Greatest Players of All Time - according to Tennis Abstract

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Greatest Players of All Time - according to Tennis Abstract

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

I have mixed feelings re Big Bill - he was the first star of tennis and, in some ways, is like a Boris Becker - a fallen hero. Jeff says that he was lonely, a gay man in a macho sport. Thing is , he was gay, but he also was caught , twice, having sex with 14 year old boys - so by any standards, it wasnt that he was gay (today, that wouldnt matter and shouldnt although there are no known gay tennis players in the mens tour) but he was in fact a paedophile. And clearly that taints him. And it leaves me struggling what I think of him, tennis hero, flawed man and I will leave it at that.

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Interesting how he was rated by his near peers

In 1975, Don Budge ranked his top five players of all time and rated Tilden number four behind Vines, Kramer and Perry.[28]

In his 1979 autobiography, Jack Kramer, the long-time tennis promoter and great player, included Tilden in his list of the six greatest players of all time. Kramer began playing tennis with Tilden at age 15 at the Los Angeles Tennis Club (LATC).

In 1983, Fred Perry ranked the greatest male players of all time and put them in to two categories, before World War 2 and after. Perry ranked Tilden number one in the pre-World War 2 list.[29]

In the early years of the 21st century, Sidney Wood compiled his list of the Greatest Players of All Time (later published posthumously in a memoir "The Wimbledon final that never was and other tennis tales from a bygone era"). Wood first entered Wimbledon in 1927 and won the title in 1931. "From that time on, through to the late 1970s (doubles only towards the end), I was privileged to compete against virtually every top player in the world" said Wood. Wood ranked Tilden number three, behind Budge and Kramer.[30]

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Weve got Djoko, Fed, Graf, Laver, Navratilova and Serena W to come - try unpicking that lot!

jsackmann · Social player

I'm trying!! :)

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

And Serena is number 6 - so shes not the GOAT, according to Jeff!

www.tennisabstract.com/blog/2022/12/09/the-tennis-128-no-6-serena-williams/

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

And I managed to get Serena spot on! Thats 2 out of 45 Ive predicted so far overall, haha.

Exre · Improver

JonH comes home wrote:
And I managed to get Serena spot on! Thats 2 out of 45 Ive predicted so far overall, haha.

Nice job! I could've been there if not for overrating Lenglen and Wills.

GAMEOVER · Satellite level

No. 5 is Roger Federer.

GAMEOVER · Satellite level

Exre is closest with Federer at 4.

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

www.tennisabstract.com/blog/2022/12/12/the-tennis-128-no-5-roger-federer/

Indeed- Federer at 5! Some will debate that one but weve Djoko, Graf, Laver and Navratilova to come. I wonder where it will go.

Federer peak ELO was just 2383 - I say just but I thought he would be just over 2400 mid 2400 perhaps.

dodrade · Satellite level

Have there been any notable omissions?

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Heres the full list - let me know if you think anyone is missing !

www.tennisabstract.com/blog/2022/02/01/introducing-the-tennis-128/

indiana · Tennis legend

Yes, been no sign of Laver, Navratilova, Graf or Djokovic

indiana · Tennis legend

Anyway, Jeff may have to keep his head down for a little while now after daring to have Fed at 'just' #5. Stay safe mate.