The Top 101 Players of the Open Era--an Update

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The first Yokozuna-Tennis top 101 ranking of the open era was compiled right after Wimbledon 2008. Two grand slam tournaments have been played since,thus it is time to take another look.

Men’s Ranking

Dai-Yokozuna (great Grand Champion) Roger Federer (13 GS titles—4 finals—3 semifinals—2 quarterfinals) remains where he is, inspite of another grand slam title at the US Open and a lost final down under. Well, as the #2 of the open era he cannot be ranked much higher—only the great Rod Laver remains ahead of him.

To pass Laver, Federer would need to win the French Open or close to 20 grand slam tournaments, both of which seems unlikely. Just behind Federer follow the other two Dai-Yokozuna Pete Sampras and Bjorn Borg—Sampras because of Federer’s greater versatility across surfaces ad greater peak-dominance; Borg because of Federer’s larger number of GS titles. But I am well aware that these three could be ranked in any order.

The new Australian Open champion, Yokozuna (=Grand Champion) Rafael Nadal (6-2-2-2) moves up one rank to #13, behind Stefan Edberg, and ahead of John Newcombe. As Edberg, Nadal has won 6 slams now, but for Edberg this was the harvest of an entire career, while Nadal is still only 22 years old and may enjoy many more years at the top.

Let us therefore look ahead a little: a 7th title—possibly at the upcoming French Open—would propell Nadal to #11. An 8th title would get him to #9, a 9th title all to #7. Should Nadal win 10 titles and therefore become a Dai-Yokozuna he would take the #5 spot, currently occupied by the great Ivan Lendl.

Sekiwake (=Junior Champion I) and former Ozeki (=Champion) Andy Roddick (1-3-5-7) added a semi- and a quarterfinal to his career record, but he remains #26, sandwiched between fellow career-high Ozeki Yevgeni Kafelnikov and Michael Chang. Roddick is already the highest ranked one-slam champion of the open era, without another title he will hardly be able to move ahead of two-slam champions like Kafelnikov, Stan Smith, Pat Rafter or Marat Safin.

Ozeki Novak Djokovic (1-1-4-2) also piled up another semi- and a quarterfinal and moves up three spots to #37, behind Juan Carlos Ferrero but ahead of Johann Kriek (both career-high Ozeki).

Finally, two players newly enter the top 101: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Andy Murray, both career-high Sekiwake (although currently ranked lower). Each has a career record of 0-1-0-1, they occupy #95 and #96 in the open era rankings. To make room, Aaron Krickstein and Jose Higueras, two career-high Komusubi (=Junior Champion II), dropped out of the top 101.

Other still active players with a ranking in the top 101 are: Lleyon Hewitt (career-high O, #20), Marat Safin (O, 21), Juan Carlos Ferrero (O, 36), David Nalbandian (S, 56), Nikolay Davydenko (S, 64), Fernando Gonzalez (S, 74), Marcos Baghdatis (S, 78), Tommy Haas (S, 84), Rainer Schuttler (S, 86), and Arnaud Clement (S, 88).

Women’s Ranking

New Dai-Yokozuna Serena Williams (10-3-2-10) stays at #7, in spite of winning two more grand slam titles. But Serena may soon move higher. An 11th title would get her past Monica Seles—Seles won “only” 9 slams, but gets some bonus in my rankings due to the violent interruption of her career. A 12th title and Serena would pass the great Billie Jean King. The top four ladies of the open era—Margaret Court, Steffi Graf, Martina Navratilova, and Chris Evert—are probably out of reach though, having won between 18 and 24 grand slam titles.

Serena’s sister, Yokozuna Venus Williams (7-6-4-12) reached the quarterfinals at US Open and remains at #9, between Evonne Goolagong and Justine Henin.

Former Ozeki Svetlana Kuznetsova (1-2-1-6) reached the quarterfinals down under but remains unchanged at #28, placed between fellow career-high Ozeki Mima Jausovec and Ana Ivanovic. Re-promoted Ozeki Elena Dementieva (0-2-5-3) made two more semifinals, moves up three spots to #39 and is now placed below Andrea Jaeger (O) and above Pam Shriver (S).

The biggest jump made fresh-baked Ozeki, Australian Open finalist and US Open semifinalist Dinara Safina (0-2-1-2), who improves from #67 to #47. US Open finalist and career-high Sekiwake Jelena Jankovic (0-1-4-1) climbs 8 spots to a new # 49 ranking.

Veteran Patty Schnyder (0-0-1-6), a career-high Komusubi, reached yet another quarterfinal and is now #70 (from #72). Schnyder is the second-highest ranked career Komusubi of the open era, behind only Regina Marsikova (K, 60).

Former Sekiwake Marion Bartoli (0-1-0-1) gains four spots and a new ranking of #78, after reaching the quarterfinals down under. Jelena Dokic (0-0-1-3), a career-high Komusubi, had a fabulous comeback in her adopted home country Australia, reaching the quarterfinal and improving from #89 to #85.

Other still active players in the top 101 are: Maria Sharapova (O, 17), Amelie Mauresmo (O, 22), Ana Ivanovic (O, 29), Natalia Petrova (S, 68), Nicole Vaidisova (S, 72), Daniela Hantuchova (K, 84), and Ana Chakvetadze (K, 92). Lindsay Davenport (Y, 14) stopped playing to give birth to a second child and may have retired for good.