Sunday, September 7, 2025

The 50 Most Accomplished Players of the Open Era: a Data-Based Approach

This is an attempt to devise a ranking of player accomplishments without resorting to judgement. The scoring system is explained below. The ranking captures only achievements at the Grand Slams, and only for players with significant successes during the open era. Active players - whose score can still improve - are bolded. The permanent link is here.


The 50 Most Accomplished Players of the Open Era
 MenCareer RankScore  WomenCareer RankScore
         
1Novak DjokovicDai-Y824 1Serena WilliamsDai-Y745
2Rafael NadalDai-Y699 2Margaret CourtDai-Y721
3Roger FedererDai-Y695 3Steffi GrafDai-Y698
4Ken Rosewall Dai-Y551 4Chris EvertDai-Y686
5Pete SamprasDai-Y435 5Martina NavratilovaDai-Y657
6Rod LaverDai-Y431 6Billie Jean KingDai-Y416
7Bjorn BorgDai-Y349 7Monica SelesDai-Y307
8Ivan LendlY348 8Venus WilliamsY307
9Jimmy ConnorsY337 9Evonne GoolagongY304
10Andre AgassiY322 10Justine HeninY251
        
11John McEnroeY256 11Martina HingisY224
12Mats WilanderY240 12Arantxa Sanchez-VicarioY223
13Stefan EdbergY238 13Maria SharapovaY214
14Boris Becker  Y227 14Anne Haydon-JonesO180
15John NewcombeY208 15Iga SwiatekY175
16Andy MurrayY192 16Hana MandlikovaY171
17Carlos AlcarazY181 17Kim ClijstersY171
18Guillermo VilasO163 18Lindsay DavenportY163
19Jim CourierY151 19 Aryna SabalenkaY154
20Jannik SinnerY137 20Jennifer CapriatiY121
        
21Arthur AsheO127 21Nancy RicheyO
116
22Stan WawrinkaO11422Virginia WadeO113
23Jan KodesO10623Naomi OsakaY111
24Lleyton HewittO91 24Angelique KerberO
105
25Ilie NastaseO90 25Viktoria AzarenkaO102
26Andy RoddickO87 26Simona HalepO
100
27Gustavo KuertenO86 27Gabriela SabatiniO
100
28Marat SafinO83 28Mary PierceO
98
29Daniil MedvedevO83 29Amelie MauresmoO
87
30Pat RafterO81 30Ashleigh BartyO
86
        
31Yevgeni KafelnikovO79 31Svetlana KuznetsovaO
86
32Stan SmithO74 32Kerry Melville ReedO85
33Tony RocheO74 33Conchita MartinezO84
34Michael ChangO71 34Na LiO
82
35Goran IvanisevicS70 35Jana NovotnaO
82
36Johan KriekO69 36Petra KvitovaO
81
37Sergi BrugueraO66 37Garbine MurguruzaO
78
38Vitas GerulaitisO63 38Coco GauffO73
39Dominic ThiemO62 39Tracy AustinO
71
40Marin CilicO62 40Caroline WozniackiS60
        
41Michael StichO58 41Barbora KrejcikovaO
58
42Juan Carlos FerreroO57 42Mima JausovecO56
43Pat CashO55 43Madison KeysO56
44Juan Martin del PotroO55 44Helena SukovaO
56
45Roscoe TannerO53 45Ana IvanovicO54
46Alexander ZverevO51 46Mary Joe FernandezO
53
47Manuel OrantesS47 47Rosemary CasalsO
50
48Carlos MoyaO44 48Samantha StosurO
47
49Richard KrajicekO41 49Virginia RuziciO
47
50Thomas MusterS41 50Wendy TurnbullS46

For players whose careers fall entirely into the open era - the vast majority - the score is computed as follows: one point for a grand slam quarter-final participation, 3 points for a semifinal, 9 points for a final, and 27 points for a title. Hence every win in the later stages of a slam triples the score. 

For players who split their careers between the pre-open era and the open era - including Margaret Court, Rod Laver, Ken Rosewall, Billie Jean King, John Newcombe Anne Haydon-Jones - adjustments are made to give credit to achievements during both periods. In the men's ranking, points accumulated on the pro tour have a weight of 2/3 per tournament (note: there were only three pro slams), points accumulated on the amateur tour have a weight of 1/2. This ensures that the total points per year remain the same as in the open era. In the ladies' game, there was only the amateur tour, hence pre-open era points count fully. 

In case of points equality, the number of tournament victories/finals/semifinals (in this order) serve as tiebreakers, followed by the sanyaku rank.  Players who had most their success  before the open era are not included, specifically: players who would have obtained a higher sanyaku rank pre-open era than they did during the open era. This applies, among others, to Andres Gimeno, Mal Anderson, Dennis Ralston, Butch Buchholz, Fred Stolle, Ray Emerson, Bob Lutz, Maria Bueno, Lesley Turner Bowrey, and Francoise Durr.

The 2025 US Open: Promotions, Demotions, and Other Stats

2025 US Open Champions:
  • Carlos Alcaraz (Yokozuna)
  • Aryna Sabalenka (Yokozuna)

New Career Sanyaku Rank:

Sanyaku Rank Changes
Player (career rank if different) To From
Promotions
Amanda Anisimova Ozeki Sekiwake
Taylor FritzSekiwake Komusubi
Felix Auger-Aliassime (ex-Sekiwake)Komusubi Maegashira
Lorenzo MusettiKomusubi Maegashira
Jessica PegulaKomusubi Maegashira
Demotions
Alexander ZverevSekiwake Ozeki
Cori GauffSekiwake Ozeki
Madison KeysSekiwake Ozeki
Daniil Medvedev (ex-Ozeki)Maegashira Komusubi
Ben SheltonMaegashira Komusubi
Belinda BencicMaegashira Komusubi
Mirra AndreevaMaegashira Komusubi
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (ex-Sekiwake)Maegashira Komusubi


Kinboshi:
("gold star" - prize awarded to a non-sanyaku ranked competitor for beating an active Yokozuna)
  • none

Other noteworthy developments:

  • Naomi Osaka reached the seminfals and therefore rectivated her Yokozuna (=Grand Champion) status after more than three years as an inactive Yokozuna.
  • All three Ozeki (= Champions) rank holder - Alexander Zverev, Cori Gauff and Madison Keys - went again out early. They were already kadoban, and hence get demoted to Sekiwake (=Junior Champion I). They have one chance to regain Ozeki rank by reaching the seminfinals at the 2026 Australian Open, thereafter, rank protection extinguishes.
  • For the second consecurive slam, there are more demotions than promotions, making the sanyaku ranks thinly populated. This reflects the dominance of the Yokozuna - pkus of the newly elevated Ozeki Amanda Anisimova - on both the men's and the ladies' side.

Sanyaku Ranks Following the 2025 US Open

Men
Career rank 1/ East Current Rank West Career rank 1/
High Sanyaku (Senior Champion Ranks)
Y Carlos Alcaraz Y1 Jannik Sinner Y
Dai-Y Novak Djokovic Y2 - -
- - O - -
Lower Sanyaku (Junior Champion Ranks)
O Alexander Zverev (o) S Taylor Fritz S
S Felix Auger-Aliassime K Lorenzo Musetti K

Women
Career rank 1/ East Current Rank West Career rank 1/
High Sanyaku (Senior Champion Ranks)
Y Aryna Sabalenka Y1 Iga Swiatek Y
Y Naomi Osaka Y2 - -
O Amanda Anisimova O - -
Lower Sanyaku (Junior Champion Ranks)
O Cori Gauff (o) S Madison Keys (o) O
S Jessica Pegula K - -

1/ Highest sanyaku rank achieved in a player's career
Inactive Yokozuna: Venus Williams
(k): kadoban
(o): Sekiwake-Ozeki

Wednesday, September 3, 2025

Amanda Anisimova, Ozeki

Amanda Anisimova
Amanda Anisimova became the 49th female Ozeki (=Champion) of the open era by reaching the semifinals of the 2025 US Open. Together with her final participation at the 2025 Wimbledon tournament, this suffices to cross the "great hurdle" - the literal meaning of "Ozeki"  in Japanese. The  quarterfinal victory was over Yokozuna (=Grand Champion) Iga Swiatek, hence Anisimova took revenge for a brutal loss only 7 weeks earlier in the Wimbledon final.

Anisimova was one of the strongest juniors of her cohort and also had early success as a pro, reaching, among other things, the semifinal at the 2019 French Open when she was just 17 years old. Then in 2023, she took a break from tennis, citing burnout and concerns about mental health. It did not take long after her return in 2024 to establish herself as a matured world-class player, equipped with powerful groundstrokes and excellent court coverage.  

Elsewhere in the tournament, Naomi Osaka reactivated her Yokozuna status by also reaching the semifinals, where she will play Anisimova. After this tournament, there will therefore be three active female  Yokozuna: Osaka, Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka. Osaka won four grand slam titles in 2018-21, including two US Open, before taking a baby break. Thereafter she needed some time to find her old form. But form is temporary, class is permanent. 

The Sanyaku ranking lists will be updated once the US Open have been completed.

Sunday, July 13, 2025

The 2025 Wimbledon Tournament: Promotions, Demotions, and Other Stats

2025 Wimbledon Champions:
  • Jannik Sinner (Yokozuna)
  • Iga Swiatek (Yokozuna)

New Career Sanyaku Rank:

Sanyaku Rank Changes
Player (career rank if different) To From
Promotions
Amanda Anisimova (ex-Komusubi)Sekiwake Maegashira
Taylor Fritz (ex-Sekiwake)Komusubi Maegashira
Ben SheltonKomusubi Maegashira
Belinda BencicKomusubi Maegashira
Mirra AndreevaKomusubi Maegashira
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (ex-Sekiwake)Komusubi Maegashira
Demotions
Daniil Medvedev (ex-Ozeki)Komusubi Sekiwake
Tommy PaulMaegashira Komusubi
Lorenzo MussettiMaegashira Komusubi
Frances Tiafoe Maegashira Komusubi
Barbora Krejcikova (ex-Ozeki)Maegasharia Komusubi
Jasmine Paolini (ex-Ozeki)Maegasharia Komusubi
Emma Navarro (ex-Sekiwake)Maegasharia Komusubi
Paula Badosa (ex-Sekiwake)Maegasharia Komusubi
Elina Svitolina (ex-Sekiwake)Maegasharia Komusubi
Zheng Qinwen (ex-Sekiwake)Maegasharia Komusubi
Lois BoissonMaegasharia Komusubi


Kinboshi:
("gold star" - prize awarded to a non-sanyaku ranked competitor for beating an active Yokozuna)
  • Amanda Anisimova for beating Yokozuna Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals

Other noteworthy developments:

  • Double Yokozuna (=Grand Champion) triumph at Wimbledon, who, as a result, rise in the Open Era rankings: Iga Swiatek is now top 15, Jannik Sinner top 20.
  • All three Ozeki (= Champions) - Alexander Zverev, Cori Gauff and Madison Keys - went out early and go kadoban: they need to reach the quarterfinals at the 2025 US Open to hold rank.
  • Mass exodus from the Komusubi (=Junior Champion II) ranks, with no less than 10 demotions from the championship ranks. Ladies' finalist Amanda Anisimova is now the only Sekiwake (=Junior Champion I)

Sanyaku Ranks Following the 2025 Wimbledon Tournament

Men
Career rank 1/ East Current Rank West Career rank 1/
High Sanyaku (Senior Champion Ranks)
Y Jannik Sinner Y1 Carlos Alcaraz Y
Dai-Y Novak Djokovic Y2 - -
O Alexander Zverev (k) O - -
Lower Sanyaku (Junior Champion Ranks)
- - S - -
O Daniil Medvedev K1 Taylor Fritz S
K Ben Shelton K2 - -

Women
Career rank 1/ East Current Rank West Career rank 1/
High Sanyaku (Senior Champion Ranks)
Y Iga Swiatek Y Aryna Sabalenka Y
O Cori Gauff (k) O Madison Keys (k) O
Lower Sanyaku (Junior Champion Ranks)
S Amanda Anisimova S - -
K Belinda Bencic K1 Mirra Andreeva K
S Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova K2 - -

1/ Highest sanyaku rank achieved in a player's career
Inactive Yokozuna: Naomi Osaka
(k): kadoban
(o): Sekiwake-Ozeki