The ten greatest male players in Wimbledon history

NOTE: This is a list of the ten greatest men in Wimbledon history. It does not include women because the comparisons become extremely difficult. It also does not include pre-Open Era due to the lower level of competition.

Now that The Championships are behind us, we forget all the class and decorum that comes with them. We abandon the tea and the strawberries and cream, and trade them for Big Macs, Cokes and loud, raucous advertisements. It’s US Open time. But in retrospect, let us think about Wimbledon one last time before it vanishes from our short attention span. Here is a list of the ten greatest male players in Open Era Wimbledon history.

The players in this list have not simply been compiled on the basis of number of titles or finals, but the impact they have had on Wimbledon and how they have affected the course of the tournament’s history.

10. John Newcombe (2 Wins, 1 Runner-Up)

This jolly Aussie won Wimbledon twice in the Open Era and once before. Both his wins were five-setters, beating compatriot Rosewall in 1970 and American Stan Smith in 1971. Newcome also lost the 1969 final to Laver in four sets, despite having a much bigger serve and much more effective volley. Newcombe played classic 1960s tennis – serve-and-volley with a bit of groundstroke flourish. He excelled on return games and his grass court prowess was amazing.