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Although Grand Slam titles is the commonly used yardstick to measure a player's greatness among the pantheon of Tennis greats, winning other tournaments like ATP Masters 1000, ATP World Tour 500 and ATP World Tour 250 are also of considerable importance in adding ranking points as well as career prize money earned to the player's overall tally.
Apart from this, there is also the Davis Cup, Hopman Cup and the Olympics where pride of winning for the nation takes precedence in the absence of ranking points. The Open Era of tennis is the era of tennis which commenced in 1968 when professionals were permitted to compete with amateurs offering a level-playing field to all. Over the years since then, tennis has not only become more and more competitive but commensurately the prize money across tournaments especially Grand Slams have been steadily increasing with all Grand Slams today awarding equal prize money to both Men and Women.
We take a look at the Top 5 players with the most number of titles won in the Open Era :
#5 John McEnroe
The mercurial American known for his volleying and predatory instincts near the net was a mercurial personality who charmed the tennis audience in the 1980's with his firebrand displays.
McEnroe is the only Men's player to have been ranked Number 1 in both Singles and Doubles in the Open Era. The Stanford University graduate provided the tennis world with many memorable matches in the 1980's mostly with his great rival Bjorn Borg who was his polar opposite in demeanour. McEnroe was a 7-time Grand Slam Singles champion, 5-time Davis Cup winner and also forged a successful Doubles partnership with fellow American Peter Fleming winning 57 Doubles titles together. McEnroe's record of 82 wins and just 3 losses in 1984 remains an all-time record till date.
McEnroe won 77 Singles titles and 78 Doubles titles and his combined tally is the highest among Men across all Eras.
#4 Rafael Nadal
The greatest player to have ever graced the clay courts, Spaniard Rafael Nadal rose to prominence at a very young age winning his first French Open title at the age of 18. His top-spin heavy forehands coupled with his unending ability to grind shot after shot from the baseline have made him the most decorated clay court player of all time.
The Spaniard with 11 French Open titles leads the tennis roster with the most Grand Slams won in a single Grand Slam. Rafa who has accumulated over 100 Million Dollars in career prize money has also won 17 Grand Slam titles second only to Roger Federer. The 4-time Davis Cup winner and 2 time Olympic Gold medalist Rafael Nadal has won an impressive 80 titles till date.
#3 Ivan Lendl
Czech-American Ivan Lendl has enjoyed a successful tennis career both as a player and later as a coach too. His hard-hitting forehand laced with heavy topspin is said to have greatly influenced the popularity of heavy power-hitting from the baseline that is widely seen today. Lendl is the only male tennis player to have aggregated a win percentage of 90% or over for 5 different years. Lendl won 8 Grand Slam titles and also the Davis Cup.
In a career spanning 16 years, Lendl won 94 Singles titles. Post-retirement he has enjoyed a successful coaching career coaching players like Andy Murray and Alexander Zverev.
#2 Roger Federer
The most popular face in tennis, Swiss maestro Roger Federer is widely considered by pundits and fans alike to be the greatest of all-time. The Swiss has been a master of adapting to different surfaces and using them to his advantage. Since his victory over 7-time Wimbledon Champion Pete Sampras at the lawns of Wimbledon in 2001, Federer was destined for greatness beyond any levels seen in Men's Tennis.
At the age of 37, with 20 Grand Slam Singles titles and counting, the ageless wonder continues to carry on playing majestic tennis and winning matches against players much younger. His longevity in sport can be attributed to his free-flowing gazelle-like movements on the court enabling him to dictate play across surfaces.
Federer is the only athlete to have won the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award and the BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year 4 times each. Federer has also helped Switzerland win its first Davis Cup in the year 2014. With 98 Singles titles, the ageless warrior is approaching a century.
#1 Jimmy Connors
The left-handed American Jimmy Connors was a noted exponent of longevity in Men's tennis. Connors' two-handed backhand and his return of service are among the best that the game has ever seen. In an era when serve and volley was the preferred approach, Connors was the outlier with his preference to stick to the baseline. This, however, didn't hinder his approach to grab numerous titles. Connors won 8-Grand Slam singles titles, 2 Grand Slam Doubles titles and helped the USA win the Davis Cup in 1981.
With 109 Singles titles, Connors holds the Open Era record of most titles won. His tally of 1535 matches and 1256 match wins is also the highest in the Open Era. Connors also enjoyed spells as a broadcaster and a coach after retirement most notably coaching the likes of Andy Roddick, Maria Sharapova and Eugenie Bouchard.
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