Many records in tennis have been achieved and broken by male and female players over the years, including some less well-known ones that fans may not even be aware of.
Some of the greatest records of all time have been set during the Open Era of tennis, which began in 1968, after the British Lawn Tennis Association abolished the distinction between amateur and professional players in its tournaments.
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The reason so many records were broken from this point was because pro players were permitted to compete in Grand Slam events, creating a higher level of competition, wider global participation, better training methods and increased prize money.
Modern tournaments are played on the best tennis courts in the world, where the playing surfaces and maintenance methods create optimum playing conditions. This pushes players to aim higher than ever before, so the older records keep on toppling as a result.
Men’s Tennis Records
- Most Grand Slam tennis titles
This honour goes to Serbian tennis legend Novak Djokovic, 37, who holds the world record for the most men’s Grand Slam titles, with an incredible 24 under his belt. He won his 24th trophy at the 2023 US Open, breaking the record of the previous holder, Spain’s Rafael Nadal, who had achieved 22 Grand Slam victories.
- French Open dominance
Nadal, aged 38, holds the record for the most dominant male player at the French Open, having played 116 matches at Roland Garros, winning 112. This gives him an unequalled win percentage of 97%. Nadal’s success in Paris has been dubbed “one of the greatest records in sports history”, leading to his “King of Clay” nickname.
- Consecutive weeks in ATP Top 10
Nadal also holds the record for the most consecutive weeks in the ATP Top 10, with 912 weeks between April 2005 and March 2023. The previous record holder was American legend Jimmy Connors, aged 72, with 789 weeks between 1973 and 1988.
- Grand Slam achievements
Only two male players have won all four Grand Slam tournaments in the same year, comprising the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open. American Don Budge was the first to achieve this feat in 1938, when he was 23 years old, with Australian Rod Laver equalling his record in 1962 at age 24 and again in 1969, becoming the only player to do so in the Open Era.
Women’s Tennis Records
- Most Grand Slam titles
Australian legend Margaret Court, now aged 82, still holds the record for most women’s Grand Slam victories, winning 24 titles during a highly successful career spanning the 1960s and 1970s. Her record applied to the men’s singles as well, until Djokovic equalled it in 2023.
- Golden Slam achievement
The only female singles player to win a prestigious Golden Slam is German icon Steffi Graf, 55, who set the remarkable record in 1988 by winning all five major titles in a year including the French Open, Australian Open, Wimbledon, the US Open and an Olympic gold medal.
- Wimbledon success
The most successful women’s singles player in history in terms of setting Wimbledon tennis records is Martina Navratilova, aged 68. She won nine titles on the famous grass courts of the All England Club over an illustrious playing career which began in 1974 and ended in 2006. She also holds the record for winning six consecutive Wimbledon singles titles from 1982 to 1987
- Grand Slam match wins
Legendary US player Serena Williams, aged 43, holds the record for most Grand Slam match wins, with 367 victories under her belt. She also holds another women’s Grand Slam record as the oldest player to win a title, after taking the 2017 Australian Open aged 35 years and four months.
As training methods, technology and playing surfaces continue to improve, fans are always hoping for the thrill of seeing more records being broken in the future. Today’s crop of young players, including Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz and the USA’s Coco Gauff, aged 21 and 20 respectively, are hotly tipped as record breakers of the future.