Top five grass court players of all-time

With Wimbledon approaching we take this opportunity to look at some of tennis’ greatest grass court players of all time.

Wimbledon is often considered the most prestigious Grand Slam, and being an elite grass court player goes a long way to cementing your name in the tennis history books.

We take a look at the top five grass court players of all-time below.

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5) John McEnroe

John McEnroe is a tennis legend who has divided opinion throughout the years with some loving him for his character and relatability, and others condemning his actions on the court with outbursts and racket throws very much the norm for the hot-headed American.

He was incredibly talented across all formats, especially grass court tennis, and his three Wimbledon wins speak for themselves. He was very much a serve and volley player, a style which is suited to grass court tennis, and enjoyed multiple runs deep into Wimbledon with three wins in 1981, 1983 and 1984.

4) Björn Borg

Bjorn Borg was one of the first real superstars of tennis, and his successes at Wimbledon made him a favourite with the British public and tennis fans around the world. Borg was the ultimate grass court specialist, possessing great athleticism and power.

Borg not only won five Wimbledon titles, but he won all of them back-to-back, a feat only matched by one other player in the Open Era. Bjorn stands alone at the top of the record books in two capacities at Wimbledon, with 41 consecutive match wins at the tournament, as well as an astonishing 92.73%-win rate at the tournament (51 wins and just four losses).

The only thing Borg lacks on this list is a sense of longevity. Although five wins in five years at Wimbledon is an impressive standalone statistic, his failure to stretch his successes at the tournament over as extended a period as the top three on this list means he can be no higher than fourth.

3) Pete Sampras

While many considered his style of play to be somewhat dull, Pete Sampras certainly brought power to the court, and that was more than enough for him to be one of Wimbledon, and grass court tennis’ most successful players.

With seven titles across eight years, Sampras is undoubtedly a Wimbledon legend, and his dominance is emphasised by 90%-win rate at the tournament. His win-rate in all grass court matches is not far behind at 83.5%. His big serves, when returned, were often followed in by an approach to the net and a smash, or a monstrous forehand which would bypass the opponent with ease, he was powerful and efficient, a very successful combination.

2) Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic would be in the top five on any surface, and grass is no different with the Serbian player’s wide ranging skill set making him as effective on grass as he is on every other surface.

His seven Wimbledon titles mean he can’t be in the number one spot just yet, but he is the only one on this list who hasn’t retired and he looks like he could add at least one more to that tally yet. He is currently on a run of four titles in a row and he could join illustrious company should he make it five this year.

He has a total win percentage of 85% on grass which also takes into account the ATP Tour, on which he has won eight grass court titles, a more impressive total than it seems considering the lack of grass court tournaments on the ATP Tour compared to the other surfaces.

1) Roger Federer

Roger Federer is not only widely loved, but he is also considered by many to be the best, or at least the most naturally talented tennis player of all-time. with his one handed backhand and elegant nature on the court, he was a firm fan favourite at Wimbledon and will forever be a Wimbledon legend.

Federer holds the record for the most Wimbledon titles with eight titles with his first coming as a 21-year-old, and his last coming as recently as 2017 at the age of 35. Federer’s longevity is unmatched and his grass court successes stretch further than Wimbledon. Federer has a whopping 19 ATP Grass court titles to his name, significantly more than any other player, and the Swiss legend’s success on the grass spans from 2003-2019.

With titles, longevity, and legendary status to his name, not many will argue with Federer being the greatest grass court player of all-time.

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