Most titles in Tennis singles in open era (Men's)

Tennis is a sport that has seen many great players throughout the years, but there are a select few who have stood out above the rest when it comes to the most titles in tennis (singles) they've won in the Open Era. The Open Era of tennis began in 1968 when the Grand Slam tournaments (Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open) and most other tournaments allowed professional players to compete alongside amateurs. Since then, these players have dominated the sport and have set records that may never be broken.

These players have not only won the most titles in Tennis in the Open Era, but they have also left an indelible mark on the sport of tennis. In this article, we will discuss about those legends whose records and achievements will be remembered for years to come, and they will continue to inspire future generations of players.

Most titles in Tennis (singles):

1. Jimmy Connors | 109 Titles

Jimmy Connors is the leading player on the list of most titles in Tennis (singles) in open era, with 109 titles to his name. Connors also holds the record of most singles matches played (1,535) and most number of wins (1,256). In addition, he won 8 Grand Slam titles, 5 US Open, 2 Wimbledon, and 1 Australian Open. He also held the No. 1 ranking for a total of 268 weeks and is considered one of the greatest players of all time.

Connors got the number one ranking in the world in 1974 and remained at the top spot for 160 weeks consecutively till 1977. He won the ATP Player of the Year in 1982 and also won ATP Comeback Player of the Year in 1991. However, he retired at the age of 43 in April 1996. In 1998 he achieved the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

2. Roger Federer | 103 Titles

With 20 Grand Slam singles titles, Roger Federer is the most successful male player in the Open Era. He has won 8 Wimbledon titles, 6 Australian Open titles, 5 US Open titles, and 1 French Open title. He has also won 103 ATP Tour titles, the second most in Open Era, and held the No. 1 ranking for a record 310 weeks. The Swiss legend retired in 2022 after having won a record 1251 matches after having played for over two decades. Federer wasn't actively playing since the 2019 season, frequently suffering from injuries, and played his last match at the Laver Cup 2022 playing alongside Nadal and Djokovic.

3. Ivan Lendl | 94 Titles

Ivan Lendl comes in the third position in the list of Most titles in Tennis (singles) in open era with 94 titles to his name. He turned professional in 1978 and won 8 Grand Slam titles, 3 Australian Open, 3 French Open, 1 Wimbledon, and 1 US Open. He also got the No. 1 ranking for 270 weeks.

Ivan Lendl is a retired Czech and American tennis player. He won the boys' singles title at the French Open and Wimbledon in 1978 and was ranked the number one junior player. However, he retired in 1994 and in 2001 he achieved the International Tennis Hall of Fame. In 2018 he joined Alexander Zverev's team as a coach.

4. Novak Djokovic | 94 Titles

Novak Djokovic has won 94 ATP singles titles, including a record 23 Grand Slam singles titles, a joint-record 6 ATP Finals titles, and a record 38 ATP Masters titles. The Serbian's win-loss record stands at 1036-206 (83.4 percent). The 35-year-old turned pro in 2003 and won his first grand slam title in 2008 (Australian Open). Moreover, Novak Djokovic holds the record for winning the highest number of Australian Open titles (10).

Also Read: Grand Slam Records: Most Grand Slam Finals in Men's Tennis

5. Rafael Nadal | 92 Titles

Rafael Nadal has won 92 ATP singles titles as well, tied with Novak Djokovic for the most in the Open Era. The Spaniard's win-loss record stands at 1068-219 (83 percent). He has won an all-time record 22 Grand Slam men's singles titles. Rafael Nadal is famous as the king of clay for having won 14 French Open titles. Overall Nadal apart from winning 14 French Open titles has also won five US Open titles, and two US Open and Australian Open titles.

Moreover, Nadal is the seventh player in the Open Era to achieve a career Grand Slam (winning all four Grand Slams). And he is the second male player, after Andre Agassi to won a career gold Grand Slam. He currently ranked number two in the male singles world rankings. He turned professional when he was 15 and won his first Grand Slam in 2005, the French Open, at his first attempt.

6. John McEnroe | 77 Titles

John McEnroe has won 77 ATP Tour titles, including 7 Grand Slam titles, 3 Wimbledon, and 4 US Open. He also held the No. 1 ranking for 170 weeks. John Mcenroe is considered one of the best players of all time. The American International also won the ATP Player of the Year in 1981, 1983, and 1984. However, in 1994 he decided to play only doubles tournaments and retired from singles tournaments. However, in 2006 he completely left the court by taking retirement from doubles as well. Currently, he works as a commentator in major tournaments.

7. Rod Laver | 72 Titles

Rod Laver was an Australian tennis player who is one of the greatest tennis players of all time. He has won a total of 11 grand slam titles. In addition, he is the only paper to win a Grand Slam in Open Era and is the only player to do so in the history of the game. Rod Laver has won a total of 198 career titles, out of which 72 are won in the Open Era.

8. Bjorn Borg | 66 Titles

Bjorn Borg has won a total of 66 career titles which included 11 Grand Slam titles. One of the greats of the game of tennis who didn't play for a long time but had a glorious career in his short term was Bjorn Borg. He played professional tennis for a period of 10 years from 1973 to 1983. Bjorn was famous for his rivalry with John McEnroe. The match played between Borg and McEnroe in the finals of Wimbledon 1980 is considered an all-time classic in the history of tennis.

9. Ilie Nastase | 65 Titles

Ilie Nastase was ranked world No. 1 in singles from 23 August 1973 to 2 June 1974. He was the first man to hold the top position on the computerized ATP rankings. Năstase is one of the 10 players in history who have won over 100 total ATP titles, with 65 in singles and 45 in doubles. His most impressive win was over Arthur Ashe in the 1972 US Open, where it took the Romanian five sets and close to five hours to seal the deal. The versatile Nastase won ATP events on all surfaces, too. He may have possibly been one of the best carpet court players in history. He won practically every carpet tournament he entered during the 1970s.

Also Read: Last 10 Wimbledon Champions List (Men's)

10. Pete Sampras | 64 Titles

Pete Sampras has won 14 Grand Slam singles titles. These include 7 Wimbledon titles, 5 US Open titles, and 2 Australian Open titles. He also held the No. 1 ranking for 286 weeks, the most of any player in the ATP Tour Era. He also has won 64 ATP tour titles. Pistol Pete Sampras will always be remembered for his mind-blowing seven Wimbledon singles championships. Sampras had literally no weaknesses in his game and could use any weapon at any time.