Tennis fans show so much passion debating the greatest tennis player of all time, they should have 26 times as much fun deciding the greatest player for each letter of the alphabet.
Here are the most accomplished men’s tennis players from A to Z.
Ground rules: Our list is based on last names only, using last names listed on ATP player profiles.
Best ATP players ever from A to Z
A – Andre Agassi
Agassi (8 majors, career Golden Slam) keeps this spot warm for Carlos Alcaraz (four majors and counting) to take over around 2030. Let’s also remember Arthur Ashe, whose contributions to tennis and humanity go far beyond his three majors and his name on the U.S. Open stadium court.
B – Don Budge
A tough call at a stacked letter, but the pick is Budge, who won the first calendar-year Grand Slam in 1938. One can make an equally strong case for Swede idol Bjorn Borg, who won five consecutive Wimbledons and six French Opens between 1974 and 1981.
C – Jimmy Connors
Jimbo (eight majors, 109 tournament titles over the 1970s and 1980s) would have a full stadium raising a ruckus if he weren't the choice over Henri Cochet (seven majors between 1926 and 1932).
D – Novak Djokovic
24-time major champion Djokovic is the clear choice. Let’s also recognize early 1900s British greats Laurence Doherty (six majors) and Reginald Doherty (four majors), the most accomplished brothers in tennis history.
E – Roy Emerson
Emmo, who piled up a then-record 12 Slams in the 1960s, lost his hold on the men’s career majors record in 2000, but he’s still the best men’s player whose last name starts with “E.”
F – Roger Federer
"F" is obviously for Federer, the first men’s player to reach 20 majors.
G – Richard “Pancho” Gonzalez
The record books show Gonzalez “only” won a couple of U.S. championships in the late 1940s. The record books don’t always show that Gonzalez dominated the professional tours of the late 1950s when pro players couldn’t play in the Grand Slams.
H – Lew Hoad
Hoad was one match away from a calendar-year Grand Slam in 1956, falling in the final of the U.S. championship after wins at his native Australian championship plus the French and Wimbledon events.
I – Goran Ivanisevic
Even if he hadn’t won Wimbledon in 2001, Ivanisevic would have the best resume of any men’s player whose last name starts with “I.”
J – Bill Johnston
“Little Bill” won three majors in the 1910s and 1920s. He would have won more but for the presence of “Big Bill” Tilden, whom we’ll meet later in the alphabet. Johnston lost five times against Tilden in the U.S. final.
K – Jack Kramer
The memories are starting to fade, so here’s a reminder that Kramer is arguably the most significant figure in men’s tennis history. He has a legitimate claim as the best men’s amateur player of the 1940s with three majors, the top men’s pro player of the 1950s, the most successful pro promoter of the 1960s, and the most influential figure of the 1970s when the pro tennis tour as we know it began to take shape.
L – Rod Laver
The Rocket won two calendar-year Grand Slams in the 1960s, arguably the greatest accomplishment in tennis history. That feat sets Laver apart from a strong list at “L," including 1980s No. 1 Ivan Lendl (eight majors) and 1920s star Rene Lacoste (a legend in the tennis and clothing worlds).
M – John McEnroe
This list would not be serious if we chose anyone other than McEnroe, who won seven singles majors between 1979 and 1984 and is widely regarded as the best doubles player ever.
N – Rafael Nadal
Vamos Rafa! Nadal is second on the men’s all-time list with 22 majors, including a single slam record 14 titles at the French Open.
O – Alex Olmedo
The most accomplished player born in Peru won two majors in 1959, so he gets the nod over single Slam winners Rafael Osuna and Manuel Orantes.
P – Fred Perry
Perry, an eight-time major winner, claimed his third consecutive Wimbledon in 1936. A British player would not win Wimbledon again until 2013 – a 77-year gap.
Q – Adrian Quist
Quist won Australian titles before and after World War II, making the "Q" choice a quick one.
R – Ken Rosewall
Rosewall won the Australian championship in 1953 and 1972 – a record 19-year gap between a player's first and last major titles – plus he won six more majors in between.
S – Pete Sampras
When Sampras retired in 2002, many assumed it would be decades before anyone approached his then-records of 14 major titles and 286 weeks at ranked No. 1.
T – Bill Tilden
“Big Bill” won seven United States championships and three Wimbledon titles between 1920 and 1930. He was voted the greatest player of the first half of the 1900s.
U – Kevin Ullyett
This doubles specialist from Zimbabwe won two men’s doubles majors and an Australian Open mixed title in the early 2000s, which gives him the best resume of any men’s player whose last name starts with “U.”
V – Ellsworth Vines
Vines, who won three majors in the 1930s, gets bonus points for transitioning to a successful pro golf career - including a fourth-place finish in the 1951 PGA Championship – and the nod over 1970s clay-court master Guillermo Vilas.
W – Anthony Wilding
The choice for "W" is an opportunity to pay our respects to this New Zealand star who won six majors in the early 1900s but was killed in action in World War I in 1915 at just 31 years old. Mats Wilander (seven majors) also merited consideration.
X – Jia-Ping Xia
The most notable player whose last name starts with “X” is Xia, who reached No. 252 in the world rankings and won almost $40,000 in prize money in the early 1990s.
Y – Jiro Yamagishi
Yamagishi, a Japanese Davis Cup regular in the 1930s, finished 1938 ranked No. 8 in the world rankings. Mikhail Youzhny is the only other Top Ten player whose last name starts with “Y.”
Z – Alexander Zverev
The current world No. 2 might be the best active player yet to win a major, and he’s the best player whose last name starts with “Z.”