Who is the greatest tennis player of all time?

[Atticus]

And the game has changed so much from 30 years ago....now it primarily is having a huge serve....

Hasn't that always been a thing? Bill Tilden in the 1920s won many matches on his serve.

[Tuariki]

With 23 titles won in a single season and 114 career titles, the GOAT in my totally unbiased, scientific and objective view MUST be Anthony Wilding.

[user4]

Hasn't that always been a thing? Bill Tilden in the 1920s won many matches on his serve.

The power of a mans serve has been a big deal for as long as I can remember and I can remember a Bjorn!

[dukehjsteve]

Pete Sampras was another Serve Boomer.

In my humble opinion the Server Advantage is way too great.... All this breathless talk of "breaking the serve " is tiresome. Make it a much better game for all by moving the serve line 1 yard or meter in back of the regular baseline. Also my humble opinion.
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[Conor Dary]

Hasn't that always been a thing? Bill Tilden in the 1920s won many matches on his serve.

The carbon fiber racquets these days have increased the speed significantly....

[DrJay]

One of my medical partners played on the women's tour a number of years ago (retired maybe 10 years ago?), was up a break on Sharapova once, lost when rain forced the match indoors onto not her favorite surface. She watches virtually no tennis anymore, busy life with three toddlers. But she when she saw a little bit of some match in the last couple of years, she said to her husband, "I'm so confused...why are these men at the baseline so much??" She noted the men's game has changed from serve-and-volley, points lasting five shots, to baseline play with all those 10 to 20+ shot points we saw Sunday.

[bambam1729]

With 23 titles won in a single season and 114 career titles, the GOAT in my totally unbiased, scientific and objective view MUST be Anthony Wilding.

In a much more difficult era in which to play, Rod Laver won 22 title in 1962 and Jimmy Connors won 109 titles overall

[Powell]

I don't follow tennis well enough to make an informed judgment, but logic tells me that to have the 3 GOAT playing a whole lot at the same time doesn't make sense.

Lot of it based on piling up majors (which eliminates the amateur-era superstuds like Laver).

And also wonder if in the past talent was more evenly spread so more people were sharing in the titles and today's big 3 is benefitting from a lack of real competition other than among themselvves.

I find it hard to believe the depth of talent is less nowadays than it used to be. Tennis has become a more global sport, it's no longer limited to kids coming from privileged background and there's a lot more money available in it.

[DrJay]

Think Moses, Samba, Benjamin all competing during the same era, all pretty healthy and on top of their game for 10-15+ years.

[Conor Dary]

Tennis a global sport? You aren't going to get into tennis unless courts are rather ubiquitous....which isn't true in much of the world....even Britain home of Wimbledon few play it....mostly because few people have access to courts....

Learning to play tennis was common in the area grew up....there is more money....but it is really difficult to make a living at it unless you are top 100 player....