Tennis has a hundred-year history. Over this time there have been a number of records made and broken that define what greatness actually looks like in the sport. Some of these records have stood for decades and at times appear almost impossible to break. The guide examines the most significant records in tennis history, from grand slam titles and winning streaks to the rankings dominance that distinguishes the game’s true legends from the good champions.
Most Grand Slam Singles Titles
Novak Djokovic has 24 major singles titles in the open era – tying Margaret Court’s all-time record. That difference is part of one of the longest-running arguments in tennis, because it’s never easy to compare eras separated by decades of changing competition, equipment and training methods. Rafael Nadal is second among the men with 22 majors, thanks to his unparalleled dominance on clay court. That’s the trio that has defined men’s tennis for nearly two decades — Roger Federer’s 20 titles.
Serena Williams leads the Open Era for women’s tennis with 23 Grand Slam singles titles, one behind Court’s overall mark, while Steffi Graf’s 22 majors include a rare Golden Slam, winning all four majors plus Olympic gold in the same calendar year, in 1988.
Most weeks at World No. 1
ATP records
Novak Djokovic has the most weeks as ATP World No. 1, with over 400 weeks at the top of the rankings. Long reigns also helped define the careers of Roger Federer and Pete Sampras.
WTA records
Steffi Graf’s 377 weeks as the No. 1 player in the women’s game is a pretty good sign of consistency over almost a decade. Martina Navratilova, Serena Williams and Chris Evert also spent hundreds of weeks at the top of the WTA rankings.
Longest winning streaks in tennis
Winning consecutive matches against the world’s best players is one of the toughest challenges in professional sports. Some of the most famous winning streaks include:
- Martina Navratilova: 74 straight singles wins
- Steffi Graf: 66 consecutive wins
- John McEnroe: 42 match winning streak to start the 1984 season
- Novak Djokovic: 43 consecutive victories during the 2010–11 run
- Roger Federer: Multiple winning streaks of more than 40 matches
Most career titles
Winning one tournament demands exceptional performance over a single week. Winning more than 100 career titles requires excellence over many years.
Men’s leaders
- Jimmy Connors – 109 titles
- Roger Federer – 103
- Novak Djokovic – 100+ titles
- Ivan Lendl – 94
- Rafael Nadal – 92
Women’s leaders
- Martina Navratilova – 167 titles
- Chris Evert – 157
- Steffi Graf – 107
- Serena Williams – 73
Career Golden Slam and Career Grand Slam
A Career Grand Slam is achieved when some players win all four of the major tournaments in their careers. Even fewer have completed the elusive Career Golden Slam by winning an Olympic singles gold medal. Steffi Graf is the only player to achieve the Calendar Golden Slam (winning all four Grand Slam tournaments and Olympic gold in a calendar year), which she did in 1988.
Longest tennis match ever played
One of the most memorable entries in tennis history came at Wimbledon in 2010. John Isner beat Nicolas Mahut in a sensational 11 hours and 5 minutes, spread over three days. Only the final set finished 70-68, creating one of the most amazing games the sport has ever seen.
Records on different surfaces
- Rafael Nadal has won more titles at the French Open than anyone else and has been dubbed “The King of Clay”.
- And for all Roger Federer’s grass-court success in his prime at Wimbledon.
- Novak Djokovic has been dominant on hard courts, clay and grass and is one of the most complete players ever.
- In her amazing career, Serena Williams captured major titles on all surfaces, proving her versatility.
Youngest and oldest champions
Age-related records are intriguing tennis fans. It also featured the youngest Grand Slam champion of the Open Era, Martina Hingis, and the oldest men’s Grand Slam champion, Ken Rosewall. Serena Williams also won major titles well into her 30s, proving that longevity can be just as impressive as youthful success.
Prize money records
Today, tennis has become one of the world’s wealthiest individual sports. Novak Djokovic tops the men’s all-time career prize money list, while Serena Williams is still in the mix as one of the highest-earning women in tennis history. “Tournament purses continue to grow and today’s stars are continuing to set financial records along with their sporting achievements.
Which records could be broken next?
There are a handful of current players already compiling resumes that measure up to the current record books. Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are already two of the game’s brightest young stars and Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff keep adding major titles and climbing historical rankings. It will take years of sustained excellence to match the greatest ATP records and WTA records, but the next generation has already shown the ability to change the course of tennis history.
FAQs
Who has won the most Grand Slam titles in men’s tennis?
Novak Djokovic holds the men’s record with 24 Grand Slam singles titles.
Who has won the most Grand Slam titles in women’s tennis?
Margaret Court has 24 Grand Slam singles titles and Serena Williams has 23 in the Open Era.
What is the longest winning streak in professional tennis?
Martina Navratilova has the fourth longest single winning streak in history, with 74 straight wins.
What are ATP records?
ATP records (men’s professional tennis) ATP records are records of men’s professional tennis, including Grand Slam titles, ranking milestones, career wins, tournament wins and other historical achievements recognized by the ATP Tour.
Who has spent the most weeks as World No. 1?
Novak Djokovic holds the ATP record for most weeks as World No. 1, while Steffi Graf holds the WTA record.
What is a Career Grand Slam?
A Career Grand Slam is achieved when a player wins all four Grand Slam singles tournaments (the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open) at least once in his or her career.
