Meet the most accomplished men’s tennis players from all 50 states. We dug through the record books from the 1800s through today to determine the most successful men’s player from each state.
The ground rules: Many players had ties to multiple states. We mixed and matched states of birth and states of residence to create the strongest possible overall list. Accomplishments took precedence over ability.
If you stuck any modern pro in a time machine and sent them back to the late 1800s, they’d win the U.S. championship without breaking a sweat … but someone who won seven U.S. titles in that era still makes this honor roll.
Who are the top men’s tennis players from all 50 states?
Alabama – Bryan Shelton
Shelton reached No. 55 in the world in the 1990s and reached the fourth round at Wimbledon in 1994. He’s better known these days as the father and coach of recent U.S. Open finalist Ben Shelton.
Alaska – Eddie Lewis
Lewis is thought to be the first player from The Last Frontier to earn a point on the ATP computer – which he did in doubles in 2019.
Arizona – Jim Grabb
Grabb was a world No. 1 in doubles in the late 1980s and early 1990s and gets the nod among players born and raised in the Grand Canyon State. A case could be made for Sidney Wood, a two-time major champion you’ll meet in the Connecticut section.
Arkansas – Budge Patty
Patty was born in the Natural State and won the French and Wimbledon championships in 1950.
California – Pete Sampras
So many choices from the Golden State, which has produced more Grand Slam champions than any other state by far. Most would pick 14-time major champion Pete Sampras.
The history-minded might opt for Don Budge (who won the first calendar-year Grand Slam in 1938), Jack Kramer (champion player in the 1940s and later an influential promoter), or Pancho Gonzalez (the top professional player of the 1950s).
Colorado – Victor Amaya
Amaya made a name for himself when he nearly upset eventual champion Bjorn Borg in the first round of Wimbledon in 1978. Amaya rose to No. 15 in the world in 1980.
Connecticut – Sidney Wood
The aforementioned Sidney Wood, a Wimbledon and U.S. champion in the 1930s, was born and raised in the Constitution State before his family moved to Arizona, hoping the climate would improve sickly young Sidney’s health. Eight-time major champion Ivan Lendl made Connecticut his home base when he was No. 1 in the world throughout the late 1980s.
Delaware - Eddie Jacobs
Jacobs was a teen sensation in the 1920s, winning national-level championships and competing at the U.S. championship at Forest Hills multiple times. You can still buy custom clothing from the men’s attire store he founded in 1939.
Florida – Jim Courier
Many of the top players over the past 50-plus years trained in the Sunshine State at some point in their careers. Courier, a four-time major champion and world No. 1 in the early 1990s, is the best of those born and raised in the state.
Georgia – Ben Shelton
The aforementioned Shelton, who has been as high as No. 4 in the world, was born in the Peach State. Among players who spent the majority of their lives in Georgia, Bryan “Bitsy” Grant was one of the top 10 players in the world in the 1930s, despite a height of just 5-4.
Hawai’i – Jim Osborne
Osborne won five pro-level doubles titles in the early 1970s and competed in all four Grand Slams in singles. He was third in men’s doubles at the 1968 Olympics, where tennis was contested as a demonstration sport.
Idaho – Dar Walters
Walters has a long list of USTA titles to his credit and is the name that comes up most often when you search for the most successful tennis players from the Gem State. Seven-time major champion Mats Wilander now resides much of the year in Idaho.
Illinois – Jimmy Connors
Eight-time major champion Connors was born in Belleville, Ill., and grew up in East St. Louis, on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River, across from St. Louis.
Indiana – John F. Hennessy
Hennessy ranked in the top 10 in the world in the late 1920s. In the Open era, Todd Witsken reached No. 43 in the world in 1989, and Rajeev Ram reached No. 1 in the world in doubles in 2022.
Iowa – Lester Stoefen
Stoefen won three Grand Slam doubles titles in the early 1930s and was considered one of the top 10 players in the world in 1933, and is the most accomplished of the players born in the Hawkeye State.
Kansas – Jack Sock
We might need a Kansas-Nebraska Act over which state can claim Sock, a top-10 player in the late 2010s before pivoting to pickleball, as its own. Sock was born in Nebraska, but spent his teen years in the Sunflower State, where he won four consecutive high school tennis singles state championships.
Kentucky – Mel Purcell
Purcell reached No. 21 in the world in 1980 and got to the quarterfinals at Wimbledon in 1983.
Louisiana – Ham Richardson
Richardson, the only Rhodes Scholar and Oxford graduate on this list, was a two-time NCAA champion at Tulane and then reached the quarterfinals at all four Grand Slams in the mid-1950s.
Maine – Joe Whalen
Whalen won the U.S. Pro championship in 1936 and was born in the Pine Tree State. If you are looking to build your own tennis court, the tennis court construction company Whalen founded still exists today.
Maryland – Brian Gottfried
The numbers say Gottfried, the 1977 French Open finalist who won 25 career titles and reached No. 3 in the world. Today’s fans might choose three-time U.S. Open semifinalist Frances Tiafoe. And Pete Sampras is generally connected with California but spent his early years in the Old Line State.
Massachusetts – Richard Sears
U.S. tennis pioneer Sears won the tournament now known as the U.S. Open the first seven times it was played in the 1880s. (He only had to win 18 total matches to do it. In the early years of tennis, a tournament champion generally was granted an automatic berth in the next year’s final). Tim Mayotte, a top-10 player in the 1980s, is the top modern player from the Bay State.
Michigan – Todd Martin
Martin reached two major finals in the 1990s, spent his formative years in the Great Lakes State.
Minnesota – Michael Chang
The 1989 French Open champion and still the youngest men’s player to win a major, he first learned tennis in the North Star State. David Wheaton, who reached No. 12 in the world in the early 1990s, spent more of his youth in the state and was introduced as a Minnesota resident during his pro career.
Mississippi – Dave Randall
Randall was No. 39 in the world in doubles and No. 155 in singles in the early 1990s.
Missouri – Chuck McKinley
McKinley won Wimbledon in 1963 without dropping a set, learned table tennis and then tennis from a YMCA instructor in his hometown of St. Louis.
Montana – Sam Neel
Neel was born in Montana before Montana became a state and won the 1896 men’s doubles title at the tournament now known as the U.S. Open. The most accomplished Open-era player with Montana ties is Eric Sherbeck, who played professionally in the early 1980s.
Nebraska – Andy Roddick
The 2003 U.S. Open champion and year-end No. 1 spent his first four years in the Cornhusker State and is one of the most notable fans of the University of Nebraska football team.
Nevada – Andre Agassi
Most assume Agassi, an eight-time major champion and the year-end No. 1 in 1999, is the best player to come out of the Silver State. You could make a case for the aforementioned champion player and promoter Jack Kramer, who was also born in Las Vegas.
New Hampshire – Ted Hoehn
Hoehn played in the main draw at Forest Hills several times in the 1960s. You could say Jimmy Connors was the most successful player to compete in New Hampshire. Connors won the pro tour event held in the Granite State in the 1970s and 1980s three times.
New Jersey – William Larned
Larned is the only player on this list to have served with Theodore Roosevelt’s “Rough Riders” during the Spanish-American War and won the U.S. championship seven times in the early 1900s.
New Mexico – Tim Garcia
Garcia made three main draw appearances at the U.S. Open in the late 1970s. He also faced the next name on the list during the 1978 NCAA Championships.
New York – John McEnroe
Many major champions in the first half of the 20th century had ties to the Empire State, but the most accomplished player from New York is John McEnroe, who won seven majors in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
North Carolina – A tie?
It’s a big-serving guy named John. Your choice is between 1979 Australian Open finalist John Sadri, who peaked at No. 14 in the world in 1980, and John Isner, who rose to No. 8 in the world in 2018.
North Dakota – Raman Jayaptahy
Jayaptahy played some pro-level doubles events in the mid-1980s. (He’s not from Wimbledon, N.D.)
Ohio – Tony Trabert
Trabert won five majors in the 1950s, including three Grand Slam singles titles in 1955.
Oklahoma – Don McNeill
McNeill won the French title in 1939 and came back from a two-set deficit in the final to win the U.S. championship in 1940.
Oregon – Jonathan Stark
Stark won the French Open men’s doubles title in 1994 and a Wimbledon mixed doubles crown in 1995. He spent time ranked No. 1 in the world in doubles and reached No. 36 in singles. (Some might opt for 1939 Wimbledon runner-up Elwood Cooke, who was born in Utah but spent formative years in the Beaver State.)
Pennsylvania – Big Bill Tilden
Tilden is the greatest tennis player of the first half of the 20th century. Tilden won seven U.S. championships and three Wimbledon titles between 1920 and 1930.
Rhode Island – Malcolm Chace
Chace's doubles title at the 1895 U.S. championship is a footnote on a fascinating resume. Chace is credited with introducing ice hockey in the United States in the late 1800s and with playing a key role in introducing electric power in the New England region in the early 1900s.
South Carolina – Raz Reid
Reid reached No. 71 in the world in singles in the mid-1970s. Reid is also No. 1 in multiple categories in the fly-fishing world record book.
South Dakota – Mike Trautner
Trautner was team MVP and an all-conference honoree for the University of Minnesota team that tied for the Big Ten Conference championship in 1981.
Tennessee – Roscoe Tanner
Tanner served his way to the Australian Open title in January of 1977 and pushed Bjorn Borg to five sets in the Wimbledon final two years later.
Texas – Well?
Many notable players have resided in the Lone Star State at some point, but Wilmer Allison is the most accomplished lifelong Texas native. Allison won the U.S. championship in 1934 and was Wimbledon runner-up in 1930. (Some might argue for Roddick, who moved to Texas at age four.)
Utah – Elwood Cooke
Cooke was born in the Beehive State. He played in the Wimbledon final in 1939, a few weeks after reaching the semifinals at the French Championships.
Vermont – Ted Hoehn
You met Hoehn in the New Hampshire section, and he makes a second appearance. Hoehn, who became a Vermont resident at age 25, enjoyed enough success in men’s open and senior-level competitions that he was the first tennis player inducted into the Vermont Sports Hall of Fame.
Virginia – Arthur Ashe
Ashe is the man for whom the stadium court at the U.S. Open is named; he won three majors in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He remains the only Black man to win the Australian, Wimbledon, and U.S. titles. He likely would prefer to be equally remembered for his academic achievements and human rights advocacy efforts.
Washington – Tom Gorman
Gorman reached the semifinals at the French, Wimbledon, and U.S. championships in the early 1970s, rising as high as No. 8 in the world.
West Virginia – Jeff Morrison
Morrison played in the main draw at all four majors in the early 2000s and climbed to No. 85 in the world rankings.
Wisconsin – Frank Parker
Parker was born in Milwaukee as Franciszek Andrzej Pajkowski and won two U.S. titles and two French championships in the 1940s. He was regarded as one of the top two amateur players in the world in 1948.
Wyoming – William Wright
The player above was from Cheyenne and played in the main draw at the U.S. championship in the early 1960s.
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