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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 opportuntiies 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.
| Rank | Player (Year) | Streak | Grand Slams | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bjorn Borg (1978) | 49 Wins | French/Wimbledon | 5 Months |
| 2 | Guillermo Vilas (1977) | 46 Wins | US Open | 2 Months |
| 3 | Novak Djokovic (2011) | 43 Wins | Australian Open | 5 Months |
| 4 | Roger Federer (2006-2007) | 41 Wins | Australian Open, US Open | 6 Months |
| 5 | Roger Federer (2005) | 35 Wins | Wimbledon/US Open | 5 Months |
| 6 | Ilie Nastase (1972) | 33 Wins | US Open | 2 Months |
| 7 | Rafael Nadal (2008) | 32 Wins | French Open/Wimbledon | 2 Months |
| =8 | Bjorn Borg (1979) | 31 Wins | French Open/Wimbledon | 3 Months |
| =8 | Ivan Lendl (1985) | 31 Wins | US Open | 3 months |
| 10 | Jimmy Connors (1978) | 30 Wins | US Open | 3 Months |
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)
Adam Stoltman / Alamy Stock Photo
- 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 and with a 30-game winning streak being crafted from July through to October 1978, his first win of the run would be found in the American capital of Washington.
Connors would eventually go on to win that tournament and four more during that three-month spell of dominance and that dominance would also include victory in the Men’s U.S. Open of 1978.
It was Bjorn Borg who he got the better of in that year’s final, but he would be unable to end the rest of ’78 unbeaten and although Halloween often offers Americans reasons to celebrate, there would be no celebration by the time Brian Teacher had beaten him on the carpet surface
#8=. Ivan Lendl (1985)
Jonathan Kirn / Alamy Stock Photo
- Winning streak length: 31 wins
- Grand Slam championships won: U.S. Open 🏆
- Time duration: Three months
Next up is one of two entries that picked up 31 consecutive wins in a row and the first of those is Ivan Lendl. The naturalised Czechoslovakian would find an affinity with his eventual new homeland and it arguably began back in 1985 when the former coach of Andy Murray won that year’s U.S. Open.
The venue where his 31-match winning streak would get underway and it would do so with a first-round win over Jay Lapidus. From there, Yannick Noah and Jimmy Connors would soon be picked off in the quarters and semi’s respectively, before Lendl beat John McEnroe in straight sets.
If Lapidus was win number 1, win number 31 was against John Lloyd in the quarter final of the Australian Open three months later and that win would set up a semi-final clash with Stefan Edberg. A clash that Edberg would win on his way to the final and a win that responsible from stopping Lendl’s winning run being extended to 32.
#8=. Bjorn Borg (1979)
Keystone Press / Alamy Stock Photo
- Winning streak length: 31 wins
- Grand Slam championships won: French Open 🏆, Wimbledon 🏆
- Time duration: Three months
The other start to collect 31 successive wins was Bjorn Borg and with the Swedish star achieving his streak six years previously, that unbeaten run would play a part in collecting both the French Open and Wimbledon titles of that year.
While it was Roland Garros where the streak got underway and after a first-round win over Tomas Smid, the path to the final would eventually see him overcome Victor Pecci in the main event.
Just a month later, Borg was also winning on grass surface and fifth-seed Roscoe Tanner being beaten 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 sport interesting. Who would be the man who would get the better of Borg? Of course, it was Roscoe Tanner in the quarter-final.
#7. Rafael Nadal (2008)
Image: Christian Bertrand//Shutterstock
- Winning streak length: 32 wins
- Grand Slam championships won: French Open 🏆, Wimbledon 🏆
- Time duration: Two months
In seventh is an active star who may not be active for much longer and 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 with both the French Open and Wimbledon titles being collected that year, they were also part of a 32-match winning streak.
A streak that got underway in a warm-up tournament for the French Open and with 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 on of the greatest Wimbledon finals ever took place and with Roger Federer acting as the other protagonist in the battle, the Swiss legend would find himself on the losing side in SW19.
A rare defeat for Federer and a rare defeat for Nadal when his 32-match winning streak finally came to an end. This time it was Novak Djokovic who had his number in a warm-up clash for the U.S. Open at that year’s Cincinnati Masters.
#6. Ilie Nastase (1972)
Image: colaimages / Alamy Stock Photo
- Winning streak length: 33 wins
- Grand Slam championships won: U.S. Open
- Time duration: Two months
In sixth is one of the biggest names of the sport in the 1970’s and that name is none other than Ilie Nastase. The Romanian’s talents went far beyond the Iron Curtain and those talents would also see him go on a 33-match winning streak.
A streak that would take place in 1972 and in doing so, it would mean Nastase would be the king at that year’s U.S. Open. After getting the better of Arthur Ashe, it would be Romania’s finest that would win tennis’ Cold War in Forest Hill, Queens.
However, that was not where the winning streak would get underway and in July 1972, Nastase would find himself in Davis Cup action as Romania would eventually get all the way to the final against the United States.
Eventually Romania would play second best in the final and eventually Nastase would taste defeat in the same year that he won the U.S. Open. 32 in a row could not become 33, as Roscoe Tanner would once again play the role of spoiler after winning in Los Angeles.
#5. Roger Federer (2005)
Clive Brunskill // 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 win streak ended with a loss to David Nalbandian in the Masters Cup and would be only one of 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.
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#4. Roger Federer (2006-2007)
Phil Cole // 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.
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#3. Novak Djokovic (2011)
Chris Trotman // Getty Images
- - Winning streak length: 43 wins 🎾🔥
- - Grand Slam championship won: Australian Open 🏆
- - Time duration: Five months ⏳
Novak Djokovic is the only active player on this list, and during the two decades he's been a pro the Serbian has made quite the name for himself. In 2023, he broke the men's record for most Grand Slam titles with 23 after his win at the French Open; however, 2011 was his most dominant season. It started with a 43-match win streak, which prompted tennis icon John McEnroe to declare the 24-year-old was "having the greatest year in the history of our sport."
Djokovic's streak ended with a loss to Roger Federer in the French Open semifinal, and his success waned during the latter part of the year after suffering a back injury that caused him to withdraw from the Davis Cup. Even with a lackluster end to the season, Djokovic's 2011 showing is considered one of the most impressive seasons in tennis history.
#2. Guillermo Vilas (1977)
AFP // Getty Images
- - Winning streak length: 46 wins 🎾🔥
- - Grand Slam championship won: U.S. Open 🏆
- - Time duration: Two months ⌛
On Jan. 9, 1977, Guillermo Vilas lost the Australian Open. Fed up, the Argentine player changed all aspects of his game, from his trainer to his serve and strategy. Vilas won the French Open just a few months later, marking not only his first Grand Slam title but also the first won by a South American player. After his historic win, the 25-year-old was unstoppable. His 46-match win streak began in July and included a U.S. Open win against the #1 player in the world, Jimmy Connors.
That streak came to an end after a controversial loss to Ilie Năstase, who used a spaghetti-strung racket. The type of racket was banned the following year, and Vilas was vocal about the loss, saying, "I didn't lose against a player, I lost against a racket." He went on to win nearly 30 more consecutive matches after that, and if the outcome against Năstase had been different Vilas would hold the winning streak record without anyone else coming close.
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#1. Björn Borg (1978)
Fox Photos // Getty Images
- - Winning streak length: 49 wins 🎾🔥
- - Grand Slam championship won: French Open 🏆, Wimbledon 🏆
- - Time duration: Five months ⏳
Guillermo Vilas' winning streak was record-breaking at the time, but the very next year Björn Borg dethroned him. The Swedish star won 49 matches in a row, including French Open and Wimbledon titles (he never even dropped a set during the French Open). Borg's historic winning streak came to an end at the U.S. Open, where he lost in the finals to Jimmy Connors.
During his short yet dominant career, Borg won 11 Grand Slam titles, including five consecutive championships at Wimbledon; however, he was never able to secure a U.S. Open win despite making it to the finals four times. In 1983, he unexpectedly retired at the age of 26 before making a brief comeback from 1991 to 1993.
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Data reporting by Karim Noorani. Story editing by Carren Jao. Copy editing by Tim Bruns. Story Authored by Katrina Sirotta Photo selection by Clarese Moller. Published by Steve Madgwick
