Tennis All-Time Records

Singles, Doubles, and Grand Slams

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The list of tennis's biggest winners—including the record-holders for singles, doubles, and Grand Slams—dates back decades. Established greats like Pete Sampras, Bjorn Borg, Jimmy Connors, and Billie Jean King still hold noted spots on the record lists. Other titles are held by some of the sport's most successful contemporary pros, including Serena Williams, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal.

Grand Slam in Singles

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A Grand Slam in singles occurs when a professional tennis player wins all four of the sport's most important tournaments in a single calendar year: the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and U.S. Open. None of the current big names in tennis have achieved this honor. Serena Williams came close in 2017 but lost in the Wimbledon finals in July of that year. The most recent tennis great to have achieved the feat was Steffi Graf in 1988. Rod Laver achieved this difficult task twice during the 1960s.

  1. Don Budge: 1938
  2. Maureen Connolly: 1953
  3. Rod Laver: 1962 and 1969
  4. Margaret Smith Court: 1970
  5. Steffi Graf: 1988

Most Grand Slam Singles Titles: Men

Roger Federer, the ironman of tennis, has won the most singles titles—20 as of summer 2018. “I love this tournament," Federer said in July 2017, just before his finals match at Wimbledon. "All my dreams came true here as a player. ... I hope I can play one more good match.” He certainly did, winning the tournament for the eighth time just a day after making that statement.

  1. Roger Federer: 20
  2. Rafael Nadal:​ 16
  3. Pete Sampras: 14
  4. Roy Emerson and Novak Djokovic: 12
  5. Rod Laver: 11

Most Grand Slam Singles Titles: Women

In 1989, one of the players on this list won one of her Grand Slam titles at the expense of another: tennis pros Martina Navratilova and Steffi Graf had a showdown that led to an epic finale. Navratilova maintains the record for the greatest number of single titles, but Graf beat her that day: 6-2, 6-7, 6-1. Both great players are among the top five female Grand Slam title winners.

  1. Margaret Smith Court: 24
  2. Serena Williams:​ 23
  3. Steffi Graf: 22
  4. Helen Wills Moody: 19
  5. Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert: 18

Most Career Singles Titles: Men

With all the focus on current tennis stars, it's easy to forget one of the most iconic figures who ever played the game: Jimmy Connors, who still holds a sizable lead over Roger Federer in the number of singles titles each has won. Bleacher Report ranks Connors as the seventh best tennis player in the sport's history and considering the number of men's singles titles he's won, it's not hard to see why.

  1. Jimmy Connors: 109
  2. Roger Federer: 97
  3. Ivan Lendl: 94
  4. Rafael Nadal: 78
  5. John McEnroe: 77

Most Career Singles Titles: Women

If there is a figure—male or female—who towers above all other competitors in the tennis world, it is certainly Martina Navratilova. Over the course of her career, she won 167 singles titles, 50 more than Jimmy Connors. Her tennis matches with Chris Evert, who won just 10 fewer singles titles than Navratilova, were epic.

  1. Martina Navratilova: 167
  2. Chris Evert: 157
  3. Steffi Graf: 107
  4. Margaret Smith Court: 92
  5. Serena Williams: 72

Most Career Singles and Doubles* Titles: Men

John McEnroe had a reputation as a feisty, fiery presence on the tennis court. His arguments with line judges often turned into screaming matches, earning the tennis pro time on the evening news. It's somewhat surprising, then, that McEnroe excelled in doubles, matches where he had to play—and presumably get along—with another tennis partner. Today, McEnroe still stands at the top of the list for men's combined singles and doubles titles.

  1. John McEnroe: 155
  2. Jimmy Connors: 124
  3. Mike Bryan: 118
  4. Bob Bryan: 116
  5. Rod Laver: 111

*Doubles title counts do not include mixed doubles.

Most Career Singles and Doubles* Titles: Women

If Martina Navratilova was dominant in the category of most female singles titles, she completely owns the category of most combined singles and doubles crowns. Her record of 344 may never be equaled. While Christ Evert was nipping at Navratilova's heels in the race for the most singles titles, the competition wasn't even close in this category. Not surprisingly, Bleacher Report ranks Navratilova as the best tennis player of all time—male or female.

  1. Martina Navratilova: 344
  2. Chris Evert: 175
  3. Billie Jean King: 168
  4. Margaret Smith Court: 140
  5. Pam Shriver: 127

*Doubles title counts do not include mixed doubles.