How would Serena Williams ranked among the top men tennis players of all time?
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 09 Nov 2018
![]()
Last year, tennis legend John McEnroe stated that if Serena Williams was playing on the men?s tour she would rank somewhere around No. 700.
That statement, naturally, drew flak from tennis fans and the media with some saying that this ranking was too high, while most expressing belief it was too low.
Ranking Williams against the men would be, to say the least, absurd, simply because of the difference in power games in the two divisions.
To make an honest-to-goodness ranking, Canyon Clark of the SNIPdaily put Serena?s career accomplishments and influences up against those of the best men to see where she ranks in terms of her legacy.
That Williams as the best female tennis player of all time is an understatement. You can make an argument that the 23-time Grand Slam winner, at the end of 2018, is also the best female athlete of all time.
The same argument would be hard to make for any of the men on this list, with the exception of the No. 1 choice.
SNIPdaily, thus, ranks Williams third behind Spain?s Rafael Nadal, no. 2, and top-choice Roger Federer of Switzerland.
Williams has, indeed, been utterly dominant when she chooses to, and the only element keeping her from being higher on this list is that she hasn?t always been entirely focused on tennis and sometimes goes a little too far.
Unquestionably, Federer, should outranked Williams for reaching the point in his career where he is considered the No. 1 men?s player of all-time.
In an era with some notable rivals listed above, Federer has spent hundreds of weeks on top of the men?s world ranking and he has claimed the most Grand Slam titles ever by a man, with 20 as of the end of this year.
The Swiss racket-wielder has an aggressive and athletic style perfectly suited for modern TV, and his tactical approach to the game has made him the best to ever play the sport.
Same is true with the southpaw Nadal.
Considered as a freak of nature on clay courts, the Spaniard has also managed to win the second most Grand Slam singles titles of all time (17 as of 2018), despite playing in the same era as Novak Djokovic and Federer.
Without those two in the men?s game ? and with fewer injuries to his wrists and knees ? it could easily have seen Nadal have 25+ Slams by the end of his career.
As it stands, he will have to live with being the most dominant player in the history of the French Open.
Ranked next to Williams in fourth and fifth, respectively, were Australian Rod Laver and Serbian Novak Djokovic.
Laver is a player from a bygone era, given how tennis has evolved since his peak in the mid-to-late 1960s. The Australian won 11 Grand Slams over the course of his 15-year career, winning each slam at least twice, and none more than the four crowns he claimed at Wimbledon.
The game is faster and harder hitting today, but any player that was No. 1 in the world for seven straight years and who won a ridiculous 200 career titles deserves to be featured high on this list.
As the youngest of the men?s Big Three, along with Rafa and Roger, that have ruled the courts for a decade and a half, Djoko still has time to move higher on the list. His numerous battles against Federer, Nadal, and Andy Murray are legendary, with the Serb totaling 14 singles Grand Slams at the end of 2018.
A stellar run at the back end of his career ? likely at his favored tournaments of Wimbledon and the Australian Open ? could put him in the top two of all-time.
Rounding out the Top 10 list ere Pete Sampras of the USA. 6th; weden?s Bjorn Borg, 7th; Roy Emerson of Austriala, 8th; Andre Agassi of the USA; and Ivan Lendl of Czechoslovakia.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
Tim Tszyu Dominates Spence in Wide UD Win as 'The Truth' Formally Retires
By Dong Secuya, Sun, 26 Jul 2026Joshua Survives Early Knockdowns to Stop Prenga, Clearing Path for Fury Mega-Fight
By NewsHub @ PhilBoxing , Sun, 26 Jul 2026Weigh-In Results - All Set for the Main Event Between Steven Butler and Edgar Berlanga Tomorrow Night in New York City!
Sun, 26 Jul 2026Team USA Set for Capri Boxing Cup Against Italy on Saturday
Sun, 26 Jul 2026'The Comeback' Weigh-In results and confirmed Fight Night running order as AJ faces Prenga
By NewsHub @ PhilBoxing , Sat, 25 Jul 2026Errol Spence vs Tim Tszyu: Do or Die Down Under
By Chris Carlson, Sat, 25 Jul 2026SYDNEY WEIGH-IN REPORT: Spence and Tszyu On Weight; Co-Main Event Cancelled After Fulton Blows Weight
By NewsHub @ PhilBoxing , Sat, 25 Jul 2026Fury Halts Wach in Thailand, Leaving Ball in Joshua’s Court for Mega-Fight
By NewsHub @ PhilBoxing , Sat, 25 Jul 2026Round 12 with Mauricio Sulaimán: A Great First Half of the Year for the WBC
By Mauricio Sulaimán, Sat, 25 Jul 2026CK Ingles to Host Open 2x2 Team and Open Individual Rapid Chess Tournaments with ₱100,000 Prize Pool
By Marlon Bernardino, Sat, 25 Jul 2026Magnificent 7 boxers gird for Asiad
By Joaquin Henson, Sat, 25 Jul 2026Arca wins silver in Asian Youth in Shenzhen, China
By Marlon Bernardino, Sat, 25 Jul 2026Anthony Joshua and Kristian Prenga exchange final words at Press Conference ahead of 'The Comeback'
By NewsHub @ PhilBoxing , Fri, 24 Jul 2026SYDNEY SHOWDOWN: Spence and Tszyu Exchange Final Verbal Barbs; Undercard Weight Drama Unfolds at Press Conference
By NewsHub @ PhilBoxing , Fri, 24 Jul 2026Spence vs Tszyu Fight Analysis and Prediction
By Ralph Rimpell, Fri, 24 Jul 2026