Wimbledon: The 9 greatest men’s singles champions – ranked!
It is arguably the most iconic tournament in all of tennis.
Few sporting events capture the imagination quite as much as Wimbledon, with some of the greatest players of all time claiming victory at the All England Club.
With the 2024 Championships starting next week, we’ve looked back through the record books – and have ranked our nine greatest men’s singles champions of the Open Era.
9) Andy Murray
Titles: 2013, 2016
Finals: 2012
We couldn’t write this list without including Murray – perhaps the most beloved Wimbledon winner of recent times.
The Brit’s heart was broken when he lost the final in 2012 to Roger Federer, a fourth defeat in as many Grand Slam finals for the future world No 1.
However, he bounced back twelve months later to defeat Novak Djokovic and end a 77-year wait for a British men’s singles winner, before defeating Milos Raonic to claim a second title in 2016.
8) Rafael Nadal
Titles: 2008, 2010
Finals: 2006-07, 2011
It is often forgotten that Nadal made the Wimbledon final five times in the space of six years during the prime of his career, winning the title on two occasions.
After back-to-back losses to Federer in 2006 and 2007, the Spaniard won his first title in the epic 2008 final, battling past the Swiss in one of the best finals SW19 has ever seen.
Two years later he again reigned at the tournament, beating Tomas Berdych in the final, while he again reached the final the following year.
7) Jimmy Connors
Titles: 1974, 1982
Finals: 1975, 1977-78, 1984
A pioneer of the modern game, American star Connors had consistent success at Wimbledon throughout his legendary career.
The first of his two titles came in his greatest season, 1974, where he defeated Ken Rosewall in straight sets to win his second major title.
Eight years later he got his hands on the title for a second time, downing great rival John McEnroe in a legendary final, while Connors also reached a further four finals at the All England Club throughout his career.
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6) John McEnroe
Titles: 1981, 1983-84
Finals: 1980, 1982
One of the most famous champions in SW19 history, grass-court great McEnroe reached five straight finals at the tournament in the early 1980s.
After defeat to Bjorn Borg in the iconic 1980 final, the American gained a sense of revenge by defeating the Swede for his first SW19 trophy in 1981.
McEnroe was then beaten by Connors in the 1982 final, but then easily beat Chris Lewis in 1983 and Connors in 1984 to seal back-to-back crowns.
5) Boris Becker
Titles: 1985-86, 1989
Finals: 1988, 1990-91, 1995
Few tournaments define one player as much as Wimbledon defines Becker, with three of his six major titles coming at the All England Club.
Becker was unseeded and only 17 when he overcame Kevin Curren to win his first title in 1985, before downing Ivan Lendl in the final the following year.
After defeat to Stefan Edberg in the 1988 final, Becker beat the Swede in a rematch to claim his final title in 1989, reaching a further three finals after that.
July 7, 1985 – Seventeen-year-old Boris Becker becomes the youngest men’s singles champion in Wimbledon history when he defeats Kevin Curren 63 67(4) 76(3) 64 in the final. Becker also becomes the first German to win a #Wimbledon singles title and the first unseeded champion. pic.twitter.com/8ZEuLWNqd3
— This Day In Tennis (@ThisDayInTennis) July 7, 2023
4) Bjorn Borg
Titles: 1976-80
Finals: 1981
One of the most iconic players of all time, Borg’s five-year reign at the All England Club is rightfully celebrated as one of the most dominant reigns in tennis history.
After defeating Ilie Nastase to claim his first title in 1976, the Swede beat Connors in back-to-back finals in 1977 and 1978 to make it three titles in a row.
He then saw off Roscoe Tanner in the 1979 final and then made it five in a row with victory versus McEnroe in 1980, before the American finally beat him in 1981.
3) Pete Sampras
Titles: 1993-95, 1997-2000
Few have dominated a Grand Slam tournament quite like ‘Pistol Pete’ dominated Wimbledon in the 1990s, winning seven titles in the space of eight years.
Sampras beat Jim Courier to win his first title in 1993, before then defeating Goran Ivanisevic in 1994 and then Becker in 1995.
After a shock loss in 1996, the American rebounded in style, winning four straight titles to cement his place as an all-time great at SW19.
2) Novak Djokovic
Titles: 2011, 2014-15, 2018-22
Finals: 2013, 2023
Impressively, Djokovic has managed to turn Wimbledon into his strongest Grand Slam event outside of the Australian Open, with nine finals and seven titles to his name.
The Serb won his first title by beating Nadal in 2011 and, after a final defeat in 2013, beat Federer to claim the title in both 2014 and 2015.
Djokovic then regained the title by beating Kevin Anderson in 2018 and proceeded to win the title four times in a row, holding onto his crown until defeat in the 2023 final.
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1) Roger Federer
Titles: 2003-07, 2009, 2012, 2017
Finals: 2008, 2014, 2015, 2019
Perhaps the greatest male grass-courter in history, no male player in the modern game can match Federer’s staggering haul of eight titles.
The Swiss beat Mark Philippoussis for his first crown in 2003, and then beat both Andy Roddick and Rafael Nadal twice to make it five victories in a row.
Federer regained his title in 2009 by beating Roddick in an epic 2009 final, before beating Murray in 2012 and Cilic in 2017 for his final two titles – losing a further four finals outside his eight wins.
Wimbledon: The 9 greatest women’s singles champions – ranked!
