Tennis
Who Has the Highest Tie-Break Win Percentage in US Open History? A Data-Driven Ranking
The tie-breaker has been a fundamental part of elite-level tennis, particularly in the Grand Slams. Players who have excelled in tie-breaks have usually dug themselves out of tricky situations, and they have displayed mental toughness when put under pressure. Novak Djokovic’s tie-break record of 66.3% is astonishing, but the other Flushing Meadows legends, including Roger Federer, Pete Sampras, and John McEnroe, have also made their mark in tie-breaks, leaving their opponents frustrated. But who has the best tie-break win percentage at the US Open? SportsBoom has sifted through the data using trusted methodology to reveal the top tie-break performers in US Open history.
Novak Djokovic of Serbia//Getty Images
Methodology
Our US Open data-driven rankings for the SB Market Index are broken down into the following components:
- Industry Insights – Data from reliable sources (Tennis 365)
- SB Score – A normalised score based on tie-break win percentage.
- SB Market Index – This provides the final weighted score (80% contributed by Industry Insights and 20% by the SB Score).
This multi-layered approach ensures the ranking balances raw performance data with broader tennis recognition.
SB Market Index – Ranking Tie-Break Specialists at the US Open
The SB Market Index is a custom-built rating system, and we have blended raw data with consensus among the tennis community to provide an overall score that is fair and not open to bias. Using this system gave us more meaningful insights into the amazing tie-break records.
Industry Insights
Our external recognition has been on the Tennis365 dataset.
| Rank | Player | Tie-Break Win % | Tie-Break Record | Notes |
| 1 | Novak Djokovic | 66.3% | 334-170 | Best win % among 200+ TBs |
| 2 | Roger Federer | 65.4% | 466-247 | 2nd most tie-breaks played |
| 3 | Arthur Ashe | 65.0% | 165-89 | 3-time Slam champion |
| 4 | Andres Gomez | 63.2% | 182-106 | French Open 1990 champion |
| 5 | Pete Sampras | 62.8% | 328-194 | Master of clutch serving |
| 6 | Andy Roddick | 62.1% | 303-185 | US Open 2023 champion |
| 7 | John McEnroe | 61.8% | 189-117 | Icon of 80s tie-breaks |
The SB Score was calculated as follows: Player’s % ÷ Highest % in dataset.
SB Score
| Player | Win % | SB Score |
| Novak Djokovic | 66.3% | 1.000 |
| Roger Federer | 65.4% | 0.986 |
| Arthur Ashe | 65.0% | 0.980 |
| Andres Gomez | 63.2% | 0.953 |
| Pete Sampras | 62.8% | 0.947 |
| Andy Roddick | 62.1% | 0.936 |
| John McEnroe | 61.8% | 0.931 |
SB Market Index
This was the final ranking after the SB Scores and Industry Insights were factored.
| Rank | Player | SB Score | Industry Insights | SB Market Index |
| 1 | Novak Djokovic | 1.000 | 1 | 4.9 |
| 2 | Roger Federer | 0.986 | 2 | 4.7 |
| 3 | Arthur Ashe | 0.980 | 3 | 4.5 |
| 4 | Andres Gomez | 0.953 | 4 | 4.2 |
| 5 | Pete Sampras | 0.947 | 5 | 4.0 |
| 6 | Andy Roddick | 0.936 | 6 | 3.8 |
| 7 | John McEnroe | 0.931 | 7 | 3.6 |
Novak Djokovic – The Mental Fortress
Novak Djokovic’s mental mastery should be admired. Often, he channels any negative energy and turns it into a source of motivation, giving him a distinct psychological edge over his opponents.
Having spent the most weeks as world No.1 (428), Djokovic has stood tall in high-pressure situations, and his 66.3% tie-break win rate shows he’s the gold standard, and he has the best return of players who have managed 200 or more tie-breaks. He’s usually unfazed, and despite being towards the end of his career, his levels of athleticism are extraordinary.
One of the kings of concrete, Djokovic’s incredible tie-record at Flushing Meadows was marked by his flawless ‘SB Score’ and exceptional Industry Insights rating.
Roger Federer – Longevity and Consistency in Tie-Breaks
A dominant figure in New York in the early 2000s, Federer’s US Open tie-break stats are stunning. Although he may have missed out on 500 tie-break career wins, he has played the second-most number of tie-breaks in ATP history (713).
In the Open Era, John Isner sits atop the list of ATP tie-break statistics, becoming the first man to achieve 500-career tie-break wins.
Anyway, Federer was a cool customer, who also had one of the best win percentages (58.10%) against top-five players. The Swiss maestro was one of the strongest players statistically on the list, and he came in just behind Djokovic in the overall rankings.
Arthur Ashe & Pete Sampras – The Golden-Era Specialists
Arthur Ashe’s tie-break wins record was superb (65%), and he was fiercely competitive. He blazed a trail for others to follow, and he was the first black man to win the US Open. Ashe’s strong ‘Industry Insights’ mark was backed up by a solid ‘SB Score’.
Meanwhile, Pete Sampras represented a golden era and was one of the best American tennis players of all time. His huge serve and volleying game puts him fifth on the all-time list of most Grand Slams won, and he was very mechanical in tearing apart his opponents in tie-breaks. Sampras dominated points, and while his ‘Industry Insights’ rating was strong, he came down slightly on his SB Score.
Roddick, McEnroe & Gomez – Masters of Clutch Play
Like Sampras, Andy Roddick’s tie-break record was formidable. He was a serving master and he used his speed to good effect. Roddick’s crowning moment came when he lifted the US Open in 2003, and as judged by his ‘SB Score’, his serving got him out of trouble in tense tie-breakers.
John McEnroe’s tie-break percentage win record of 61.8% was extraordinary given he played fewer than many of his contemporaries. He simply shone at Slam level, and he was one of the best left-handed players ever.
Andres Gomez may not be the most famous player on this list, but he did grab his only Slam title, the French Open in 1990, contesting just three tie-breakers during the tournament. The Ecuadorian’s 182-106 record in tie-breaks was backed up by his impressive ‘SB Score’ and ‘Industry Insights’ rating.
Conclusion on Tie-Break Kings of US Open
In summary, our methodology showed Novak Djokovic was the undisputed No.1 for tie-break win percentage, and his consistency has been exceptional. Tie-breaks have also been a crucial part of the game, but we would be doing a disservice if we didn’t underline Pete Sampras track record in tie-breaks or how Andy Roddick fared.
Sampras, Roddick, and the others discussed were clutch players, delivering when things mattered most. Also, tie-breaks will continue to play a prominent role in the US Open, and with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner taking the game to new heights, they could well surpass their predecessors in due course.
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.