It's not Roger Federer: Former World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev picks the best grass-court player of all time

In the early days of tennis, grass was the dominant surface, but over time, hard courts have become the standard. Despite this shift, grass remains one of the most challenging surfaces due to its fast pace. Players like Pete Sampras, Bjorn Borg, and Roger Federer are often regarded as the greatest on grass. However, former World No. 1 and US Open champion Daniil Medvedev sees it differently.

Known for his unorthodox game and defensive skills, the Russian has been particularly dominant on hard courts. He has won multiple ATP Masters 1000 titles on the surface and reached four Grand Slam finals on it. However, he has also found success on grass, making the Wimbledon semifinals.

Speaking to journalists ahead of the 2022 Mallorca Open, he picked Novak Djokovic as the best player on grass. “If we talk about the best players in history on grass, I would place him at the top, although I have not seen Borg or Sampras play.”

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Djokovic has won seven Wimbledon titles and holds a strong record on the surface. Despite being more widely recognized as a hard-court specialist, the Serbian has proven his adaptability on grass.

Djokovic has seven Wimbledon titles so far

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He has won eight titles on the surface and holds a 125-21 record, with an 85.62% win rate. One of his most memorable victory on grass came in the 2019 Wimbledon final, where he saved match points against Federer to claim the title.

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Federer, Sampras and Borg’s achievements on grass

However, Federer’s accomplishments on grass still set him apart from the rest. The Swiss legend holds the record for the most Wimbledon titles, winning eight times. He won 19 career titles on the surface, securing 192 victories in 221 matches, with an 87% win rate. His dominance extended to Halle, where he lifted ten trophies, including three without dropping a set.

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However, before Federer, Bjorn Borg was one of the most dominant grass-court players of his era, winning five consecutive Wimbledon titles from 1976 to 1980, which Federer later equalize between 2003 and 2007. The Swedish star Bjorn Borg won 72 of his 88 matches on grass courts, with a winning rate of 83%.

Roger Federer won five consecutive Wimbledon titles (Paul Gilham/Getty Images)

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Meanwhile, Sampras claimed seven Wimbledon titles during his career. He won ten titles on the surface, with 101 wins in 121 matches and an 84% win rate. His serve-and-volley game made him one of the toughest players to face on the surface, particularly during his peak in the 1990s.

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Federer and Sampras faced off in a memorable match at Wimbledon in 2001, with the Swiss emerging victorious in five sets. That encounter is often seen as a symbolic passing of the torch. However, as Djokovic still has an opportunity to win another Wimbledon title (or even two), he can keep adding arguments to his case.

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