000 winner-takes-all. Connors won the match, 6â3, 4â6, 6â2, 6â4. Read Less Show Less Connors won eight Grand Slam singles championships: five US Opens, two Wimbledons, and one Australian Open. He did not participate in the French Open during his peak years (1974â78) and only played in two Australian Opens in his entire career, winning it in 1974 and reaching the final in 1975. In 1974, Connors was the dominant player. … Read More He had a 99â4 record that year and won 15 tournaments, including three of the four Grand Slam singles titles. The French Open did not allow Connors to participate due to his association with World Team Tennis (WTT). However, he won the Australian Open, defeating Phil Dent in four sets. He also beat Ken Rosewall in straight sets in the finals of both Wimbledon and the US Open.

His exclusion from the French Open denied him the opportunity to become the first male player since Rod Laver to win all four Major singles titles in a calendar year. Read Less Connors reached the final of the US Open in five straight years from 1974 through 1978, winning three times with each win being on a different surface (1974 on grass, 1976 on clay and 1978 on hard). … Read More He reached the final of Wimbledon four out of five years during his peak (1974, 1975, 1977 and 1978). Despite not being allowed to play in the French Open for a number of years, he was still able to reach the semifinals four times in his career.<br /><br /> In the open era, Connors is one of only six men to win three or more Grand Slam singles titles in a calendar year.

Others include: Rod Laver who won the Grand Slam in 1969; Mats Wilander won the Australian, French and US Open in 1988; Roger Federer won the Australian, Wimbledon and US Open in 2004, 2006 and 2007; Rafael Nadal won the French, Wimbledon, and US Open in 2010; and Novak Djokovic won the Australian, Wimbledon, and US Open in 2011 and 2015. Read Less Connors reached the ATP world No. 1 ranking on July 29, 1974 and held it for 160 consecutive weeks, a record until it was surpassed by Roger Federer on February 26, 2007. He was the ATP year-end no. 1 player from 1974 through 1978 and held the world No. 1 ranking for a total of 268 weeks during his career. … Read More Prominent contemporary players with Connors included Phil Dent, Brian Gottfried, Raul RamÃ­rez, Harold Solomon, Dick Stockton, Roscoe Tanner, and Guillermo Vilas.

His older rivals included Arthur Ashe, Rod Laver, Ilie NÄstase, John Newcombe, Manuel Orantes, Ken Rosewall, and Stan Smith. His prominent younger opponents included BjÃ¶rn Borg, Vitas Gerulaitis, Ivan Lendl, and John McEnroe. Read Less During his best years of 1974 through 1978, Connors was challenged the most by Borg, with twelve matches on tour during that time frame. In 1974, Connors and Riordan began filing lawsuits, amounting to $10 million, against the ATP and its president, Arthur Ashe, for allegedly restricting his freedom in the game. The lawsuits stemmed from the French Open banning Connors in 1974 after he had signed a contract to play World Team Tennis (WTT) for the Baltimore Banners. Connors was seeking to enter the French Open, but the ATP and French officials opposed WTT because of scheduling conflicts, so the entries of WTT players were refused between 1974 and 1978.

… Connors explained that this necessitated his rushing to meet the doctor at the entrance to the grounds, and then convincing Nastase to help him try out the splint on a practice court. By Connors' account, he then rushed to Centre Court for the parade, but was too late. He was booed when he played his first round match the next day. Reaching the final, he lost in five sets to Borg, who a month later was able briefly to interrupt Connors's long hold on the world No. 1 ranking. Read Less Connors also irritated sponsors and tennis officials by shunning the end-of-year Masters championship from 1974 through 1976. Connors was engaged to fellow tennis pro Chris Evert, and they each triumphed in the singles events at the 1974 Wimbledon Championships; a feat labelled "The Lovebird Double" by the media. Their engagement was broken off shortly before the 1975 Wimbledon championship. Show Less Connors ended his business relationship with Riordan later in 1975.

… Read More Connors played Newcombe in four tour events, with Newcombe winning the first two meetings on grass (1973 US Open quarterfinal and 1975 Australian Open final) and Connors winning the last two on hard courts (1978 Sydney Indoor quarterfinal and 1979 Hong Kong round of 16). Connors won all three meetings with Rod Laver in tour events. Read Less Connors dropped Riordan and eventually the lawsuits after losing to Ashe in the 1975 Wimbledon final (according to the official film produced by Wimbledon 1975, his $2 million suit against Ashe was still outstanding when the two met in the 1975 Wimbledon final). At Wimbledon in 1977, he refused to participate in a parade of former champions to celebrate the tournament's centenary, choosing instead to practice in the grounds with Ilie Nastase while the parade took place. However, he entered this round-robin competition in 1977 when it moved to New York City.

… Read More Although Connors lost a celebrated late-night match to Vilas, 4â6, 6â3, 5â7, he took the title by defeating Borg in the final, 6â4, 1â6, 6â4.<br /><br /> Connors had shining moments against John McEnroe and Ivan Lendl, both of whom rose to prominence after Connors peaked in the mid-1970s. He would continue to compete against much younger players and had one of the most remarkable comebacks for any athlete when he reached the semifinals of the 1991 US Open at the age of 39. Read Less … It is difficult to say which was more instrumental in Connors becoming a champion.... Though smaller than most of his competitors, Connors didn't let it bother him, making up for a lack of size with determination." Of his own competitive nature Connors has said, "There's always somebody out there who's willing to push it that extra inch, or mile, and that was me. (Laughter) I didn't care if it took me 30 minutes or five hours.

If you beat me, you had to be the best, or the best you had that day. But that was my passion for the game. If I won, I won, and if I lost, well, I didn't take it so well." <br /><br />His on-court antics, designed to get the crowd involved, both helped and hurt his play. Schwartz said, "While tennis fans enjoyed Connors' gritty style and his never-say-die attitude, they often were shocked by his antics. His sometimes vulgar on-court behaviorâlike giving the finger to a linesman after disagreeing with a call or strutting about the court with the tennis racket handle between his legs; sometimes he would yank on the handle in a grotesque manner and his fans would go wild or groan in disapprovalâdid not help his approval rating. During the early part of his career, Connors frequently argued with umpires, linesmen, the players union, Davis Cup officials and other players.

Read Less He was even booed at Wimbledon â a rare show of disapproval thereâfor snubbing the Parade of Champions on the first day of the Centenary in 1977." … Read More His brash behavior both on and off the court earned him a reputation as the brat of the tennis world. Tennis commentator Bud Collins nicknamed Connors the "Brash Basher of Belleville" after the St Louis suburb where he grew up. But Connors himself thrived on the energy of the crowd, positive or negative, and manipulated and exploited it to his advantage in many of the greatest matches of his career.<br /><br /> Connors was taught to hit the ball on the rise by his teaching-pro mother, Gloria Connors, a technique he used to defeat the opposition in the early years of his career. Gloria sent her son to Southern California to work with Pancho Segura at the age of 16. Segura advanced Connors' game of hitting the ball on the rise which enabled Connors to reflect the power and velocity of his opponents back at them. Segura was the master strategist in developing Jimmy's complete game.

In the 1975 Wimbledon final, Arthur Ashe countered this strategy by taking the pace off the ball, giving Connors only soft junk shots (dinks, drop shots, and lobs) to hit. Read Less Former Miss World Marjorie Wallace was engaged to Connors in 1977, but in 1979 Connors married Playboy model Patti McGuire. … Read More They have two children, and live in the Santa Barbara, California area.<br /><br /> In the fall of 1988, Connors auditioned to host the NBC daytime version of Wheel of Fortune, a show he and his wife "never missed an episode" of. However, the job went to Rolf Benirschke. According to show creator Merv Griffin, many news outlets tried to get their hands on Connors' audition tape, but Griffin refused to release it because he said "it wouldn't have been fair to Jimmy".<br /><br /> In the 1990s he joined his brother John Connors as investors in the Argosy Gaming Company which owned riverboat casinos on the Mississippi River. The two owned 19 percent of the company which was headquartered in the St.

Louis metropolitan area of East Alton, Illinois. Argosy narrowly averted bankruptcy in the late 1990s and Connors' brother John personally sought Chapter 7 bankruptcy. In the liquidation, Connors, through his company, Smooth Swing, acquired the Alystra Casino in Henderson, Nevada, for $1.9 million from Union Planters Bank, which had foreclosed on John. John had opened the casino in 1995 with announced plans to include a Jimmy Connors theme area. It was shuttered in 1998 and became a magnet for homeless and thieves who stripped its copper piping. The casino never reopened under Connors' ownership and it was destroyed in a May 2008 fire. Read Less 1980 27 Years Old In the 1980 WCT Finals, Connors defeated the defending champion, John McEnroe. … Read More McEnroe and Borg were battling for the top spot in those years, while Connors played the role of the spoiler.

Read Less Ranking the Greatest Champions in Wimbledon History | Bleacher Report Ranking the Greatest Champions in Wimbledon History By Jake Curtis , Featured Columnist Jul 1, 2015 Use your ← → (arrow) keys to browse the slideshow Pool/Getty Images Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer, Rod Laver 12.9K 47 Comments Roger Federer is shooting for his eighth Wimbledon title this year. Serena Williams is going for her sixth. With those credentials, they belong in the discussion regarding the greatest Wimbledon champions. But does either rank at the very top? In our ranking of the greatest champions in Wimbledon history, we considered only players who won Wimbledon titles in the Open Era (since 1968). However, we included two players who won Wimbledon titles in both the pre-Open Era and the Open Era. This excludes pre-Open Era stars such as Helen Wills (eight Wimbledon singles titles), Suzanne Lenglen (who never lost a completed Wimbledon singles match) and Bill Tilden (who won his last Wimbledon title at age 37).

The rankings are based primarily on the number of Wimbledon singles titles won, although consideration also was given to the quality of the opposition, the dominance the player demonstrated at Wimbledon and the player's overall fame as measured by the Tennis Channel's 2012 rankings of the 100 greatest players of all time. In some cases, factors that made a player's accomplishment special were included in the evaluation. We pared the candidates down to a dozen then ranked the 12 greatest champions in Wimbledon history. Getty Images/Getty Images Wimbledon titles: Three (1974, 1976, 1981) Chris Evert was almost unbeatable on clay during her prime years, but she had the misfortune of playing in an era occupied by perhaps the best women's grass-court player in history, Martina Navratilova. Evert reached the Wimbledon final 10 times but won only three titles, losing to Navratilova all five times the two met in the tournament's climax. However, Evert did beat Navratilova in the 1976 semifinals before taking out Evonne Goolagong Cawley in the final for her second Wimbledon crown.

Evert was only 21 at the time, but she would win Wimbledon on just one more occasion. Evert's run through the 1981 tournament was by far her most impressive. She did not lose a set during the tournament and lost no more than four games in any of her final four matches. She took apart Hana Mandlikova 6-2, 6-2 in the final. Mandlikova had already done Evert a favor by beating Navratilova in the semifinals. Although grass was Evert's least favorite surface, she was able to challenge for the title virtually every year, and she was clearly among tennis' all-time greats. She was placed No. 9 on the Tennis Channel's rankings of the top 100 players in history. DAVE CAULKIN/Associated Press Wimbledon titles: Three (1985, 1986, 1989) Boris Becker won two Wimbledon titles before he reached his 19th birthday, suggesting he might rule the All England Club like nobody in history. His powerful serve, excellent volley and ability to dive and bounce around the grass court made it appear he would dominate Wimbledon for years to come.

He won his third Wimbledon title in 1989, still at the tender age of 21, but never won it again. Becker's most dramatic Wimbledon title was his first, when, at age 17, he became the youngest male to win Wimbledon and the first unseeded player to do it. He did it with a flamboyant style that made him a spectator's delight. His second and third Wimbledon titles were more impressive from a tennis standpoint. Becker knocked off No. 1-seeded Ivan Lendl in straight sets in the 1986 final and defeated No. 1-seeded Lendl and No. 2-seeded Stefan Edberg in his final two matches in 1989, the latter in straight sets. Becker's flair was nearly as important as his results in earning him a spot on this list. Adam Stoltman/Associated Press Wimbledon titles: Three (1981, 1983, 1984) Considering the way John McEnroe dominated the 1984 Wimbledon tournament at the age of 25, it's hard to believe he never won the event again.

In fact, McEnroe never won any Grand Slam tournament after the age of 25 even though he had one of the most dominating seasons in men's tennis history in 1984. McEnroe's epic five-set loss to Bjorn Borg in the 1980 final simply set the stage for his victory over Borg in the 1981 final at the age of 22. After losing to Jimmy Connors in the 1982 Wimbledon final, McEnroe responded with magnificent performances the next two years. He lost only one set in his run through the 1983 Wimbledon, beating overmatched Chris Lewis in the final 6-2, 6-2, 6-2. The next year he again lost only one set on his way to the title, thrashing Connors 6-1, 6-1, 6-2 in the final in perhaps the most impressive exhibition of grass-court tennis in history. ''That's the best I've ever played,'' said McEnroe after that match, according to the New York Times. McEnroe would win the U.S.

Open later that year, giving him two titles and a runner-up finish in the three majors he played during that season. But he would never win another Grand Slam singles title, getting to the final of only one more, the 1987 U.S. Open. Clive Brunskill/Getty Images Wimbledon titles: Five (2000, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2008) Venus Williams' five Wimbledon women's singles titles are tied for the third most in the Open Era, behind only Martina Navratilova and Steffi Graf. Williams made a habit of playing her best tennis at the All England Club. She was not the top seed in any of her five Wimbledon title runs and was among the top four seeds in only one. Williams knocked off the Nos. 1 and 2 players in the world en route to her first title, beating Martina Hingis and Lindsay Davenport in 2000. However, Williams' championship mettle was best displayed while winning her third and fourth Wimbledon crowns.

She had lost in the fourth round of the Australian Open and the third round of the French Open when she entered the 2005 Wimbledon event ranked No. 16 and seeded 14th. Williams proceeded to roll through Wimbledon, beating No. 2-ranked Maria Sharapova in the semifinals and No. 1 Davenport in the final. In 2007, after two-injury plagued seasons, Williams came into Wimbledon ranked 31st and seeded No. 23. She struggled in the tournament's first week against little-known opponents. But she dominated in the second week, winning her final four matches in straight sets—three of which were against players ranked in the top six. Williams became the lowest seeded player to win a Wimbledon title. Five of Williams' seven Grand Slam titles were achieved at Wimbledon. Although she was not as proficient as sister Serena on all surfaces, Venus Williams was and is capable of beating anyone on the grass at Wimbledon.

Getty Images/Getty Images Wimbledon titles: Four (1961, 1962, 1968, 1969) There is no telling how many Wimbledons Rod Laver would have won if pros had been allowed to play the tournament in the mid-1960s. Laver won four consecutive Wimbledons in which he participated. He won the event during his final two years as an amateur then captured the first two Wimbledons in the Open Era, in 1968 and 1969. His best years, between 1963 and 1967, were spent dominating the pro circuit, a period that covered five Wimbledons he was excluded from playing. His 1968 title run was historically important because it was the first Open Wimbledon, as Laver knocked off Arthur Ashe and Tony Roche in the final two matches without the loss of a set. His 1962 and 1969 Wimbledon crowns were particularly significant because they were part of his Grand Slam years. He is still the only person to sweep all four major tournaments in the same calendar year twice.

In 1969, Laver had to get past Stan Smith, Cliff Drysdale, Ashe and John Newcombe to claim his final Wimbledon title at the age of 30. By virtually any measure, Laver ranks as one of tennis' all-time greats. He is No. 2 in the Tennis Channel's 2012 rankings of the top 100 players in history. Associated Press Wimbledon singles titles: Five (1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980) Bjorn Borg won five straight Wimbledon titles, a men's record for consecutive crowns at the All England Club, later matched by Roger Federer. (The record does not include consecutive titles won before 1923, when the defending champion had to win only one match to claim the title.) Borg was a mediocre grass-court player when he first played Wimbledon but developed his game to excel on the fast surface. At a time when serve-and-volley players ruled on grass, Borg proved you could win at Wimbledon with outstanding groundstrokes and a serviceable serve and volley.

He had already won two French Opens by the time he won his first Wimbledon title in 1976, a month past his 20th birthday. Interestingly, that first Wimbledon crown came just a few weeks after his most disappointing French Open performance, when he lost in the quarterfinals. Borg won his first Wimbledon title in 1976 without the loss of a set, and no man has done that since. The next year he had to win three five-set matches to take the title, including a marathon victory over Jimmy Connors in the final. However, his most memorable Wimbledon title was his last one, in 1980. His riveting 1-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-7, 8-6 victory over John McEnroe was remarkable not only for the level of play, but for Borg's ability to rebound from the epic 18-16 tiebreaker loss in the fourth set to capture the deciding set.

Getty Images/Getty Images Wimbledon titles: Six (1966, 1967, 1968, 1972, 1973, 1975) Two of Billie Jean King's six Wimbledon titles came in the pre-Open Era. However, that is less of a factor in women's tennis because there was no pro circuit for women before 1968. All the best women's players were amateurs before tennis became open to the pros. King played her best tennis on the grass at Wimbledon. Half of her Grand Slam singles titles were achieved at Wimbledon, and 11 of her 12 major crowns were captured on grass. King's serve-and-volley game was perfectly suited to the fast grass surface. King was 22 when she defeated Margaret Court (then Margaret Smith) and Maria Bueno in consecutive matches to win her first Wimbledon title in 1966, and she lost only one set while capturing the Wimbledon crown the next two years as well. King beat Chris Evert and Evonne Goolagong Cawley in succession to win the 1972 title and beat the same two in consecutive matches to win Wimbledon the next year.

However, her defining Wimbledon was in 1975, when King was 31 years old. She trailed Evert 3-0, 40-15 on Evert's serve in the third set before rallying to win that semifinal match, then she dominated Goolagong 6-0, 6-1 in the most lopsided Wimbledon final ever. King had proclaimed earlier that the 1975 Wimbledon would be her last major singles tournament, and she did not play singles in any of the next eight majors. However, she would play Wimbledon singles six more times after that, getting as far as the semifinals in her last appearance in 1983 at the age of 39. Clive Brunskill/Getty Images Wimbledon titles: Five (2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012) The final chapter of Serena Williams' story has yet to be written, and she could rise several spots in the ranking of Wimbledon champions before she is through. Her five Wimbledon titles over a span of 10 years speak to her longevity and her ability to maintain a high level of play over an extended period.

She won her first Wimbledon crown at the age of 20 and her fifth at the age of 30. At age 33, she came into this year's Wimbledon as the favorite to win her sixth Wimbledon crown. If Williams wins it, she would become the oldest woman to win a Grand Slam singles title, being several days older than Martina Navratilova was when she won the 1990 Wimbledon crown. A Wimbledon victory would give Williams the first three legs of a calendar-year Grand Slam that she could complete with a win at the U.S. Open. Winning Wimbledon would also give Williams her 21st Grand Slam singles title, leaving her one behind Steffi Graf (the Open Era record-holder) and three behind Margaret Court (who owns the all-time mark). Williams has been particularly effective in Grand Slam finals, owning a 20-4 record in title matches, including 5-2 at Wimbledon. Williams has given no hints that a decline is imminent. She is still ranked No. 1 by a wide margin, and there is reason to believe she will be the Wimbledon favorite in 2016 and 2017 if she chooses to continue playing.

DAVE CAULKIN/Associated Press Wimbledon titles: Seven (1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996) Steffi Graf's seven Wimbledon singles championships are the second most among women in the Open Era (behind Martina Navratilova's nine) and the third most overall (also behind Helen Wills' eight). Graf's first Wimbledon title, achieved three weeks after her 19th birthday, was the most significant because it was part of Graf's calendar-year Grand Slam in 1988. No one has won all four majors in the same year since. In 1988 and 1989, Graf had to beat Martina Navratilova, perhaps the best grass-court player of all time, in the final to claim the titles. Graf's most impressive performance came at the 1992 Wimbledon, when she beat No. 3-ranked Gabriela Sabatini 6-3, 6-3 in the semifinals and dominated No. 1-ranked Monica Seles 6-2, 6-1 in the final.

Seles had won the first two majors of 1992 but was no match for Graf at the All England Club that day. "I think I am playing here the best tennis of my career," Graf said after the match, according to the New York Times. Her Wimbledon victories in 1995 and 1996 came during years she won all three Grand Slam events in which she participated. (She forfeited opportunities to complete Grand Slams those years by not playing in the first major of the year, the Australian Open.) Graf played in the Wimbledon final nine times, winning all but two. She lost in her first Wimbledon final to Navratilova when Graf was 18 years old, and a 30-year-old Graf was beaten by Lindsay Davenport in the final of her last appearance in a Grand Slam singles event in 1999.

JYTTE NIELSEN/Associated Press Wimbledon titles: Seven (1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000) Pete Sampras was not the all-court player that Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal are today. Sampras never made it to the final of the French Open. However, his big serve-and-volley game was effective on hard courts and perfect for grass. Pete Sampras won seven Wimbledon titles in a span of eight years, his only failure in that stretch being a quarterfinal loss to Richard Krajicek in 1996. Sampras won his first Wimbledon title in 1993 by beating Andre Agassi, Boris Becker and Jim Courier in succession. All three victims were ranked No. 1 at one time, and each won at least four Grand Slam singles titles. That led Sampras on a streak of 25 consecutive match wins at the All England Club that ended with the loss to Krajicek.

Sampras then won 32 straight Wimbledon matches before he lost to Roger Federer in the round of 16 in 2001. Between his 1992 semifinal loss to Goran Ivanisevic and his fourth-round loss to Federer in 2001, Sampras won 56 of 57 matches at Wimbledon. Perhaps more indicative of Sampras' championship quality is the fact that he never lost a Wimbledon final, going 7-0 in title-deciding matches. ANJA NIEDRINGHAUS/Associated Press Wimbledon titles: Seven (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012) Roger Federer's seven men's Wimbledon singles titles are tied for the most in history, and he was named the greatest player ever in the Tennis Channel's 2012 rankings of the greatest players in history. Those two facts alone earn him a place at or near the top of our rankings of the greatest Wimbledon champions.

Federer virtually owned the All England Club through the 2000s, winning five straight Wimbledon crowns from 2003 through 2007, tying a men's record for consecutive titles set by Bjorn Borg. His five-year run began after an embarrassing loss, as the No. 7-seeded Federer was beaten in straight sets in the first round of the 2002 Wimbledon by qualifier Mario Ancic, who was ranked No. 154 in the world. However, Federer did not lose at the All England Club again until Rafael Nadal defeated him in their epic, five-set 2008 final. That 6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 9-7 loss ended Federer's 40-match winning streak at Wimbledon and his 65-match winning streak on grass. Federer's all-court skills—which combined powerful groundstrokes off both wings with excellent net play, a consistent serve and deft touch—made him almost unbeatable on grass for nearly a decade. His Wimbledon dominance began in 2003, when he ran through his final four opponents without the loss of a set.

Federer knocked off Andy Roddick in the final the next two years, and the only set Federer lost in the 2006 Wimbledon was a third-set tiebreaker against Nadal in the final. Federer beat Nadal again in the 2007 final before Nadal turned the tables in 2008, ending the streak. Federer's most impressive Wimbledon performance may have been the one that produced his most recent Wimbledon title, as Federer beat Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray in the final two rounds to win the 2012 tournament. Getty Images/Getty Images Wimbledon singles titles: Nine (1978, 1979, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990) Martina Navratilova won more Wimbledon singles crowns than any person in history, Open Era or pre-Open Era, men or women.

To put Navratilova's accomplishment in perspective, she claimed as many Wimbledon singles titles as John McEnroe, Rafael Nadal, Jimmy Connors and Novak Djokovic combined. Navratilova won her first Wimbledon singles title as a 21-year-old Czech and her last one as a 33-year-old American. In between, her groundbreaking announcement in 1981 in which she came out as lesbian became a factor in social change. She won 18 Grand Slam singles titles but no more than four at any major other than Wimbledon, where she was close to unbeatable for more than a decade. Navratilova was raised on slow clay courts in Czechoslovakia yet became perhaps the best women's grass-court player ever. She dominated during a period that featured some of the best women's players in history, winning six Wimbledon titles in a row from 1982 through 1987. She beat Chris Evert, Tracy Austin and Evonne Goolagong to win her first Wimbledon title and defeated both Austin and Evert to win her second.

Navratilova did not lose more than four games in any of her final four Wimbledon matches in 1983 and breezed to the 1984 and 1986 titles without the loss of a set. Navratilova beat Evert and Steffi Graf in succession to capture the 1987 crown, and her closest match on her way to the 1990 title was a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Gabriela Sabatini in the semifinals. To add some icing on her Wimbledon championship cake, Navratilova won seven women's doubles titles and four mixed doubles crowns at the All England Club. stumbleupon Email Comment The current tennis season is in the middle of its clay court stage which will culminate in the 2014 French Open on the 25th of May. The French Open is the second Grand Slam tournament on the calender and the only one played on clay. The tournament was created in 1891 and has been played at Roland Garros since 1928. Playing on clay offers different challenges than other surfaces and many great champions have often struggled to win the French Open.

American Pete Sampras has won 14 Grand Slam titles but never made a final at Roland Garros. Roger Federer has won 17 Grand Slams but has only managed to win the French Open on one occasion. This article lists the ten greatest male tennis players at the French Open. Only professional players after 1968 and the beginning of the Open Era of tennis were considered for this list. The list took into account the amount of match wins at Roland Garros as well as the number of titles won. Seven of the ten players listed have won the French Open on multiple occasions. 10. Jan Kodes – Champion in 1970 and 1971 First on the list of great French Open players is Jan Kodes. Jan Kodes was a player from the Czechoslovakia who won two French Open titles in 1970 and 1971. Kodes only won one other Grand Slam event, the 1973 Wimbledon title and only a total of eight singles titles. Khodes played at the French Open from 1968-1981 and has won a total of 39 matches at Roland Garros which ranks 11th all time.

Kodes was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1990. 9. Andre Agassi – 1999 Champion Andre Agassi is one of four male tennis players in the Open Era to have won all four Grand Slam tournaments (and one of three on this list). He is considered one of the greatest tennis players in history and has won eight Grand Slam tournaments. He is perhaps the best returner of serve to have played. Most observers felt Agassi would win the French Open before he won any other Grand Slam event. Surprisingly, Agassi struggled to win the French Open and won it in 1999 after he had won titles at every other Grand Slam. Agassi had previously lost in the Finals at Roland Garros in both 1990 and 1991. Agassi has won a total of 51 matches at the French Open, which ranks fifth all time. 8. Jim Courier – Champion in 1991 and 1992 Of Jim Courier ‘s four Grand Slam singles titles, two of them were French Open titles.

Courier won the French Open in consecutive years in 1991 and 1992 and lost in the finals in 1993. Courier holds the record for being the youngest man to have reached the finals of all four Grand Slam singles tournaments, at the age of 22 years and 11 months. Courier won a total of 40 matches at Roland Garros which is tied for eighth all time with Yannick Noah and Jimmy Connors. Courier retired from tennis in 2000 and was subsequently inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2005. 7. Guillermo Vilas – 1977 Champion Guillermo Vilas was one of the best tennis players on clay. The left handed Argentine was the first tennis player to have reached the 900 win plateau. He held the record for most consecutive match wins on clay with 53 (since broken by Rafael Nadal ). Vilas won 56 matches at Roland Garros which was a record until it was broken in 2013 by two players on this list. He appeared in four French Open Finals and won one of them in 1977.

1977 was a historic year for Vilas as he won 16 titles and 134 matches. Vilas was the second South American tennis player to have won a Grand Slam event when he won the 1977 French Open title. 6. Gustavo Kuerten – Champion in 1997, 2000 and 2001 Another multiple winner of the French Open to make this list is Brazil’s Gustavo Kuerten. Kuerten won the French Open on three occasions, in 1997, 2000 and 2001. Of all the players on this list, Kuerten is the only one to have enjoyed no success at any other Grand Slam. Besides his three French Open wins, Kuerten has not won any other Grand Slam and has not advanced past the quarter finals in any of those tournaments. In 2000 and 2001, Kuerten led the ATP in prize money and was ranked as the year end number one player in 2000.

Kuerten is one of five players to have won the French Open at least three times and has won 36 matches at Roland Garros which is tied for 13th all time. 5. Mats Wilander – Champion in 1982, 1985 and 1988 Mats Wilander is another player who won three French Open titles. Wilander won the title at Roland Garros in 1982, 1985 and 1988. Wilander made a total of five finals appearance at Roland Garros and won a total of 47 matches, which is seventh all time. Wilander is one of two players to have won at least two Grand Slam titles on each of the three tennis surfaces. Wilander never won Wimbledon, but won two Australian Open titles when the tournament was played on grass. In 2002, Wilander was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. 4. Ivan Lendl – Champion in 1984, 1986 and 1987 In the past few years, Ivan Lendl has received attention as the coach of British number one Andy Murray .

Lendl has been the coach during Murray’s most successful period and has helped the Scot win an Olympic gold medal and two Grand Slam titles. While Lendl has enjoyed success as a coach, Murray has a long way to go before he matches his exploits as a player. Lendl won over 1000 matches in his career including eight Grand Slam titles. Lendl is one of five players to have won over 50 matches at Roland Garros. Lendl managed to win 53 matches at the French Open including three French Open title wins. Lendl made five finals appearances at Roland Garros and was victorious in 1984, 1986 and 1987. 3. Roger Federer – 2009 Champion Roger Federer is on the shortlist of greatest tennis players in history. Federer has won 17 Grand Slam singles titles which is a record for male tennis players. Of those 17 titles only one is a French Open title. Despite his lack of trophies at the French Open, Federer has to be considered one of the best players ever to play at Roland Garros.

Between 2005-2013 Federer reached at least the quarter finals of the French Open with seven semi-finals and five finals appearances. His lone French Open title came in 2009 completing the career slam for Federer (one of four players since the Open Era to achieve this feat). Federer has won 58 matches at Roland Garros which is second all time and one away from the record. Federer would have more French Open titles if had managed to have even moderate success against the number one player on this list. 2. Björn Borg – Champion 1974, 1975 and 1978-1981 Björn Borg has won the French Open on six occasions which ranks second all time. Borg also won the French Open in four consecutive years between 1978-1981 which is tied with the number one player on this list. Borg’s record at Grand Slam events was impressive and he won 11 of the 27 major tournaments he entered, including six out of right French Opens. Borg ranks sixth all time in match wins at Roland Garros with 49 wins.

Borg retired from tennis in 1982 at the age of 26. If he had continued to play, it is likely he would have added to his many accomplishments and probably won more French Open titles. 1. Rafael Nadal – Champion 2005-2008 and 2010-2013 Since the Open Era, Rafael Nadal is the best male tennis player on clay. He holds the record for most consecutive wins on clay with 81 and his record at Roland Garros is astonishing. Nadal has won 59 matches at the French Open which is the most of any player. Nadal has won the French Open four consecutive years on two separate occasions. He has won the French Open a record eight times and has only been defeated at Roland Garros once, in 2009 by Robin Soderling. While Roger Federer holds the record for Grand Slam titles at 17, he could have many more if he did not play in the same era as Nadal.

Nadal defeated Federer in five French Opens including four finals in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2011 and a semi final in 2005. ShareOn Facebook

Question: Which male Tennis player won eight 'Grand Slam' singles titles between 1985 and 1990, but never won Wimbledon?
Answer: IVAN LENDL