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Tennis is one of those sports where it is an individual’s effort (rather than a team effort) that determines their success. It is a game that pits and individual against the other. For this reason, all players can get to know their exact rankings in the pecking order. Indeed a list of the best tennis players has evolved over time, so that you will often hear about the world’s number 1 tennis player, the world’s number 2, number 3…and so on. In other words it is easy to know who is who in tennis, at any given point in time.

What is worth noting is there are very few other ball games, with the exception of golf, where such a clearly defined pecking order exists. This is mainly a credit to tennis’ objectivity. In sports like soccer, who’s who arguments often degenerate into near-squabbles, for there is no criterion through which we can judge who really contributes what towards what end.

Thanks to the ease with which who’s who in tennis can be established, a number of websites have emerged with rankings that go beyond what everybody knows. These regularly updated sites go beyond the ‘top ten,’ and keep tabs on emerging tennis players who may eventually make their way to the top of the pecking order.