Top 10 greatest American tennis players of all time

#5 Bill Tilden

Bill Tilden And Henri Cochet

Bill Tilden, nicknamed 'Big Bill' and 'Gentleman Bill', was the first American to win the Wimbledon Championships. Well respected by his fellow players, Tilden won a total of 10 Grand Slam Singles titles (7 US Open and 3 Wimbledon) in his career, and was the top-ranked player between 1920-1925.

He was the first player to reach 10 Wimbledon finals, a feat that was broken by Roger Federer in the year 2011. Tilden was also a 7-time Davis Cup winner, and his mark of 7 US Open title wins is unmatched till today in men's tennis.

Tilden brought an intellectual approach to tennis. He thoroughly studied and mastered the use of spin, favored drop shots and lobs, and would rely on his athleticism and physical build to wear his opponents down.

Tilden was ranked World No. 1 for a record six consecutive years between 1920 and 1925 - a feat that was later matched by Pete Sampras 73 years later in 1998. Tilden didn't lose a single match in all of the year 1924.