25+ Famous British Tennis Players & Stats

British Male Tennis Players

In recent years, Andy Murray has received the vast majority of attention in British tennis, and for a good reason. As a former world No. 1 and two-time Grand Slam Champion, he’s by far the United Kingdom’s most successful athlete over the past few decades.

However, looking back, plenty of other noteworthy male British tennis players are worth discussing. The following are some of the most prominent to ever step on a court.

Andy Murray

On November 7, 2016, Andy Murray became the first British tennis player to reach the world No. 1 ranking in the Open Era cementing his place as one of the best ever from the United Kingdom.

Andy Murray turned pro in 2005, and despite several injury setbacks, including two hip surgeries, he remains an active player on the ATP tour. During his career, Andy has claimed 46 singles titles with three Grand Slam victories, two at Wimbledon and one at the US Open.

In addition to his wins at Grand Slams, Andy Murray has also made it to six other Grand Slam finals, five at the Australian Open and one at the French Open, showcasing his proficiency on all court surfaces.

Andy is also a three-time medalist at the Olympics. He won gold in singles and silver in mixed doubles at the 2012 London games. Then, in 2016, he won gold in singles again in Rio de Janeiro.

Perhaps what’s most impressive about Andy Murray is that despite his challenges, he’s still successfully competing, allowing him to further expand on his achievements on the court.

Fred Perry

These days, Fred Perry is perhaps best known for his iconic clothing line, but he’s undoubtedly one of the best British tennis players ever.

Fred started playing tennis as an amateur in 1929, and six of his Grand Slam titles came before he turned pro in 1936. However, he’d claim two additional Grand Slam titles at Wimbledon and the US Open that year.

In 1934, Fred was the world’s No. 1 player when he nearly completed a Grand Slam, only missing the French Open. However, he did manage to win a career Grand Slam, winning at Roland Garros the following year.

As a British player, he contributed to four straight years of Davis Cup wins from 1933 to 1936 with wins over France, the United States, and Australia.

Until 2012, When Andy Murray won the US Open, Fred was the last British man to win a Grand Slam title. Likewise, he was the most recent British men’s champion at Wimbledon until Andy won it in 2013.

After his tennis career, Fred had a long-standing run as a tennis broadcaster for BBC Radio, which helped maintain his exposure. He also famously created the first sweatband with Tibby Wegner, which would become a popular clothing brand that still exists today.

Tim Henman

Before Andy Murray, Tim Henman was one of Great Britain’s most promising tennis players, and although he never managed to win a Grand Slam, he was highly successful on tour.

He turned pro in 1993, and throughout his career, he won eleven titles. Notably, he made it to the semi-finals at six Grand Slams, including Wimbledon, where the grass suited his serve and volley game.

Tim won silver in doubles at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta with Neil Broad and regularly competed in doubles at Grand Slam events but never managed to make it past the third round.

These days, Tim serves as part of the commentary team for Wimbledon, a post he started in 2008, which helps keep him in the public eye.

Jamie Murray

Although being the older brother of Andy Murray has helped lift the exposure of Jamie Murray, he’s also a highly successful doubles specialist, and he continues to compete on the ATP tour.

Jamie first turned pro in 2004, and although his singles career was short-lived, he found a sweetspot with doubles and never looked back. In 2007, Jamie logged his first Grand Slam win in mixed doubles with partner Jelena Janković. He’d build upon that for a total of seven Grand Slam victories, two in doubles and five in mixed doubles.

In 2015, Jamie played a crucial role alongside his brother at the Davis Cup, helping Great Britain claim their first victory in 79 years. In 2016, Jamie Murray climbed to a No. 1 ranking in doubles, a position he held for nine weeks and a career highlight.

Like his brother, Jamie continues to play competitively at the highest level of the sport and has partnered with Brazilian tennis player Bruno Soares for a large part of his career.

Greg Rusedski

Born in Montreal, Quebec, Greg Rusedski turned pro in 1991 and initially represented Canada until 1995. However, he later moved to Great Britain, following his then-girlfriend to gain citizenship.

Greg enjoyed a successful career, claiming 15 titles and reaching a career-high ranking of No. 4 in 1997. One of his best results came at the US Open in 1997 when he reached the finals of the US Open, where he was runner-up to Australian tennis player Patrick Rafter.

Greg also competed in doubles during his career, claiming three titles and reaching the second round at the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and US Open. Since retiring, Greg has stayed active in tennis through a career as a broadcaster for the Australian Open.

Hugh Laurence Doherty

A highly accomplished player in the late 18 early 1900s, Hugh first started as an amateur tennis player in 1893. In 1903, he became the first non-American to win the US Open, breaking a 22-year streak. Most famously, Hugh claimed five consecutive Wimbledon titles from 1902 to 1906.

In total, Doherty won 51 titles and achieved a career-high No. 1 ranking in 1898. At the Paris Olympic Games in 1900, he medaled in every discipline, winning gold in singles and doubles and bronze in mixed doubles.

Hugh was also a highly accomplished doubles player, winning doubles at Wimbledon for eight consecutive years from 1897 to 1905. Finally, he helped Great Britain win the Davis Cup for four straight years from 1903 – 1906. In 1980, he was inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame.

Reginald Doherty

The older brother to Hugh Laurence Doherty, Reginald Doherty was near equally as accomplished. He won Wimbledon four straight years before his brother would begin to dominate the tournament.

In 1897, when he first won Wimbledon, Reginald reached a career-high ranking of No. 1. In total, he claimed 36 singles titles.

At the Paris games in 1900, he had a successful showing winning gold in doubles, mixed doubles, and bronze in singles. Then, in 1908, he won gold again at the London games.

Often partnering with his brother, Reginald won doubles at Wimbledon eight times from 1897 to 1905. He also helped Great Britain win four consecutive Davis Cup titles from 1903 to 1906.