The Most Talented UK Tennis Players

The UK has long been known for its ability to churn out some top-class tennis players throughout history, both male and female. The UK played a crucial part in the evolution of the game as well, and it has long been the host of Wimbledon, the longest Grand Slam to ever exist. Let's take a closer look at the best UK tennis players of all time.

Virginia Wade was born in 1945, and she was a professional tennis player for almost 20 years – from 1968 to 1986. She won 3 Grand Slams and an additional 4 when playing doubles. She was ranked number 2 in singles rankings and number 1 in doubles.

Fred Perry was born in 1090 and passed away in 1995. He is arguably one of the greatest players to ever emerge from the UK, as he had a long and illustrious 7-year career. During that time, Fred won a total of 8 Grand Slams and six doubles, which is an astonishing number. He also won Wimbledon 3 times in a row, from 1934 to 1936. All these accomplishments made him the No 1 in the world at the time.

She was undoubtedly one of the best UK female tennis players during the 1950s and the early 1960s. She had a long 11-year career, in which she won 3 Grand Slams, the French, as well as the Australian Open, together with Wimbledon.

We cannot compile a list like this without mentioning a modern great like Andy Murray, arguably one of the best tennis players of all time. He was the number 1 in the world between 2016-2017, and he has been ranked in the top four since 2008. In 2012, he became the first UK player to win a Grand Slam since Fred Perry in 1936, and he also won 3 Grand Slams, as well as 2 Olympic singles.

Christine Truman competed between 1957 and 1974, and she won just one Grand Slam, but she did it at the age of 11. She also helped Great Britain to win the Wightman Cup 3 times. She did all this with a partial sight in her left eye, which is astonishing – as she competed on the world stage for 12 years.

Emma Raducanu is the latest addition to this list, as she is born in 2002. She reached the No. 19 ranking by the WTA, and she is currently the British No.1. Raducanu is the current US Open champion, and she is the first woman from the UK to win a Grand Slam since Virginia Wade in 1977. She is a powerful player, known for her aggressive returns of serves.

Emma Raducanu made her WTA Tour debut in June 20201, and she was a wildcard entry at Wimbledon, ranked outside of the top 300 at the time, but she managed to reach the fourth round in that tournament. A couple of months later, in the US Open, she beat Leylah Fernandez in the final, securing her spot in tennis history.