Tennis players are the sports persons who play tennis professionally and participate in regional, national and international tournaments. Tennis is a highly competitive sport and one needs to be trained for a career as a professional tennis player from a young age. Tennis is played either between two individuals competing against each other, or between two teams consisting of two players each. Tennis has its origins in 12th century France when people played by striking a ball with the palm of their hands. The game evolved with time and racquets came into use by the16th century, and modern tennis as we known the game today developed in the mid-19th century. Tennis is a very popular game and is played by millions of people of all age groups all over the world. A well loved spectator sport, several tennis tournaments are held worldwide. It is also an Olympic sport and also a part of the Summer Paralympic programme. Being a professional tennis player is physically as well as mentally demanding. To play tennis at the professional level one needs to be passionate about the game, exhibit a competitive spirit, train rigorously and maintain a high level of fitness. Browse this section to learn about the life and works of various famous tennis players from all over the world.
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.
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.
Widely considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Novak Djokovic is currently third in the list of the most number of Grand Slam singles titles won by male players. Also a well-known philanthropist, he founded the Novak Djokovic Foundation in 2007. The foundation aims at helping disadvantaged children.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
