Tennis is a sport that requires a lot of physical and mental skills, such as speed, agility, endurance, coordination, and strategy. However, one factor that can also give an advantage to some players is height. Being tall can help with serving, reaching, and hitting with more power and angle. In this blog post, we will look at the top 10 tallest tennis players ever, and how they used their height to their benefit.
10. Sam Querrey – 6’6” / 1.98 m
The American player is another big server who can cause trouble for any opponent with his booming deliveries. He has won 10 ATP titles in his career, mostly on hard courts and grass courts. He reached his career-high ranking of No. 11 in 2018, after making the semifinals of Wimbledon in 2017, where he upset Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray in consecutive rounds. He also made the quarterfinals of Wimbledon in 2016 and 2019, and the US Open in 2017.
9. Marin Čilić – 6’6” / 1.98 m
The Croatian player is another Grand Slam champion who used his height to his advantage.
Marin Čilić has a strong serve and a powerful baseline game, especially on hard courts and grass courts.
He won his only Grand Slam title at the US Open in 2014, where he defeated Kei Nishikori in straight sets in the final.
He also reached the final of Wimbledon in 2017, where he lost to Roger Federer, and the final of the Australian Open in 2018, where he once again lost to Federer.
8. Chris Guccione – 6’7″ / 2.01 m
Guccione’s height contributed to his powerful serve, which was a significant part of his game. He is noted for his good service; he hit 50 aces in a three-set qualifying match at Wimbledon in 2005. This strong service led fellow Australian player Mark Philippoussis to call him a “Wayne Arthurs clone”. He is also a serve-and-volley player, a style that involves serving the ball and then quickly moving towards the net to make a volley (a shot made before the ball bounces).
In terms of career achievements, Guccione reached career-high rankings of singles world No. 67 in April 2008 and doubles world No. 38 in November 2014. Although he didn’t win any ATP titles, he had some notable performances. For instance, he won five ATP Challenger Series: hardcourt victories in Burnie and Canberra in 2005, clay court victories in 2006 at Quito and Medellín, and a victory on hardcourt at Aptos in 2009.
He had greater success as a doubles player, often partnering with fellow Australians Carsten Ball and Sam Groth. He has won five ATP Tour doubles titles. In Grand Slam doubles results, he reached the quarterfinals at the Australian Open in 2017 and the US Open in 2009 and 2016. He also reached the third round at the French Open in 2016 and Wimbledon in 2010, 2012, and 2014.
7. Marc Rosset – 6’7″ / 2.01 m
Marc Rosset is a right-handed and has a two-handed backhand Swiss professional tennis player.
His height gave him the ability to serve from a higher point, allowing him to hit more aggressive serves and put more downward pressure on the ball. This often put his opponents on the defensive from the start of the point.
He turned professional in 1988 and won his first tour singles title in 1989 in Geneva as a wildcard. His first doubles title was won in Geneva as well in 1991 with partner Sergi Bruguera.
1992 was the pinnacle of Rosset’s career. He won the men’s singles gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics. He also won a major doubles title at the French Open in 1992 partnering with compatriot Jakob Hlasek.
Rosset’s career-high ATP singles ranking was world No. 9, and his career-high doubles ranking was world No. 8. He won a total of 15 top-level singles titles and eight doubles titles. He had a successful run at Grand Slams too, reaching the quarterfinals at the Australian Open in 1999 and semifinals at the French Open in 1996.
6. Dick Norman – 6’8″ / 2.03 m
Norman’s height contributed to his powerful serve, which was a significant part of his game. His height gave him the ability to serve from a higher point, allowing him to hit more aggressive serves and put more downward pressure on the ball. This often put his opponents on the defensive from the start of the point.
Although he didn’t win any ATP singles titles, he had some notable performances. For instance, he made it to the fourth round at Wimbledon in 1995.
He had greater success as a doubles player. His career-high ATP doubles ranking was world No. 10, achieved in April 2010. He won four ATP Tour doubles titles. In Grand Slam doubles results, he reached the finals at the French Open in 2009, semifinals at Wimbledon in 2009 and 2010, and quarterfinals at the US Open in 2009 and 2010.
Norman retired in June 2013 and became involved in coaching and organizing local tennis events. In March 2018, he became the tournament director of ATP Antwerp, also known as the European Open.
5. Kevin Anderson – 6’8″ / 2.03 m
The South African player is one of the tallest players ever to play professional tennis, and he used his height to generate a lot of pace and spin on his serve and groundstrokes. He has won six ATP titles in his career, mostly on hard courts. He reached his career-high ranking of No. 5 in 2018, after making the final of Wimbledon, where he lost to Novak Djokovic, and the final of the US Open in 2017, where he lost to Rafael Nadal.
4. Jerzy Janowicz – 6’8.3″ / 2.04 m
The Polish player is another towering figure who can hit with a lot of power and angle from both wings. He has a very aggressive game style that relies on taking risks and going for big shots. He reached his career-high ranking of No. 14 in 2013, after making the semifinals of Wimbledon, where he lost to Andy Murray. He also reached the final of the Paris Masters in 2012, where he lost to David Ferrer.
3. John Isner – 6’9.2″ / 2.08 m
The American player is the tallest player ever to be ranked in the top 10 of the ATP rankings, and he has the most aces in tennis history, with over 13,000. He has a phenomenal serve that can reach speeds of over 240 km/h (149 mph), and he can also hit with a lot of power and spin from the baseline. He has won 15 ATP titles in his career, mostly on hard courts and grass courts. He reached his career-high ranking of No. 8 in 2018, after making the semifinals of Wimbledon, where he lost to Kevin Anderson in a marathon match that lasted six hours and 36 minutes.
2. Reilly Opelka – 6’11″ / 2.11 m
The American player is the second-tallest player ever to play professional tennis, and he has a similar game style to John Isner, with a huge serve and a powerful baseline game. He has won two ATP titles in his career, both on hard courts. He reached his career-high ranking of No. 31 in 2020, after making the semifinals of the Adelaide International, where he lost to Andrey Rublev.
1. Ivo Karlovic – 6’11″ / 2.11 m
The Croatian player is the tallest player ever to play professional tennis, and he holds several records related to his serve, such as the most aces in a single match (78), the fastest serve ever recorded (263 km/h or 163 mph), and the most career match wins by a player who never broke serve (10). He has won eight ATP titles in his career, mostly on hard courts and grass courts. He reached his career-high ranking of No. 14 in 2008, after making the quarterfinals of Wimbledon, where he lost to Roger Federer.
