These people are known for their agility and accuracy in slapping that fibrous green ball. Who do you think among them is the greatest Tennis player in history?
Ivan Lendl
He was the coach of Andy Murray, one of the most recent additions to the list of the world’s greatest in the realm of tennis, and has been instrumental to the young man’s improving maturity and consistency, which brought Murray to his first two Grand Slam victories. Lendl is indeed a great coach, because he was a great player himself. He was called “the game’s greatest overachiever,” according to Tennis magazine which emphasized his importance in the history of the racket and its ball.
Country: Czechoslovakia
Born: March 7, 1960
Turned pro: 1978
Retired: 1994
Rod Laver
In 1969, he was awarded as ABC Sportsman of the Year. He is also an Australian Living Treasure. In 2000, a Court at the National Tennis Centre in Melbourne was renamed Rod Laver Arena. This is a testament to his greatness as no mediocre Tennis player would ever receive such an honor. As the oldest player on this list, he is far from being the least. Sometime in his career, he was banned for five years, but it didn’t stop him from becoming one of the greatest in Tennis history. He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1981.
Country: Australia
Born: August 9, 1938
Turned pro: 1963
Retired: 1976
John McEnroe
Known for his specialization of the ‘touch on the volley’ technique, John McEnroe is an important figure in the world of tennis. He gained excellence in his shot-making artistry and volleying skills, inasmuch as he has the reputation of being too confrontational in the court, which often got him in trouble with tennis authorities. This doesn’t give his image severe scars though, for he still ended up as a World №1, which makes him one of the best as well.
Country: USA
Born: February 16, 1959
Turned pro: 1978
Retired: 2006
Jimmy Connors
He still holds three prominent Open Era singles records, which is a total of 109 titles. He currently owns it by virtue of his long and prolific career. So how great was he as a Tennis pro? Jimmy was known for his fiery competitiveness, vibrant relationships with other tennis stars, and oafish behavior that was adored greatly by spectators. Physically, he was never as imposing as his opponents. He lacked in size, but he compensated it with great determination that brought him to great heights of fame.
Country: USA
Born: September 2, 1952
Turned pro: 1972
Retired: 1996
Pete Sampras
Highly publicized as the ultimate rival of Andre Agassi, he was a World №1, much like his greatest foe, and is considered as one of the very best. Possessing an all-around skill, He had an accurate and powerful first serve, one of the best in Tennis history. How he garnered points that brought the defeats of his contenders was due to the extreme pace and flat nature of his serving shots. This is what earned him the nickname, ‘Pistol Pete.’
Country: USA
Born: August 12, 1971
Turned pro: 1988
Retired: 2002
Who among these men… and woman is the best at driving the hard plastic balls into the table pockets? Who is the greatest pool player of all time?
Ronnie O’Sullivan
From: England
He achieved his first major professional success when he won the 1993 UK Championship at the age of 17, making him the youngest player ever to win a ranking title, a record that remains unbeaten to date. It can be noted that years before that, he was already a child prodigy of pool-playing having achieved fame at age 10.
He is noted for his rapid playing style, mercurial temperament, and his ambivalent relationship with the sport, claiming that a “slow-paced pool or snooker game would turn away viewers.” Even in victory, he has been labeled as a perfectionist and is highly self-critical. The fact that he is never really content with his own skill pushed his playing style even more to the point that he is declared by many as a real genius in his chosen sport.
Ralf Souquet
From: Germany
In 1997, German President Roman Herzog handed him the “Silver Laurel Leave”, the highest distinction for sportsmen in Germany, which makes him technically the greatest pool/billiards player in his country, and one of the greatest in the entirety of sports. This could be due to his hard work and diligence.
He started playing billiards in his parent’s pub when he was 6 years old, and would practice the game for about 5 hours every day for more than 8 years. At the age of 14, he won the German pupils 8-Ball Championship for the first time as well as the German Open. Since then, he engaged in match-ups with other billiard legends which proved that in the game, he is unstoppable in claiming his rightful titles that he truly deserves.
Alex Pagulayan
From: Philippines
He is known for his calmness and coolness in every game he participates in and is a crowd favorite. He is well-liked because of his humorous interaction with the audience – a total contrast with his nicknames “the Lion” and “the Killer Pixie”. This latter nickname was given by Cliff “the Grinder” Thorburn, former World and Canadian Snooker champion.
Alex’s expertise in the pocket billiards game of snooker and his capabilities helped his Philippines team to win the Snooker Gold Medal at the 2005 SEA Games. Although people think that he was only brought to fame because of the legacy of Bata Reyes, Alex is said to be a great player that can bring the audience and the sport as well in a totally different tone because of the unique kind of entertainment that he alone can project.
Jeanette Lee
From: USA (of Korean descent)
Aside from being an excellent pool player, she is a strong supporter of those affected by scoliosis. She currently serves as the national spokesperson for the Scoliosis Association as someone who has suffered from the disease as well. It didn’t stop her from pursuing billiards though.
She started playing pool in 1989. She went on to rank as the No. 1 female pool player in the world during the 1990s, and received the Women’s Professional Billiard Association Sportsperson of the Year Award in 1998. She is often called by her friends “The Black Widow” because of their claims that in spite of her sweet demeanor, and very captivating physical appearance, she would “eat people alive” whenever she got too immersed in a game.
Thorsten Hohmann
From: Germany
At a very young age, he had always been interested in sports that require a lot more strength and mobility: soccer, table tennis, and badminton. But then his father took him to a local pool hall where he heard the sound of hard balls bashing against each other – it was then that he realized his true calling. A year later on his 10th birthday, he received a miniature pool table and was inseparable from it.
By age twelve Thorsten and a friend began playing pool within the local scenery. By age 16 he had won his first open adult tournament with 128 players. He went on to garner numerous wins and recognitions the latest of which include World 14.1 Tournament Champion and Archer Cup Champion, which he both won in 2015. He is hitting his targets pretty well, which makes him deserving of the nickname, “The Hitman.”
I know only a few tennis players.For me the best was Ivan Lendl and Pete Sampras.When those players were playing tennis I always watched on television.