Greatest Players of All Time - according to Tennis Abstract

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

RE: Greatest Players of All Time - according to Tennis Abstract

Exre · Improver

Don't give me too much credit since I just listed the final 20 players who were left. In reality I would've thought that BJK would've made it to top 20 and that Venus was maybe barely top 30.

GAMEOVER · Pro player

JonH comes home wrote:
JonH comes home wrote:
www.tennisabstract.com/blog/2022/11/21/the-tennis-128-no-16-venus-williams/

Venus is next - I had her 26 so was some way out and Gameover was similar? Exre had her 20th so was closest of us three. But we all under rated her compared to Jeff.

Its late so will read the narrative and comment further tomorrow
Ha - and Jeff starts with

One thing Ive learned in the last few weeks is that Venus Williams is underrated.

Looks like I had Venus at 27. I think on my book Billie-Jean and Venus have swopped positions.

GAMEOVER · Pro player

Ken Rosewall is 15,Exre is closest at 17 and I had him 21.Jon he must have been one of your favourite at 3.

-- Edited by GAMEOVER on Wednesday 23rd of November 2022 03:46:18 PM

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Yes I probably overrated Muscles. I never actually saw him play , too young! But I read a lot of his career and those WCT finals in Dallas caught my imagination. He won 8 slams and 15 pro majors (23 majors in total?) and he was at the top 24 years , so that swayed my view in terms of his position. I dont think 15 his wrong though, its clear he was one of the best ever men, top 10, wherever he ends up!

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

www.tennisabstract.com/blog/2022/11/23/the-tennis-128-no-15-ken-rosewall/

GAMEOVER · Pro player

Suzanne Lenglen is no. 14. I had her as no. 4 whereas Jon you had her at 10 and Exre had her at 6.

GAMEOVER · Pro player

With Connolly and Lenglen now listed that would suggest that Tilden and Wills Moody are going to be rated as the best of the pre war generation. The only player not listed yet who made their debut between 1946 and 1968 is Rod Laver. The player after players already mentioned who made their debut longest ago is then Chris Evert.

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

www.tennisabstract.com/blog/2022/11/24/the-tennis-128-no-14-suzanne-lenglen/

Of course none of us ever saw Lenglen and so we can only go by the history books.
My question was why 14th from the start and Jeff answered it well.

I love the fact reading these narratives that the Côte dAzur had a regular winter circuit and the so called match
Of the century, in Cannes, versus Wills Moody , was in February. You wouldnt see an outdoor event in the pros there til April perhaps these days. Monte Carlo is around then of course.

So , 7 men and 6 women left to unveil. I keep expecting McEnroe to pop out and he is getting very
Close to being a top 10 player !

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Im finding that when a new player is unveiled, I go straight to google and wiki and read more detail of their careers and lives. I have to say this series has given me hours interest and enjoyment and has really made
My year. Thank you so far, Jeff

jsackmann · Social player

Thanks Jon, that's really nice to hear.

You might be interested in Alan Little's book about tennis on the Riviera:
tennisgallerywimbledon.com/products/the-golden-days-of-tennis-on-the-french-riviera-1874-1939
It's very nicely done, with lots of great pictures from the Wimbledon archives.

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

jsackmann wrote:
Thanks Jon, that's really nice to hear.

You might be interested in Alan Little's book about tennis on the Riviera:
tennisgallerywimbledon.com/products/the-golden-days-of-tennis-on-the-french-riviera-1874-1939
It's very nicely done, with lots of great pictures from the Wimbledon archives.

Would I!? Fabulous, its going on my Xmas list!

my favourite books include Richard Evans first bio of John Mcenroe. He spends a chapter talking about an exhibition tour in 78 or 79 that Mac, Vilas, Gerulaitus and maybe Borg did through a few locations along the Riviera, in places like Hyeres, Toulon, Aix etc - playing in bull rings or the like. Shame that doesnt happen nowadays.

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

13th is John McEnroe, one of my all time faves. Sadly I put him 35th, oh ye of little faith ! Gameover and Exre both very close had him as 15th

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

The profile isnt published yet, I got an email, so cant cut and paste. Mac was
Maybe the most talented player ever, imo, and probably the best doubles player ever, imo. He also came to my home town of wetherby, West Yorkshire. His doubles partner , Peter Fleming, married a girl from my school (jenni Hudson, a few years above me at school) and Mac was the best man. It was at the local Catholic Church in the town centre - the town ground to a halt, thousands came to catch a glimpse - Id like to say of the happy couple but we all went to see McEnroe!

jsackmann · Social player

> an exhibition tour in 78 or 79 that Mac, Vilas, Gerulaitus and maybe Borg did through a few locations along the Riviera, in places like Hyeres, Toulon, Aix etc - playing in bull rings or the like.

I didn't read the entire Evans book, but I think it was '79. Here are a couple of videos from the event in Frejus:

vs Nastase: www.youtube.com/watch
vs Connors: www.youtube.com/watch

There might be more videos on youtube ... I distinctly remember seeing a couple from Hyeres, but I can't find them now.