Famous 21st Century Tennis Players

Right IconThis ranking is based on an algorithm that combines various factors, including the votes of our users and search trends on the internet.

Vote for Your Favourite 21st Century Tennis Players
 1 
Roger Federer
(One of the Most Successful Male Tennis Players of All Time)
Roger Federer
77
Birthdate: August 8, 1981
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Basel, Switzerland

Widely regarded as the greatest tennis player of all time, Roger Federer has won the most number of men's Grand Slam singles titles. He is the only person to be honored with the BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year award on four occasions. Despite enduring several injuries, Federer continues to dominate the tennis court.

 2 
Serena Williams
(One of the Greatest Tennis Players of All-Time)
Serena Williams
54
Birthdate: September 26, 1981
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Saginaw, Michigan, United States

With 39 Grand Slam titles and four Olympic gold medals, Serena Williams is clearly amongst the greatest female tennis players in the history. With 23 Grand Slam singles win, she is just a win away from equalling Margaret Court’s record of 24 grand slam titles. She has bagged the top spot in WTA’s world ranking numerous times.

 3 
Novak Djokovic
(One of the Greatest Tennis Player of All Time)
Novak Djokovic
78
Birthdate: May 22, 1987
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Belgrade, Serbia

Widely considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Novak Djokovic is currently third in the list of number of Grand Slam singles titles won by male players. He is known for his powerful two-handed backhand and his service returns. Djokovic is also the only player to complete the career Golden Masters and he has achieved this feat twice.

Recommended Lists:
 4 
Rafael Nadal
(One of the Greatest Tennis Players of All Time)
Rafael Nadal
47
Birthdate: June 3, 1986
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Manacor, Spain

Rafael Nadal is considered to be one of the greatest tennis players ever and is called the king of clay. The Spanish national has won 20 Grand Slam singles titles and holds the record of winning 13 French Open Championships. He also has one Australian Open, two Wimbledon and four US Open titles to his name.

 5 
Venus Williams
(One of the Greatest Tennis Players of All Time)
Venus Williams
46
Birthdate: June 17, 1980
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Lynwood, California, United States

Regarded as one of the greatest women's tennis players of all time, Venus Williams is credited with introducing never seen before power and athleticism to women's tennis along with her sister Serena. She is also credited with changing the long-standing practice of paying male tennis players more than their female counterparts as she won the fight for equal prize money.

 6 
Naomi Osaka
(The First Asian Player to Hold the Top Ranking in Tennis Singles)
Naomi Osaka
57
Birthdate: October 16, 1997
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Chūō-ku, Osaka, Japan

Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka made history by being the first player of Asian origin to hold the world number one rank in singles. Osaka made headlines when in 2021, she withdrew from the French Open after refusing to be part of a press conference to protect her mental health.

 7 
Martina Hingis
(Swiss Former Professional Tennis Player)
Martina Hingis
29
Birthdate: September 30, 1980
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Košice, Slovakia

Swiss tennis sensation Martina Hingis made waves when she won the Australian Open at age 16, becoming the youngest Grand Slam singles winner of the 20th century. The youngest world number 1, too, she was named after Martina Navratilova and was the daughter of a Czech tennis player and a tennis coach.

 8 
Alexander Zverev
(Tennis player)
Alexander Zverev
25
Birthdate: April 20, 1997
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Hamburg, Germany

Alexander Zverev is a German tennis player. He won the 2018 ATP Finals, becoming the youngest champion at the year-end championship in 10 years. Zverev won the gold medal in the singles event at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Alexander Zverev's backhand play is often regarded as one of the best in the game.

 9 
Monica Seles
(One of the Greatest Tennis Players of All Time)
Monica Seles
20
Birthdate: December 2, 1973
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Novi Sad, Serbia
Former world number 1 tennis player Monica Seles has nine Grand Slam singles titles to her credit, eight of them for Yugoslavia and one for the U.S. At 16, she was the youngest French Open champion. Her career was affected after being stabbed on court by a Steffi Graf fan.
 10 
Andre Agassi
(Former World No.1 Tennis Player and Olympic Gold Medalist)
Andre Agassi
15
Birthdate: April 29, 1970
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Nicknamed “The Punisher,” former world number 1 tennis player Andre Agassi is an eight-time Grand Slam-winner and an Olympic gold medalist. He is the only male with a "Career Super Slam.” He is married to Steffi Graf. He now donates generously for children’s causes, through the Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation.
 11 
Steffi Graf
(One of the Greatest Tennis Players of All Time)
Steffi Graf
16
Birthdate: June 14, 1969
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Mannheim, Germany
Known for her footwork and forehand drive, former world number one tennis star Steffi Graf has won 22 Grand Slam titles, the third all-time record. She became the first player to win four Grand Slams and the Olympic gold in a year. She is married to fellow player Andre Agassi.
 12 
Ana Ivanović
(Retired Serbian Number One Tennis Player in Singles)
Ana Ivanović
16
Birthdate: November 6, 1987
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Belgrade, Serbia

Retired Serbian tennis player Ana Ivanović is a former world number 1 in singles. By 20, she had already won the French Open. Named one of 30 Legends of Women's Tennis by Time in 2011, she later married German footballer Bastian Schweinsteiger and is now a mother of two.

 13 
Marin Čilić
(One of the Best Croatian Tennis Players of All Time)
Marin Čilić
7
Birthdate: September 28, 1988
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Međugorje, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Marin Čilić is a Croatian tennis player best known for winning the 2014 US Open and a silver medal at the 2020 Olympic Games. Regarded as one of the best Croatian professional tennis players of all time, Marin Čilić has won many ATP Tour singles titles in his illustrious career. He also helped his country win the 2018 Davis Cup.

 14 
Pete Sampras
(Former World No. 1 Tennis Player)
Pete Sampras
19
Birthdate: August 12, 1971
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Potomac, Maryland, United States

Former professional tennis player, Pete Sampras, became the winner of 14 Grand Slam singles titles during his career. He was ranked world No. 1 in 1993 and held the record for 286 weeks. Nicknamed “Pistol Pete,” the player was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2007.

 15 
John McEnroe
(Former American Professional Tennis Player Known for His Shot-making and Volleying Skills)
John McEnroe
15
Birthdate: February 16, 1959
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Wiesbaden, Germany

Widely regarded as one of the greatest American tennis players of all time, John McEnroe helped the US team win five Davis Cup titles. McEnroe is also known for his confrontational on-court behavior. His infamous bad temper on court was parodied in satirical TV programs, such as Spitting Image and Not the Nine O'Clock News.

 16 
Stan Wawrinka
(Swiss Professional Tennis Player)
Stan Wawrinka
21
Birthdate: March 28, 1985
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Lausanne, Switzerland

Stan Wawrinka is a Swiss tennis player who has won three Grand Slam titles so far in his career. At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Wawrinka won the gold medal for Switzerland in the doubles event along with teammate Roger Federer. At the 2014 Davis Cup, Stan Wawrinka played a key role in the Swiss team's victory.

 17 
Björn Borg
(Swedish Former World No. 1 Tennis Player)
Björn Borg
13
Birthdate: June 6, 1956
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Stockholm, Sweden

Regarded as one of the best tennis players from Sweden, Björn Borg won 11 Grand Slam singles titles during his playing career. He started off as a teenage sensation and helped popularize tennis during the 1970s. The 2017 film Borg vs McEnroe was inspired by his rivalry against John McEnroe.

 18 
Petra Kvitová
(Czech Tennis Player and Bronze Medal Winner in 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics)
Petra Kvitová
9
Birthdate: March 8, 1990
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Bílovec, Czech Republic

With a career-high singles ranking of 28, Czech tennis player Petra Kvitová is quite a sensation. She also won a bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympics. She was the first player born in the 1990s to score a Grand Slam tournament win. In 2015, she was named the sixth-highest-paid female athlete by Forbes.

 19 
Martina Navratilova
(One of the Greatest Tennis Players of All Time)
Martina Navratilova
17
Birthdate: October 18, 1956
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Prague, Czechia
Martina Navratilova is the world’s only tennis player to be no. 1 for more than 200 weeks in both singles and doubles. She is one of three women with a "Grand Slam Boxed Set.” She is openly lesbian and had earlier fled her country, Czechoslovakia, due to political issues.
 20 
Goran Ivanisevic
(Former Croatian Tennis Player, Coach and the Only Player to Have Won a Wimbledon Singles Title as a Wildcard)
Goran Ivanisevic
7
Birthdate: September 13, 1971
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Split, Croatia
The first Croat to win a Wimbledon men’s singles, Goran Ivanisevic also remains the only player to win the title on a wild card. His rankings improved dramatically from 125th to 16th after his Wimbledon triumph in 2001. Interestingly, the tennis star is also a skilled football player.
 21 
Billie Jean King
(One of the Greatest Tennis Players of All Time)
Billie Jean King
22
Birthdate: November 22, 1943
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Long Beach, California, United States
Tennis legend Billie Jean King has won 39 Grand Slam titles, including 12 singles titles and 16 doubles titles. The former world no. 1 beat Bobby Riggs in the "Battle of the Sexes" match in 1973. She also founded the Women's Tennis Association and the Women's Sports Foundation.
 22 
Justine Henin
(Retired Belgian Tennis Legend Who Was a World Number 1 in Singles)
Justine Henin
13
Birthdate: June 1, 1982
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Liège, Belgium

Known as the Female Federer, Belgian tennis legend Justine Henin is a former world number 1 in singles. Apart from winning an Olympic gold medal, she also won Belgium its first Fed Cup title and won 7 Grand Slam titles. She was one of those rare female players who used a single-handed backhand.

 23 
Garbine Muguruza
(Tennis player)
Garbine Muguruza
12
Birthdate: October 8, 1993
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Caracas, Venezuela
 24 
Andy Roddick
(Former World No. 1 Tennis Player)
Andy Roddick
9
Birthdate: August 30, 1982
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska, United States
Former world number 1 tennis player Andy Roddick is best known for his US Open win in 2003. He reached the finals of three Wimbledon championships and US Open 2006, only to be defeated by Roger Federer each time. Following his retirement, he focused on his non-profit, Andy Roddick Foundation
 25 
Kim Clijsters
(Belgian Tennis Legend and a Former World Number One in Both Singles and Doubles)
Kim Clijsters
10
Birthdate: June 8, 1983
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Bilzen, Belgium

Belgian tennis legend Kim Clijsters is a former world number 1 in both singles and doubles. The 4-time Grand Slam winner retired thrice in her career, in 2007, in 2012, and eventually, for good, in 2020. She has also been associated with charitable initiatives and has founded Ten4Kim to help financially weak junior players.

 26 
Juan Martín del Potro
(Argentine Professional Tennis Player)
Juan Martín del Potro
11
Birthdate: September 23, 1988
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Tandil, Argentina

Juan Martín del Potro is an Argentine tennis player best known for winning the 2009 US Open after defeating Roger Federer in the final. He also helped his team win the prestigious Davis Cup in 2016. One of the greatest Argentine players of all time, Juan Martín del Potro also won Olympic bronze and silver in 2012 and 2016 respectively. 

 27 
Simona Halep
(Romanian Professional and Former World No.1 Tennis Player)
Simona Halep
11
Birthdate: September 27, 1991
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Constanta, Romania

Simona Halep is a Romanian tennis player. With 22 WTA singles titles and two Grand Slam singles titles under her belt, Simona Halep is one of the most successful Romanian female tennis players of all time. She is also widely considered one of the WTA Tour's best returners of the current generation.

 28 
Jim Courier
(American Former World No. 1 Tennis Player)
Jim Courier
7
Birthdate: August 17, 1970
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Sanford, Florida, United States
 29 
Stefan Edberg
(Swedish Former World No. 1 Tennis Player)
Stefan Edberg
5
Birthdate: January 19, 1966
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Västervik, Sweden

Swedish former tennis player Stefan Edberg was once the world No. 1 professional tennis player (in both singles and doubles). He won six Grand Slam singles titles and three Grand Slam men's doubles titles, besides the Masters Grand Prix. Following his retirement from professional tennis, he began playing competitive squash and became an elite player in Sweden. 

 30 
Maria Sharapova
(Russian Former World No. 1 Tennis Player)
Maria Sharapova
39
Birthdate: April 19, 1987
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Nyagan, Russia
One of Time’s 30 Legends of Women's Tennis, Maria Sharapova, the first Russian woman tennis player to top the singles rankings, earned three doubles and five Grand Slam titles. A failed drug test led to her temporary suspension. She bounced back with modeling and launched her confectionary brand Sugarpova.
 31 
Bianca Andreescu
(Canadian Professional Tennis Player)
Bianca Andreescu
11
Birthdate: June 16, 2000
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
 32 
Andy Murray
(One of the Best Tennis Players in the World)
Andy Murray
37
Birthdate: May 5, 1987
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Glasgow, Scotland

One of the best British professional tennis players of all time, Andy Murray is popularly known as the Great Scot since he was born in Scotland. He is the only tennis player to have won two Olympic gold medals in singles competition. Also known for his charitable work, Andy Murray has played key roles in raising money for many charity organizations.

 33 
Jimmy Connors
(American Former World No. 1 Tennis Player)
Jimmy Connors
3
Birthdate: September 2, 1952
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Belleville, Illinois, United States
 34 
Ilie Năstase
(Former World Number One Romanian Tennis Legend)
Ilie Năstase
7
Birthdate: July 19, 1946
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Bucharest, Romania

Once number 1 in singles, Romanian tennis player Ilie Năstase created became the first European to cross $1 million in career prize money. A 3-time Davis Cup finalist, he won major titles such as the French Open, the US Open, and Wimbledon. He has also penned 2 French novels and a memoir.

 35 
Amélie Mauresmo
(Former French Tennis Player )
Amélie Mauresmo
5
Birthdate: July 5, 1979
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France
 36 
Stefanos Tsitsipas
(Greek Professional Tennis Player )
Stefanos Tsitsipas
18
Birthdate: August 12, 1998
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Athens, Greece
Stefanos Tsitsipas became the first Greek to win any ATP World Tour title, with his 2018 Stockholm Open win. He is the youngest player to be featured on ATP’s top 10 list and has recorded a career-high global ranking of No. 5, thus becoming the highest-ranked Greek tennis player ever.
 37 
Angelique Kerber
(German Professional Tennis Player and Olympic Silver Medalist)
Angelique Kerber
10
Birthdate: January 18, 1988
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Bremen, Germany

Winning her first Grand Slam at 28, Angelique Kerber is an example of a talented later bloomer in tennis. The former World No. 1 German player is known for her defensive tactics, speed, and footwork. She blamed a 2-week COVID-related quarantine for her loss at the 2021 Australian Open.

 38 
Gabriela Sabatini
(One of the Leading Tennis Players of Her Generation)
Gabriela Sabatini
3
Birthdate: May 16, 1970
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Buenos Aires, Argentina

Gabriela Sabatini is an Argentine former professional tennis player. One of the leading female tennis players in the 1980s and 1990s, she amassed 41 titles, including the WTA Finals in 1988 and the 1990 US Open. She was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2006. Also a businesswoman, she runs a line of fragrances.

 39 
Pat Rafter
(Australian Former World No. 1 Tennis Player)
Pat Rafter
7
Birthdate: December 28, 1972
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Mount Isa, Australia

Pat Rafter became the first Australian male in the Open Era to win consecutive US Open titles. The former ATP singles number 1 is also the only person with an undefeated record against tennis legend Roger Federer and is remembered for his politeness and his habit of saying “Sorry, mate.”

 40 
Grigor Dimitrov
(Bulgarian Former World Number 3 Tennis Player)
Grigor Dimitrov
5
Birthdate: May 16, 1991
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Haskovo, Bulgaria

Bulgarian tennis star Grigor Dimitrov had had a career-high ranking of number 3 in singles. The most successful player in Bulgarian tennis history, he has also been in the news for his relationship with Maria Sharapova. Known for his acrobatics and athleticism, he was initially named Baby Federer.

 41 
Carlos Alcaraz
(Tennis player)
Carlos Alcaraz
6
Birthdate: May 5, 2003
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: El Palmar, Murcia, Spain
Often compared to tennis legend Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz joined the big league of Spanish tennis as a teenager and has already reached a career-high ranking of world number 32 in singles. He tested positive for COVID-19 in November 2021 and thus missed out on the Davis Cup that year. 
 42 
Marion Bartoli
(Tennis player)
Marion Bartoli
9
Birthdate: October 2, 1984
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Le Puy, France
 43 
Victoria Azarenka
(First Belarusian Tennis Star to Win a Grand Slam Singles Title)
Victoria Azarenka
15
Birthdate: July 31, 1989
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Minsk, Belarus

Belarusian tennis player Victoria Azarenka has been a 2-time Australian Open champion, scripting history as the first Belarusian player to earn a Grand Slam singles title. She is also a 3-time US Open finalist and has a mixed-doubles gold and a singles bronze at the Olympics.

 44 
Carlos Moyá
(Spanish Former World No. 1 Tennis Player)
Carlos Moyá
6
Birthdate: August 27, 1976
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Palma, Mallorca, Spain

Carlos Moyá is a Spanish retired tennis player best known for his efforts that earned Spain the Davis Cup in 2004. A former world No. 1, Moyá won the 1998 French Open where he beat Àlex Corretja in the final. Since his retirement, Moyá has focused on his coaching career. Since 2016, he has been working as Rafael Nadal’s coach.

 45 
Dominic Thiem
(One of the Best Austrian Tennis Players in History)
Dominic Thiem
20
Birthdate: September 3, 1993
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Wiener Neustadt, Austria

The second-highest ranked Austrian tennis player of all time, Dominic Thiem became the first Austrian to win the singles title at a US Open when he came back from two sets down to beat Alexander Zverev in the 2020 US Open final. At the 2019 BNP Paribas Open, he defeated Roger Federer to win his first Masters 1000 title.

 46 
Ryan Sweeting
(American Former Professional Tennis Player)
Ryan Sweeting
5
Birthdate: July 14, 1987
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Nassau, The Bahamas
Ryan Sweeting is an American former tennis player who served as a practice partner during the 2006 World Group semifinal for the U.S. Davis Cup team. Sweeting won his only ATP World Tour singles title in 2011 when he defeated Japanese tennis player Kei Nishikori in straight sets in the final of the US Men's Clay Court Championship.
 47 
Leander Paes
(One of the Greatest Doubles Players in Tennis History)
Leander Paes
6
Birthdate: June 17, 1973
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Kolkata, West Bengal, India

Leander Paes is an Indian tennis player who has the most doubles wins in the history of Davis Cup. With 10 mixed doubles and eight doubles Grand Slam titles under his belt, Paes is one of the most successful Indian tennis players of all time. Paes is the recipient of India's highest sporting honor, the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award.

 48 
Nick Kyrgios
(Australian Professional Tennis Player)
Nick Kyrgios
22
Birthdate: April 27, 1995
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Canberra, Australia

Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios, who has had a career-best singles ranking of 13, has also been part of a few controversies. During a 2019 Wimbledon match, he apparently deliberately hit Rafael Nadal with a ball, straight in the chest, and later defended his actions, saying it was completely fair.

 49 
Caroline Wozniacki
(Tennis player)
Caroline Wozniacki
14
Birthdate: July 11, 1990
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Odense, Denmark
 50 
Gustavo Kuerten
(Tennis player)
Gustavo Kuerten
7
Birthdate: September 10, 1976
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Florianópolis, Brazil