Successful tennis players can go an entire career without winning a single grand slam title. The pinnacle of success is reserved for the very best, along with the few one hit wonders that can make a lucky break through. The stranglehold that players like Federer, who has 16 titles to his name, have on the biggest prizes in tennis is amazing. These tournaments feature the best players every single year, but there are always a few that rise to the top. Overall success in tennis has no better measurement than performance at the majors. These are filled with pressure packed situations where a player finds out what they really are made of. It is at these tournaments that the professionals find out if they have what it takes to become champions.
Retired Tennis Champions
The best of the past tennis champions is Pete Sampras. The number of titles he managed to win eclipsed everyone else. With fourteen different grand slam victories, Sampras vaulted himself to the top of the ranks, where he remained until Federer later unseated him. The most notable part of the Sampras game was his serve. He had incredible power on the serve, but it was really his placement and sound tactical decisions that so often led him to victory. By employing an efficient and effective method of serving and volleying he was able to claim victory at Wimbledon on seven different occasions.
Active Tennis Champions
The most competitive champions of the ATP men’s tour are restricted to the top three. None of the other players at this point have made any sign that they are capable of cracking the armor of the men on top. Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic are the strongest competitors that can back up their mental toughness with rock solid game. Djokovic is the next rising tennis star, but the other two veterans can’t be counted out yet.
With Federer on a fast decline and Nadal struggling with injuries, it seems like tennis may be in store for a new set of champions. Djokovic has stepped up to claim his spot, but there will be room for at least one more solid player to make that difficult transition. The most likely candidates among the top players are Andy Murray and Del Potro. Murray has made two slam finals, falling miserably in both of them. Del Potro already has a single title to his name, but struggled for a while with injuries. These players will look to impose themselves as top champions in the new tennis era.
It is Djokovic that has drawn the most attention to himself over the rest of the active famous tennis players. After an incredible 2011 performance, everyone is wondering if he will be able to keep up the pace over the next few years. If he can do it, there is little doubt that he will break into the upper echelon of the slam title list. Djokovic has shown that his all around game has almost no weakness, coupled with a return of serve that is feared by everyone in the tennis world.