Tennis
Masters of the Blue: A Data-Driven Ranking of Tennis’s Greatest Hard Court Players
Hard courts are arguably the most prevalent surface in men’s tennis. Two of the game’s Grand Slams (the Australian Open and US Open) take place on hard, as do a raft of other Masters events throughout the season. The undisputed kings of concrete have been blessed with a combination of athleticism, precision, mental resilience, and, of course, power.
Rafael Nadal poses for a photo with Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray on Court Philippe-Chatrier//Getty Images
Indeed, excelling on the hard courts is viewed as a key indicator of overall success, and at SportsBoom, we have left no stone unturned.
To assess the best hard-court tennis players of all time, we have broken things down into a compelling two-part analysis. The first component is the ‘SB Score’ based on the most hard-court titles won on the ATP Tour, and then we have delved into the ‘Industry Insights’ to draw upon expert opinion and media analysis. Combining these two elements gives us a final ‘SB Market Index’ score.
We have been methodical in our approach to the ‘SB Market Index’, so let’s see what the numbers tell us.
‘SB Market Index’ Calculation & Result
| Rank | Player | ‘SB Score’ (Value) | SB (Weighted 20%) | Industry Insights (Value) | Industry Weighted (80%) | SB Market Index |
| T1 | Roger Federer | 1.000 | 0.2000 | 5 | 4.0 | 4.2000 |
| T1 | Novak Djokovic | 1.000 | 0.2000 | 5 | 4.0 | 4.2000 |
| 3 | Jimmy Connors | 0.690 | 0.1380 | 5 | 4.0 | 4.1380 |
| 4 | Pete Sampras | 0.577 | 0.1154 | 5 | 4.0 | 4.1154 |
| 5 | Ivan Lendl | 0.423 | 0.0846 | 5 | 4.0 | 4.0846 |
| 6 | Andre Agassi | 0.690 | 0.1380 | 4 | 3.2 | 3.3380 |
| 7 | Rod Laver | 0.394 | 0.0788 | 4 | 3.2 | 3.2788 |
| 8 | Rafael Nadal | 0.352 | 0.0704 | 3 | 2.4 | 2.4704 |
| 9 | Andy Murray | 0.479 | 0.0958 | 2 | 1.6 | 1.6958 |
| 10 | Stefan Edberg | 0.324 | 0.0648 | 2 | 1.6 | 1.6648 |
The Title Tally – The ‘SB Score’ (Based on Hard Court Titles Won)
Our ‘SB Score’ for measuring the greatest male hard-court players derives from the number of singles titles won on the surface. This forms the first part for establishing the unique ‘SB Market Index’, which ensures our process is fair and accurate.
Hard Court Titles Won Table
| Player | Hard Court Titles |
| Roger Federer | 71 |
| Novak Djokovic | 71 |
| Jimmy Connors | 49 |
| Andre Agassi | 49 |
| Pete Sampras | 41 |
| Andy Murray | 34 |
| Ivan Lendl | 30 |
| Rod Laver | 28 |
| Rafael Nadal | 25 |
| Stefan Edberg | 23 |
‘SB Score’ Methodology Explained
The ‘SB Score’ is calculated by normalizing each player’s total hard-court titles against the maximum in this group (71 titles held by Federer and Djokovic). This score directly reflects their dominance in winning tournaments on this surface.
The ‘SB Score’ Result
| Rank | Player | SB Score |
| T1 | Roger Federer | 1.000 |
| T1 | Novak Djokovic | 1.000 |
| T3 | Jimmy Connors | 0.690 |
| T3 | Andre Agassi | 0.690 |
| 5 | Pete Sampras | 0.577 |
| 6 | Andy Murray | 0.479 |
| 7 | Ivan Lendl | 0.423 |
| 8 | Rod Laver | 0.394 |
| 9 | Rafael Nadal | 0.352 |
| 10 | Stefan Edberg | 0.324 |
Interpreting this ‘SB Score’
Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic (SB Score: 1.000 each) co-lead our statistical model, reflecting their joint record of 71 hard-court titles, placing them significantly ahead of the pack. Jimmy Connors and Andre Agassi follow with strong scores due to their impressive 49 titles each.
The Expert & Media View – ‘Industry Insights’ on Hard-Court Greatness
Beyond the sheer number of titles, how are these hard-court titans perceived by experts and prominent tennis media?
Industry Insights Scorecard
As part of the build-up to the ‘SB Market Index’, the ‘Industry Insights’ score aggregates views from surveyed expert opinions and media analysis. This serves to reflect which player is more frequently lauded as among the ‘greatest hard-court players’ or ranked higher in historical comparisons on this surface.
‘Industry Insights’ Scorecard
| Player | Wikipedia Hardcourt Wins/Records | Bleacher Report | DadRacket “15 Greatest” | Sportskeeda #Top10 | Sportskeeda #Top5 | Total Mentions |
| Roger Federer | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| Novak Djokovic | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| Jimmy Connors | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| Andre Agassi | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Pete Sampras | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| Andy Murray | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Ivan Lendl | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| Rod Laver | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Rafael Nadal | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Stefan Edberg | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Player | ‘Industry Insights’ Points |
| Roger Federer | 5 |
| Novak Djokovic | 5 |
| Jimmy Connors | 5 |
| Pete Sampras | 5 |
| Ivan Lendl | 5 |
| Andre Agassi | 4 |
| Rod Laver | 4 |
| Rafael Nadal | 3 |
| Andy Murray | 2 |
| Stefan Edberg | 2 |
Interpreting the ‘Industry Insights’
In terms of ‘Industry Insights’, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Jimmy Connors, Pete Sampras, and Ivan Lendl (5 Points each) share the top spot, indicating exceptionally strong and widespread recognition from surveyed sources for their hard-court mastery. Andre Agassi and Rod Laver also receive significant backing.
The Combined Perspective - The ‘SB Market Index’
Fusing the hard-court title achievements of the players with broader expert/media perception gives us our final ‘SB Market Index’.
The ‘SB Market Index Verdict’ (Based on this Final Model)
Our multi-layered analysis, culminating in the ‘SB Market Index’ which heavily weights ‘Industry Insights’ (80%), positions Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic as the greatest hard-court players of all time within this model’s parameters.
The Contenders: A Snapshot of Hard-Court Genius
Roger Federer (SUI): Roger Federer’s hard-court record was outstanding. His balletic-style movement was mesmerising. Aside from boasting one of the best backhands in tennis history and spending the most consecutive weeks at No.1, he was a force to be reckoned with at the Australian Open and the US Open. En route to his 2017 Australian Open success, he won the title without dropping a set.
Novak Djokovic (SRB): Unmatched for mental resilience, Novak Djokovic’s complete Grand Slam list features 24 Slams. Novak Djokovic’s hard-court dominance is emphasised by the 10 titles he won at the Australian Open, which is an unparalleled total.
Jimmy Connors (USA): A tenacious fighter, Jimmy Connors holds the record for most ATP titles in history (109), and he won multiple US Opens in different eras, making him feared on the circuit.
Andre Agassi (USA): Perhaps one of the greatest returners of all time, Andre Agassi was a hard-court GOAT with his baseline power, and this was reflected in his multiple titles won at the US Open and Australian Open.
Pete Sampras (USA): Undoubtedly one of the best American players of all time, Pete Sampras’s hard-court dominance was reflected by his booming serve and volleying game. It served him well as he trousered 5 US Open titles.
Andy Murray (GBR): Andy Murray made the most of his talent, and he possessed a great all-around game. A former US Open champion, Murray also claimed multiple Masters titles.
Ivan Lendl (CZE/USA): Dedicated to his strict fitness regime, Ivan Lendl carved out an incredible game based on a strong baseline game. Despite some Grand Slam heartache, he secured multiple US Open titles.
Rod Laver (AUS): An undoubted legend whose career spanned the Open and amateur areas, Rod Laver relished the hard courts, and his achievements are fondly remembered today.
Rafael Nadal (ESP): Despite being known as one of the kings of clay, Rafael Nadal was highly versatile, transferring his skills across to the hard court, where he also enjoyed success at the US Open and Australian Open.
Stefan Edberg (SWE): A terrific exponent of serve and volleying, few were as technically savvy as Stefan Edberg, whose game was built on precision. He wound up with two US Open and two Australian Open titles, making him one of the top hard-court specialists in tennis.
Conclusion & Disclaimer
Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic’s shared top ranking is a testament to their amazing success on hard courts, reflected in both their leading ‘SB Market Index’ scores and their joint-highest ‘Industry Insights’ score.
Not only that, but the other tennis legends of hard courts, such as Jimmy Connors, Pete Sampras, and Ivan Lendl, feature prominently, showing their depth of talent throughout history, and their ‘Industry Insights’ scores encompass their legacies.
Our overall ‘SB Market Index’ model is just one structured way to measure these ATP hard court champions, but the greatness of each is undeniable.
Disclaimer: This analysis uses verified hard court title counts and a specific weighted SB Score model, combined with surveyed ‘Industry Insights’. Different methodologies, weightings, or sources could yield different conclusions. This is for illustrative and discussion purposes.
Charles Perrin is a highly experienced sports betting content writer with over six years of working with some of the leading sportsbooks in the UK, including bet365 and William Hill.