The 50 best tennis players of all time as Novak Djokovic toe-to-toe with Serena Williams

Several of tennis' all-time greats were at or near their peak at the same time

Tennis fans have been spoiled in the 21st century, with some of the greatest to ever play the sport showing what they are capable of. However, when ranking the best of the best, it's important not to forget those who came before. Another year of Grand Slams is in the history books, with some members of the current crop showing why many fans already talk about them in the same breath as those who conquered all before them in years gone by. Still, as we close in on 60 years of the Open Era, greats of yesteryear still hold their own towards the top of the all-time rankings.

Of course, it can be tough to compare those of this era with those who played against a different calibre of rival or with different equipment at their disposal. That hasn't stopped us from trying our best, though. We've combined the men's and women's game to come up with an all-time top 50 going back to before the start of the Open Era. Keep reading to find out who earned the top spot.

Capriati burst onto the scene, turning pro at 13, reaching the semis of three different Slams before her 16th birthday. The American ended up with two titles in the Australian Open and one at Roland Garros, as well as Olympic gold in Barcelona in 1992.

Osaka already has four Slams under her belt at the age of 28, two in Australia and two at the US Open. A relative lack of other titles keeps her from a higher ranking, but there's still time.

Between 1991 and 1993, Courier reached seven Grand Slam singles finals. He won four of those, part of an impressive tally of 23 ATP singles titles over the course of his career.

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Barty only won three majors but stepped away at the peak of her powers when more would surely have been on the way. In doing so, she became just the second woman to quit while holding the world No.1 ranking (more on the other one later).