Who were the greats before Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic?

Before Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, there were others who were deemed greats of the game. To name a few, Rod Laver, Pete Sampras and Bjorn Borg are certainly named in the tennis history books.

Australian legend Laver was one of the most impressive tennis players of all time. He won two Grand Slams during the 60s. He would be considered the greatest tennis player of all time, but the fact that he played a lot of his tennis in the amateur era coupled with the competitiveness of the current game, he falls short of the modern greats.

In 1971 he became the first tennis player to surpass the $1,000,000 mark in career prize money, which he held onto until 1978, two years after leaving professional tennis. The 84-year-old retired from professional play in 1976 after winning an impressive 200 singles titles.

Laver was known as the king of tennis in the 60s and, as such, had a court named after him in the year 2000, known as the Rob Laver Arena. His court acts as the showpiece court for the Australian Open.

Long before the current crop of greats began their impressive tennis careers, there was “Pistol” Pete Sampras, who held an impressive Grand Slam record, and many believed that it would never be broken. He claimed 14 majors, including seven Wimbledon titles. This undoubtedly cemented his name among the legends, even though Federer, Djokovic and Nadal have passed his tally with ease.

The American was armed with what can be considered the greatest serve of all time. Not only that, but Sampras was a master of big points. He ended his career at the top after beating his long-time rival Andre Agassi in the 2002 US Open final.

Federer was certainly a unique player who seemed to have his own style of play. However, before that, there was Bjorn Borg, who played with the beauty and style of the Mighty Federer. Unfortunately for the Swede, he had an early retirement at the age of 26. However, he still managed to win an impressive 11 Grand Slams.

Borg was a pioneer of the baseline game, which had a massive influence on the way that tennis is played today. One of his most impressive features was his ability to play on all surfaces. He won six French Open titles and five Wimbledon titles. Very few players have been able to match such perfection, giving Borg the final push to get into the history books.

READ MORE: It’s foolish to write Novak Djokovic off ahead of Roland Garros due to champion mindset