Tennis
Who Has the Best Win % vs. Top 5 Players in Tennis History?
Tennis has been shaped the exploits of brilliant players, but it’s not fair to solely judge them based on their success at Grand Slam or Masters 1000 level. The greatest competitors in tennis have taken things to new heights, swatting aside their greatest rivals on numerous occasions. A high winning percentage is a watermark of a truly world-class performer. But who has the best winning percentage against the top 5? Among the players offered up for comparisons are Bjorn Borg, Carlos Alcaraz, and Pete Sampras. In this guide, we have blended stats and expert opinion to reveal how the top tennis players fared against elite competition.
Bjorn Borg of Sweden plays a forehand return to John McEnroe//Getty Images
SB Market Index: How We Evaluate the Best “Giant Killers”
This evaluation combines a statistical analysis of their win percentage against the Top 5 with expert and media perception of their clutch performances to provide a comprehensive ranking. Fusing these elements initiated the ‘SB Market Index’, a custom-built system where the scores were aggregated, leaving no doubt about the veracity of the results.
Industry Insights
A curated analysis from the top 10 tennis and sports media sources measures how prominently each player is featured in discussions of the “greatest big-match players”, “most clutch performers”, or “best record against Top 5 players”.
Industry Insights
| Source Name | Bjorn Borg | Rod Laver | Carlos Alcaraz | Pete Sampras | Boris Becker | Novak Djokovic | Ivan Lendl | Rafael Nadal | Gustavo Kuerten | Roger Federer |
| ATP Tour – “Clutch Performers” statistical review | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Tennis.com – “Ranking the Greatest Competitors” | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Wikipedia – Major Rivalries section analysis | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Bleacher Report – “Ranking the Most Clutch Players” | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| UbiTennis – “Analyzing Performance Under Pressure” | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Last Word on Sports – “Tennis’s Ultimate Big-Game Players” | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Tennishead – “A Look Back at Tennis’s Fiercest Warriors” | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Reddit r/tennis – “Best Player in the Big Moments” Poll | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| New York Times – Historical Player Profiles (Competitiveness) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| EssentiallySports – “Ranking Tennis’s Mental Giants” | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Total Mentions | 10 | 7 | 6 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
SB Score
| Player | Win % vs. Top 5 | SB Score |
| Bjorn Borg | 70.11% | 1.000 |
| Rod Laver | 65.38% | 0.933 |
| Carlos Alcaraz Garfia | 64.52% | 0.920 |
| Pete Sampras | 62.89% | 0.897 |
| Boris Becker | 61.82% | 0.882 |
| Novak Djokovic | 60.59% | 0.864 |
| Ivan Lendl | 60.13% | 0.858 |
| Rafael Nadal | 59.62% | 0.850 |
| Gustavo Kuerten | 58.97% | 0.841 |
| Roger Federer | 58.10% | 0.829 |
This score is calculated based on each player’s career winning percentage against opponents ranked in the Top 5 (100% weightage). The raw stats are used to calculate the final SB Score.
SB Market Index
| Rank | Player | SB Score | Industry Insights | SB Market Index |
| 1 | Bjorn Borg | 1.000 | 10 | 8.200 |
| 2 | Pete Sampras | 0.897 | 10 | 8.180 |
| 3 | Novak Djokovic | 0.864 | 10 | 8.173 |
| 4 | Ivan Lendl | 0.858 | 10 | 8.172 |
| 5 | Rafael Nadal | 0.850 | 10 | 8.170 |
| 6 | Roger Federer | 0.829 | 10 | 8.166 |
| 7 | Boris Becker | 0.882 | 8 | 6.576 |
| 8 | Rod Laver | 0.933 | 7 | 5.787 |
| 9 | Carlos Alcaraz | 0.920 | 6 | 4.984 |
| 10 | Gustavo Kuerten | 0.841 | 0 | 0.168 |
The Elite of the Elite: Borg, Sampras, and Djokovic
Bjorn Borg’s record vs the Top 5 was sensational. A win percentage of over 70% underpins this, and he was one of the kings of clay. With his ice-cold demeanour, Borg never seemed flustered against his rivals. He’s sixth on the list for the most ATP Tour titles won (66), and he was a statistical beast. This relayed back to his perfect ‘SB Score’ and ‘Industry Insights’.
In terms of tennis winning percentage records, Pete Sampras, who was one of the best American tennis players of all time, he won just under 63% of his matches against the top 5, but remember, Sampras spent a significant chunk of his career at the summit of the rankings. Apart from a booming serve and quick reflexes at the net, his first win against a top-five opponent was in the US Open quarter-final in 1990, and he carried lots of favour with the media experts.
Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic’s clutch performances underlined his mental agility. The Serbian, who spent the most weeks at World No.1, pulled off some incredible comebacks, and his 60.59% win record against the top 5 exhibited his formidable nature. A perfect ‘Industry Insight’ rating saw him clinch a top three spot in our rankings.
The Modern Challengers: Alcaraz’s Explosive Start
A prodigious talent, Carlos Alcaraz’s big match stats make for promising reading. With five Grand Slam titles under his belt, the Spaniard has made an explosive start to his career, and his rivalry with Jannik Sinner has heralded a new era in men’s tennis.
As a brilliant all-surface player, Alcaraz has won over 64% of his matches against the Top 5, but as the only active player on this list, that figure is likely to rise. An impressive ‘SB Score’ offset his weaker ‘Industry Insights’ rating.
The Greatness of the “Big Three”
Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Djokovic set the benchmark with their incredible records. Nadal, for example, is widely regarded as one of the best left-handed players ever, and while his win percentage stats against the top 5 differed from Djokovic and Federer, he fed off the other legendary duo.
All three players pushed each other throughout their careers, and their amazing levels of consistency saw them score perfect ‘Industry Insights’ marks.
Conclusion on Tennis’s Ultimate Competitors
In summary, while comparing Borg vs Djokovic or Nadal vs Federer’s stats against the top 5 in tennis history is a fun exercise, Borg, according to our model, claimed top spot with flawless ‘SB Scores’ and ‘Industry Insights’, indicating he was far from a flat-track bully.
Of course, mental toughness and producing your best while under pressure are key ingredients for beating the top 5. Ultimately, our analysis encompasses the amazing tennis big-match player stats of those featured, and they carved out incredible legacies.
Fans have been treated to breathtaking performances, and beating the top 5 routinely is easier said than done.
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.