Advent calendar day 17 #9 Jimmy Connors and Bjorn Borg

We are now at the 9th best of all time and today with have two famous greats of the game.

9th Best Players of all time

Bjorn Borg

Grand Slams won - 11

Grand Slam Finals lost - 5

Overall amount of singles titles won - 64

Overall Match Winning percentage - 82.72% (608-127)

Top rank - 1

We now have reached another tennis great, well known for his success as a young player, it's none other than Bjorn Borg. He had an incredible record of winning 11 Grand Slams, after playing just 27 Grand Slams as well as winning an incredible 89.8% of his matches at Grand Slams, both of these are records. He would never come close to completing a career Grand Slam as he won 6 French Opens, 5 Wimbledon titles and failed at the final of the US Open 4 times. He only played one Australian Open, which contributed to his failure to win the career Grand Slam. By the age of 25, he had already won 11 Grand Slams, the total he finished his career on. This is the most Grand Slams won at such a young age. The year after his last Grand Slam, he played just one tournament at Monte Carlo and lost. At the age of 26 he shocked the tennis world when he announced retirement. Many tried to convince him out of it but he left the game. Over his career he was world number 1 for 109 weeks between 1977 and 1981. In his career he won the most French Open titles in Open Era and is one of 4 people to win Wimbledon and the French Open in the same year - and he did it 3 times! He also has the record amount of consecutive match wins at Wimbledon of 41, one more than Federer's 40. In 1991 he attempted to make a comeback into the professional tour with a wooden racquet but lost all 12 of his matches over the next 2 years, so he retired again. 

image found here

Jimmy Connors

Grand Slams won - 8

Grand Slam Finals lost - 7

Overall amount of singles titles won - 109

Overall Match Winning percentage - 81.76% (1242-277)

Top rank - 1

The great american, who was a great rival of Borg is joint ninth as well. He won 8 Grand Slams of 15 Finals. He failed to win the Career Grand Slam because he was another player in this count down, who could not win the French Open, making the Semi-Finals 4 times. His first Grand Slam was the Australian Open in 1974. The same year he won the US Open and Wimbledon but did not participate in the French Open, accounting for his failure for a season Grand Slam. He won 5 of his 8 Grand Slams at the US Open. Though he didn't win the career Grand Slam, he won Grand Slams on all 3 surfaces, after winning the US Open in 1976 when it was on clay. He also won the US Open on all 3 surfaces, the only man to do so. Connors was world number 1 for a total of 268 weeks in his career, including 160 consecutive weeks, which was a record before Federer smashed it. He also won the most matches in the history of the game and played in 401 tournaments, which was a record until 2008. He has been in an incredible 31 Grand Slam Semi-Finals, even after playing in only 2 Australian Opens. He was in a great 12 consecutive Semi-Finals at the US Open. His consistency is shown by him being in the top 10 for 16 consecutive years as well as year end number 1 for 5 consecutive years. Also his 107 titles is the most ATP singles titles won in Open Era. In 1996 he retired, after 24 years. 

Click here for the 10th best player of all time, if you missed it.

Come back tomorrow for the 8th best player of all time.