Tennis
Who is the Most Successful US Open Player Ever? A Ranking
Renowned for being loud and energetic, the US Open is one of the most eagerly anticipated Grand Slam events. The bright lights of New York are alluring, but the US Open presents a significant challenge, given the electric speed of the courts. Displaying great footwork and boasting fierce groundstrokes are a must for success. Winning this prestigious title is the holy grail for some tennis players, but triumphing multiple times is a hallmark of greatness.
Roger Federer /Getty Images
But who are the best US Open champions in history? Our guide has unravelled the US Open all-time records, featuring Roger Federer, Pete Sampras, and Jimmy Connors. We’ve taken a meticulous approach to this topic, blending raw stats with expert opinions to reach a concrete answer.
SB Market Index: How We Evaluate the Greatest US Open Champions
This evaluation combined a statistical analysis of the most men’s US Open titles won with expert and media perception of their historical dominance at the tournament to provide a comprehensive ranking. Through multi-layered analysis, our custom-built ‘SB Market Index’ crunched the data and opinions to ensure the results were transparent and devoid of bias.
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 US Open champions of all time.”
| Source Name | Bill Tilden | William Larned | Richard Sears | Roger Federer | Pete Sampras | Jimmy Connors | Novak Djokovic | Rafael Nadal | John McEnroe | Robert Wrenn |
| US Open Official Site – “Past Champions” legacy | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Tennis.com – “Ranking the 10 Best US Open Men’s Champs | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Wikipedia – “US Open (tennis)” historical records | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Bleacher Report – “Ranking the Open Era’s Best in NY” | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| ATP Tour News – “A Look Back at US Open History” | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Last Word on Sports – “Top 5 Male US Open Champions” | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Tennishead – “The Kings of Flushing Meadows” | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Reddit r/tennis – Fan Polls on “Best US Open Player” | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| UbiTennis – Analysis of US Open Dominance | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| EssentiallySports – “Comparing US Open Greats” | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Total Mentions | 8 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 3 |
SB Score
| Player | Total US Open Titles | SB Score |
| Bill Tilden | 7 | 1.000 |
| William Larned | 7 | 1.000 |
| Richard Sears | 7 | 1.000 |
| Roger Federer | 5 | 0.714 |
| Pete Sampras | 5 | 0.714 |
| Jimmy Connors | 5 | 0.714 |
| Novak Djokovic | 4 | 0.571 |
| Rafael Nadal | 4 | 0.571 |
| John McEnroe | 4 | 0.571 |
| Robert Wrenn | 4 | 0.571 |
This score is calculated based on the total number of US Open men’s singles titles won (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 | Roger Federer | 0.714 | 10 | 8.143 |
| 2 | Pete Sampras | 0.714 | 10 | 8.143 |
| 3 | Jimmy Connors | 0.714 | 10 | 8.143 |
| 4 | Bill Tilden | 1.000 | 8 | 6.600 |
| 5 | Novak Djokovic | 0.571 | 9 | 7.314 |
| 6 | John McEnroe | 0.571 | 9 | 7.314 |
| 7 | Rafael Nadal | 0.571 | 8 | 6.514 |
| 8 | William Larned | 1.000 | 3 | 2.600 |
| 9 | Richard Sears | 1.000 | 3 | 2.600 |
| 10 | Robert Wrenn | 0.571 | 3 | 2.514 |
The Open Era Kings: Federer, Sampras, and Connors
Heading the three-way tie at the top of the US Open tennis legends, Roger Federer’s haul of US Open titles was remarkable. The Swiss maestro reeled off five titles in a row from 2004 to 2008. Apart from being one of the kings of concrete (71 hard-court career titles), he possessed one of the best backhands in tennis history, and amassed 82 wins from 94 matches at Flushing Meadows. His dominance at this event was reflected by his amazing ‘SB Score’ and flawless ‘Industry Insights’ rating.
The Pete Sampras vs Jimmy Connors dimension is also fascinating. One of the best American tennis players of all time, Sampras was renowned for his super quick reflexes at the net, and his monstrous serve flummoxed his opponents. Not only that, but he had a strong win percentage record against players in the top five (62.89%). Connors, meanwhile, was among our greatest US Open players ranked in our list, and this was reflected by his competitive spirit and tally of five wins from seven finals. Like Sampras, he returned an excellent ‘SB Score’ and exemplary ‘Industry Insights’ rating.
The Historical Titans: Tilden, Larned, and Sears
Among the best tennis players ever, Bill Tilden’s history at the US Open indicated he was one of the tournament’s early trailblazers. He scooped seven titles, but no player competed in more finals than him (10), denoting an excellent conversion rate.
William Larned and Richard Sears were also incredible amateurs, and interestingly, there was a 16-year gap between Tilden’s first and last US Open title. While the trio turned out fabulous ‘SB Scores’, the industry experts pulled them down when comparing them against the modern era greats.
The Modern Challengers: Djokovic, Nadal, and McEnroe
The only active player on this list, Novak Djokovic’s US Open record is enviable with four titles collected. The Serbian, who enjoyed the most weeks at the top of the ATP rankings, attained iconic status for taming Flushing Meadows, as did Rafael Nadal, and the pair enjoyed one of the greatest rivalries in tennis, clocking up 60 meetings.
They attained legendary status through their achievements, and they were joined on this list by fellow four-time winner John McEnroe, who thrived in the cauldron of Manhattan. They all won plenty of favour with the industry experts, and ranked high in our results.
Conclusion on the Kings of Flushing Meadows
In summary, Bill Tilden was the most successful US Open player based on titles won, but our comprehensive model, which was largely influenced by expert opinions, couldn’t separate Roger Federer, Pete Sampras, and Jimmy Connors. These stars were crowned as the ultimate US Open champions due to their incredible achievements and the respective legacies they carved out.
However, it is worth noting the general depth of talent on display at the US Open, as illustrated by this list, was extraordinary. These athletes have inspired the future generation to try to emulate their success stories.
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.