The 10 best winning streaks in men's tennis history

AFP // AFP via Getty Images Athletes have been playing tennis in some form since the Middle Ages, but it wasn’t until 1968, when both amateurs and professionals could compete against each other, that the sport became the popular spectacle it is today. Anchored by four Grand Slam tournaments–the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and the U.S. Open–the season runs nearly all year. That makes for a lot of opportunities for thrilling stories, heated rivalries, and monthslong winning streaks. OLBG compiled a ranking of the ten most impressive winning streaks in men’s tennis history using data from Ultimate Tennis Statistics. Streaks were ranked according to their length. Winning streaks with no Grand Slam championships in their duration were not considered. Game, set, match for these seasoned tennis stars OLBG Some of these seasons are considered the best in tennis history, while others are tarnished by controversial matches. Unlike large team sports, tennis is one-on-one, or two-on-two at most, so athletes tend to gain the spotlight. It also features a game clock, meaning matches can and have lasted more than 11 hours. “Tennis is a mental game. Everyone is fit, everyone hits great forehands and backhands,” Novak Djokovic famously said, and nothing can mess with the mind more than the pressure of winning a title or breaking a record. That’s why these men are stars–they live for the moment and rise to the challenge. #10. Jimmy Connors (1978) UPI // Bettmann Archive // Getty Images Winning streak length: 30 wins Grand Slam championships won: U.S. Open  Time duration: Three months Starting off the charts from tenth to first place is American tennis legend Jimmy Connors. Wiith a 30-game winning streak crafted from July to October 1978, his first win of the run was in the American capital of Washington D.C. Connors eventually went on to win that tournament and four more during that three-month spell of dominance, which would also include victory in the Men’s U.S. Open of 1978.  Connors got the better of Björn Borg in that year’s final, but he was unable to end the rest of 1978 unbeaten. Although Halloween often offers Americans reasons to celebrate, there would be no celebration that year by the time Brian Teacher had beaten Connors on the carpet surface in Tokyo.  #8=. Ivan Lendl (1985) UPI // Bettmann Archive // Getty Images Winning streak length: 31 wins Grand Slam championships won: French Open, Wimbledon  Time duration: Three months The other player to collect 31 successive wins was Björn Borg in 1979. That unbeaten run would play a part in the Swedish star collecting both the French Open and Wimbledon titles that year. A victory over Roland Garros started the streak, and after a first-round win over Tomas Smid, the path to the final would eventually see Borg overcome Victor Pecci in the main event.  Just a month later, Borg was also winning on grass surfaces and beat fifth-seed Roscoe Tanner in the 1979 Wimbledon final. It was a quickfire Grand Slam double for the famous Swede. The run would finally come to an end in that year’s U.S. Open and there is nothing like a bit of revenge to keep the sport interesting. Who would be the man who would get the better of Borg? Of course, it was Roscoe Tanner in the quarterfinal. #7. Rafael Nadal (2008) Clive Brunskill // Getty Images Winning streak length: 32 wins Grand Slam championships won: French Open, Wimbledon  Time duration: Two months In seventh place is an active star who may not be active for much longer. Although injuries look like they will finally get the better of Rafael Nadal at the end of the 2024, there is no doubt that the Spaniard has had an incredibly illustrious tennis career. A litany of Grand Slam titles that include the two that he picked up in the summer of 2008, and that year’s French Open and Wimbledon titles, were also part of a 32-match winning streak. The streak got underway in a warm-up tournament for the French Open, and with the eventual victory being collected at the Hamburg Masters, it would bode well for what was soon to unfold at Roland Garros. Of course, 2008 was the year when one of the greatest Wimbledon finals ever took place. With Roger Federer acting as the other protagonist in the battle, the Swiss legend would find himself on the losing side in SW19. It was a rare defeat for Federer. But Nadal’s 32-match winning streak finally came to an end when Novak Djokovic had his number in a warm-up clash for the U.S. Open at that year’s Cincinnati Masters. #6. Ilie N stase (1972) Evening Standard // Hulton Archive // Getty Images Winning streak length: 33 wins Grand Slam championships won: U.S. Open Time duration: Two months In the sixth spot is one of the biggest names of the sport in the 1970’s and that name is none other than Ilie N stase. The Romanian’s talents went far beyond the Iron Curtain and those talents would also see him go on a 33-match winning streak. The streak took place in 1972 and meant N stase would be the king at that year’s U.S. Open. After getting the better of Arthur Ashe, Romania’s finest that won tennis’ Cold War at Forest Hills in Queens, New York. However, that was not where the winning streak got underway. In July 1972, N stase would find himself in Davis Cup action as Romania eventually advanced all the way to the final against the United States. Eventually Romania would play second best in the final and N stase would taste defeat in the same year that he won the U.S. Open. His 32 victories in a row could not become 33, as Roscoe Tanner once again played the role of spoiler after winning in Los Angeles. #5. Roger Federer (2005) China Photos // Getty Images Winning streak length: 35 wins  Grand Slam championships won: Wimbledon, U.S. Open  Time duration: Five months  At the beginning of 2005, Roger Federer hired Tony Roche–a former player–to coach him part-time, and the move was a good one. Seven years into his professional career, the Swiss star was dominating. In addition to achieving a five-month winning streak, Federer also won at Wimbledon (his third in a row at the time) and the U.S. Open. His winning streak ended with a loss to David Nalbandian in the Masters Cup and would be one of only four total losses that year. Federer ended the season 81-4 (95.29%), which was the second-highest single-season win percentage in the Open Era behind John McEnroe’s 82-3 season in 1984. Those stunning numbers also helped Federer secure the #4 spot in career win percentage. #4. Roger Federer (2006-2007) FRANCK FIFE // AFP via Getty Images Winning streak length: 41 wins  Grand Slam championships won: Australian Open, U.S. Open  Time duration: Six months  No, that’s not a typo: Roger Federer is on the list twice after somehow one-upping himself after his impeccable 2005 season. He went on a 41-match winning streak from the end of 2006 through the beginning of 2007. In the process, he won the U.S. Open and the Australian Open, but 2006 also came with its frustrations. Federer and Rafael Nadal are storied rivals, and during that season the Swiss powerhouse went 2-4 against the Spanish superstar. One of those losses was the underrated 2006 Rome Masters final, which helped lead to what some consider the greatest match ever played: Federer vs. Nadal in the 2008 Wimbledon finals. #3. Novak Djokovic (2011)