In the early 1990s, American tennis was all about Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi—two prodigies expected to dominate the sport for years. However, almost unnoticed, their compatriot Jim Courier shocked the tennis world by becoming the first of his generation to claim the No. 1 ATP ranking.

Now 54 and a well-respected sports analyst, Courier’s meteoric rise lasted only a few seasons. By the age of 29, he retired, citing a complete lack of motivation for winning games.

Courier’s talent was evident from a young age. In the late 1980s, he claimed a junior French Open doubles title and won the prestigious Orange Bowl tournament twice (1986 and 1987) in Miami. This success paved the way for him to turn professional in 1988.

At that time, tennis was ruled by legends like Ivan Lendl, Boris Becker, and Stefan Edberg, while icons such as Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe were nearing the end of their careers. But when it came to future stars, all eyes were on Sampras and Agassi, but Courier was about to change that narrative.

Mats Wilander might not have been as flashy as some of tennis’s greatest icons, but his sheer determination to be the best set him apart. Despite achieving historic feats at a young age, the Swedish star struggled to maintain his dominance at the top.

Tennis has seen the rise of many greats, from its early days to modern stars like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. But few rivalries compare to the legendary “Big Three” era of Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Roger Federer—a trio that defined an era of excellence. Nadal was asked to name the toughest rival of his career between the Swiss maestro and the Serbian superstar.

With 22 Grand Slam titles and 209 weeks as the world’s No. 1, Nadal’s career has been shaped by the intense rivalries that pushed him to his limits. Early on, his battles with Federer took center stage, but as time passed, Djokovic emerged as another formidable opponent.

Nadal and Djokovic have faced off an astonishing 60 times, with Djokovic holding a slight edge at 31 wins to Nadal’s 29. Meanwhile, Nadal and Federer met in 40 matches, with Nadal leading their head-to-head 24-16.

In an interview with AS, Nadal opened up about how he views his rivalries with Federer and Djokovic. “Djokovic is the player I’ve faced the most, but for me, my greatest rival has been Federer,” Nadal admitted. “When I arrived on the circuit, it was Federer who was there first. During the years when I was at my best in every sense, it was Roger and Novak. But in the early years, which shape you in a special way, Roger was always there.

Alex de Minaur has played against all of the ‘Big Three’, but the Australian believes Roger Federer has the best brain in all of tennis.

De Minaur is flying high at sixth in the world, having reached the quarter-finals of the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open during an impressive 2024.

Billed as a future Grand Slam winner himself, De Minaur was quizzed on which players he’d pick to build a ‘perfect ATP tennis player’ ahead of the 2025 campaign.

Federer took the prize for having the ‘best tennis brain’, but there was no place in his ATP hybrid for Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic.