Who has won the most tiebreakers in men’s tennis?
John Isner has won the highest number of tie-breaks followed by Roger Federer and Ivo Karlovic
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John Isner, Roger Federer, Ivo Karlovic (via Getty Images)
Tennis matches that end in a tie and do not have an advantage are set to take place in a tiebreaker round. For those uninitiated, the general rule in tennis is that you must always win by two, both in terms of points and games. However, there is always a risk that the players will be tied after six games each. In that event, they will play a tiebreaker round to decide the victor (depending on the regulations of the tournament or game).
There must be a two-point difference in tiebreaker point scores. Until one player achieves a win by two, the game may continue. Nevertheless, longer tiebreaks typically proceed more quickly than advantage sets. In lieu of the customary 15-30-40 scoring system, tiebreaker points are counted as a single.
Holding the serve, being aggressive, having a positive mindset, and reducing unforced errors are necessary to win a tie-break. There are different kinds of tie-breaks, depending on the tournament. The French Open has none. The US Open consists of a 12-pointer, the Australian Open has a 10-pointer, and Wimbledon consists of two games after a tie.
The list of players with the most tie-break wins
The top 10 players with the most tie-break win:
10. Greg Rudeski – 257
Rudeski has won 55.39% of his total number of tiebreaks played. He reached a career-high ranking of World No. 4 in 1997. His career titles total a number of 14 and have also reached the US Open final.
9. Rafael Nadal – 262
Nadal has won 61.07% of his total tie-breaks played. He has won 92 ATP titles and a record 14 French Open titles. He is tied with Djokovic for the most no. of major titles. The Spaniard was No.1 for a total of 209 weeks and won 22 Grand Slam titles.
8. Goran Ivanisevic – 276
Surprisingly, he has won 57.14% of his total tie-breaks played in his career. Ivanisevic is the only player to win the Wimbledon as a wildcard entry. His career-high ranking is No.2 in 1994. Currently, he coaches Novak Djokovic and has led Marin Cilic to his only major title.
7. Novak Djokovic – 300
Immediately before his coach, the Serbian has the highest percentage of tie-break wins with 65.5%. Djokovic has broken many records, with the highest no. of grand slam titles as well as the highest no. of weeks at World No. 1. He is also the only male player to complete a non-calendar year Grand Slam in singles.
6. Andy Roddick – 303
Roddick has a streak of 62.09% tie-break win record. The American is a former world no.1 player too. He is also the 2003 US Open champion. Even though he reached the finals of the other three major titles, he was defeated by Roger Federer in each one of them.
5. Feliciano Lopez – 325
Even though his win percentage is only 53%, the numbers speak for themselves. Lopez was the first Spanish tennis player to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals since 1972. He has won ATP titles on all surfaces and reached a career-high ranking of 12. He won the doubles French Open in 2012 too.
4. Pete Sampras – 328
Often regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, Sampras is a former American tennis player. He stayed in the position for a total of 286 weeks. He is also a 14-time Grand Slam champion. Other than majors, he has also won 64 titles. Sampras has a tie-break win percentage of 62.84%.
3. Ivo Karlovic – 398
The Czech player has a career-high ranking of World no. 2014. At 6 feet 11 inches, he is tied with Reilly Opelka for the tallest ATP player. He previously held the record for the fastest serve before being surpassed by John Isner. He has also held the record for most aces2 and is one of the few players to surpass more than 10,000 aces.
2. Roger Federer – 463
The retired Swiss player is a former world no. 1, which he held for a record 237 consecutive weeks. Additionally, he is the second-most successful player of all time with 103 career victories, 20 of which are major championships. Out of majors, he has won Wimbledon a record eight times. His tiebreak win percentage is 65.30%.
1. John Isner – 492
John Isner has been ranked as high as No.8 in singles. Known for his high-speed serves and consequent aces, the American holds the record for the highest no. of aces. He also holds the record for the fastest serve, recognized by ATP. In doubles, he ranked no.14 in 2022. Isner’s tie-break win percentage is 61.12%, despite winning the most.
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Tanisha Mohanty
(172 Articles Published)