Top 5 hardcourt players of all time

#3 Jimmy Connors

The “Brash Basher of Belleville,” Jimmy Connors

Unlike the prevalence of hard courts in the modern era, there used to be fewer hardcourt events during Jimmy Connors' heyday in the 1970s-1980s, with a major chunk of the season devoted to events on carpet. To add to that, the Australian Open (which was, anyway, a far less popular tournament then) used to be played on grass till 1988.

Despite this, the prolonged career of Connors helped him garner enough wins on hard courts to be among the top 3 players of all time, with the third-best winning percentage on the surface. The former World No. 1 had 545 victories on the surface against 112 losses, which makes his percentage 82.95. Of his staggering 109 titles, 50 were won on hard courts, which gives a fair idea of his comfort level on the surface.

The left-hander, nicknamed the “Brash Basher of Belleville” by eminent tennis journalist Bud Collins for his fiery, maverick style, was one of the earliest exponents of the baseline game and thrived on exceptional returns. His unique skills saw him win three of his five US Open titles on hard courts.