International left-handers day: The top 20 lefties of the Open era

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1/20

Martina Navratilova

With 18 Grand Slam singles titles, 31 slam doubles titles and 10 slam mixed crowns, not to mention 167 singles titles and 177 in doubles, the Czech-born American revolutionised the women’s game. Her serve and volley style was successful on every surface, especially at Wimbledon where her record of nine singles titles still stands. A supreme athlete, Navratilova dominated the sport for more than a decade.
2/20

Rafael Nadal

A natural righty, Nadal’s left arm has inflicted all sorts of damage on the men’s Tour, on all surfaces. On clay, he has been virtually unbeatable throughout his career, his massive power complemented by his physical strength and athleticism, while his will to win is as strong as anyone in history. His forehand, especially down the line with vicious spin, will go down as one of the greatest strokes in history.
3/20

Rod Laver

The Rockhampton Rocket, Laver was initially considered too small, too slight, to make it on the Tour. Fast forward to the end of his career and the Australian had won the Grand Slam not just once, but twice. Like lightning around the court, his lefty serve and prowess at the net was unparalleled. Had it not been for five years, when he was banned from the slams after turning professional, his overall tally would surely have been far higher.
4/20

John McEnroe

With his unique service action, starting side on and twisting up and into the ball, McEnroe won seven Grand Slam titles, the dominant player for the first half of the 1980s. Faster than he looked, he was a master serve and volleyer, with a velvet touch at the net. His famous temper made more headlines than his game, but he could do things with the ball few before and since even dreamed of.
5/20

Jimmy Connors

Before Nadal, there was Connors, a man who played as if he would rather have given his life than give away a point. The best returner of his generation, Connors’ forehand was unorthodox but his two-handed backhand was a thing of precision. A superb athlete, the American won nine Grand Slam titles and his record of 109 singles crowns still stands.
6/20

Guillermo Vilas

Argentina’s best ever player, Vilas won four Grand Slam singles titles, with only Wimbledon eluding his grasp. A brute of a man, he physically intimidated his opponents, wearing them down from the baseline, helping him to two Australian Opens, one French Open and one US Open. Officially, his best ranking was No 2 but statisticians believe he was denied the No 1 shot by an error, which they hope can be rectified in future.
7/20

Tony Roche

To the younger generations, Roche is probably best known as a coach, first to Ivan Lendl and then later to Lleyton Hewitt, but Roche Australian was a brilliant player in his own right. His 1966 French Open title was his only singles Grand Slam crown but he won 13 Grand Slam doubles titles, 12 of them with John Newcombe and is a legend of Australian tennis.
8/20

Monica Seles

Had it not been for her horrific stabbing on court in 1993, Seles might well have ended up with more Grand Slam titles than anyone. Two-handed on both sides, she took the ball early and crunched the ball flat, with the perfect mixture of power and placement. In an era when Steffi Graf was rampant, Seles won nine Grand Slam titles, eight of them in the space of 11 slams.
9/20

Ann Jones

The Briton endeared herself to a nation when she upset Billie Jean King to win Wimbledon in 1969, one of three Grand Slam titles in all. A fine mover, with a good serve, Jones loved to run around her backhand to slam forehands and her longevity helped her to win 113 career singles titles in a career that lasted two decades.
10/20

Petra Kvitova

One of many Czechs to be inspired by Martina Navratilova, Kvitova arrived on the scene when she stunned Maria Sharapova to win Wimbledon in 2011. With a great serve, massive power and fine volleys, her game was meant for faster surfaces and she added a second Wimbledon title in 2014. The way she recovered from a life-threatening attack in her own home, to return to the top 10, was another indication of her mental strength and she’s still going strong.
11/20

Thomas Muster

When Muster suffered an awful knee injury in a car crash before the final in Miami in 1989, it seemed the Austrian’s career would be cut short. But he made himself into the best athlete on Tour and for a couple of years, the king of clay. Outmuscling his opponents with a bludgeoning forehand, he won his only Grand Slam title at the French Open in 1995.
12/20

Goran Ivanisevic

With a massive serve that he could swing viciously, Ivanisevic was always a threat. And few who saw it will ever forget Ivanisevic’s Wimbledon triumph in 2001, when, after three defeats in finals, he beat Pat Rafter to win his only Grand Slam, having only made it into the event with the help of a wildcard.
13/20

Marcelo Rios

A baseliner by nature, the Chilean was hugely gifted and with a forehand he waved like a wand, he reached world No 1 in 1998, the same year he made his only Grand Slam final, at the Australian Open. His Grand Slam record did not match his talent but he was good enough to win 18 singles titles in all.
14/20

Andres-Gomez

A languid-looking player, Gomez made history for Ecuador when he won the 1990 French Open title, bamboozling Andre Agassi with his use of spin, changes of pace and subtlety.
15/20

Roscoe Tanner

The American with the blond hair and blue eyes made his mark when he won the Australian Open in 1977. Grass was his best surface and his bullet serve - measured once at a record 158mph - took him close to a Wimbledon title in 1979.
16/20

Angelique Kerber

Rock solid from the baseline, Kerber has picked up two Grand Slams to date, thanks mostly to her resilience, consistency and athletic ability. Like many lefties, her backhand is actually more effective than her forehand and her attitude makes her a threat every time she plays.
17/20

Petr Korda

Having grown up watching Ivan Lendl, the Czech won his only Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in 1998. With a fine serve and all-round game, Korda was almost more famous for his celebratory hitch-kick than his tennis.
18/20

Henri Leconte

One of the most elegant left-handers of his generation, Leconte reached his only Grand Slam final at the French Open in 1988. He was dangerous on all surfaces and had a habit of upsetting big names but his biggest success came in the Davis Cup, helping France winning the title in 1991.
19/20

Mark Woodforde

As one half of the Woodies with Todd Woodbridge, Woodforde picked up 16 Grand Slam doubles titles, 15 of them with his fellow Aussie and one - his first - with John McEnroe. A top-20 singles player, he won 67 doubles titles in all.
20/20

Bob Bryan

Together with twin brother Mike, it seemed at times as if Bob Bryan was carrying doubles almost single-handedly. With a huge serve, stunning reactions and almost telepathic understanding with his twin, Bob has won 23 Grand Slam titles in all, 16 in men’s doubles and seven in mixed. And he’s not quite done yet.

13 Aug 2020
By Simon Cambers

To celebrate international left-handers day, Tennis Majors brings you a list of the top 20 lefties of the Open era.

International left-handers day: The top 20 lefties of the Open era

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