uscwang
Hall of Fame
Here is my list of all time greats after correction for missed opportunities (AO in early days, only 3 pro GS each year) and for lesser weights of close era amateur and pro GS. No correction was made for Sampras, Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic.
1. Ken Rosewall 22
2. Roger Federer 20
3. Pacho Gonzalez 18
4. Rafael Nadal 17
5. Bill Tilden / Novak Djokovic 15
7. Rod Laver / Bjorn Borg / Pete Sampras 14
10. Connors 12
11. Don Budge 11
12. McEnroe 10
Rules:
- GS titles are corrected by a factor (Total possible GS / Actual GS played). Close era pro GS is further corrected by a factor (4 / 3) to account for the fact only 3 pro GS are played each year. The correction is made only for years between the first and last GS Win, and only for systematic missing of GS (e.g. Borg missing AO, but not Nadal missing individual GS).
- A weight of 0.4 is assigned to close era amateur GS, and 0.6 to pro GS. This reflect that they were run in parallel (therefore contemporary greats had more chances to win), amateur GS didn't include the best pro players, pro GS was usually 12-player draw, and that tennis was played by a much smaller pool of players. (This part is obviously debatable and I would like to hear your opinions.)
I felt this can be a start of comparing apples and oranges all as fruits.
Borg:
Open era: 11 wins in 24 GS from 1974 to 1981, missed 7 AO. 11 * (24 + 7) / 24 = 14
Laver:
Close era amateur: 6 wins from 1960 to 62, no missed GS. 6 * 0.4 = 2.4
Close era pro: 8 wins from 1963-67, no missed GS. 8 * (4/3) * 0.6 = 6.4
Open era: 5 wins from 1968-69, no missed. 5 = 5
Total = 14
Rosewall:
Close era amateur: 4 wins from 1953 to 56, missed 2 FO, not corrected. 4 * 0.4 = 1.6
Close era pro: 15 wins in 24 GS from 1957-66, missed 5 AO. 15 * (24 + 5) / 24 * (4 / 3) * 0.6 = 14.5
Open era: 4 wins in 13 GS from 1968-72, missed 6. 4 * (13+6)/13 = 6
Total = 22
Gonzalez:
Close era amateur: 2 wins in 4 GS from 1948 to 49, missed 4. 2 * (4+4)/4 * 0.4 = 1.6
Close era pro: 12 wins in 21 GS from 1950-61, missed 15. 12 * (21 + 15) / 21 * (4 / 3) * 0.6 = 16.5
Open era: no wins.
Total = 18
Tilden:
Close era amateur: 10 wins in 19 GS from 1920 to 30, missed 25. 10 * (19+25)/19 * 0.4 = 9.3
Close era pro: 4 wins in 8 GS from 1931-35, missed 7. 4 * (7+8) / 8 * (4 / 3) * 0.6 = 6
Open era: N/A
Total = 15
Connors:
Open era: 8 wins in 27 GS from 1974 to 83, missed 13. 8 * (27+13)/27 = 12
McEnroe:
Open era: 7 wins in 17 GS from 1979 to 84, missed 7. 7 * (17+7)/17 = 10
Don Budge
Close era amateur: 6 wins in 6 GS from 1937 to 38, missed 2. 6 * (6 + 2)/6 * 0.4 = 3.2
Close era pro: 4 wins in 5 GS from 1939-42, missed 7. 4 * (7+5) / 5 * (4 / 3) * 0.6 = 7.68
Total = 11
1. Ken Rosewall 22
2. Roger Federer 20
3. Pacho Gonzalez 18
4. Rafael Nadal 17
5. Bill Tilden / Novak Djokovic 15
7. Rod Laver / Bjorn Borg / Pete Sampras 14
10. Connors 12
11. Don Budge 11
12. McEnroe 10
Rules:
- GS titles are corrected by a factor (Total possible GS / Actual GS played). Close era pro GS is further corrected by a factor (4 / 3) to account for the fact only 3 pro GS are played each year. The correction is made only for years between the first and last GS Win, and only for systematic missing of GS (e.g. Borg missing AO, but not Nadal missing individual GS).
- A weight of 0.4 is assigned to close era amateur GS, and 0.6 to pro GS. This reflect that they were run in parallel (therefore contemporary greats had more chances to win), amateur GS didn't include the best pro players, pro GS was usually 12-player draw, and that tennis was played by a much smaller pool of players. (This part is obviously debatable and I would like to hear your opinions.)
I felt this can be a start of comparing apples and oranges all as fruits.
Borg:
Open era: 11 wins in 24 GS from 1974 to 1981, missed 7 AO. 11 * (24 + 7) / 24 = 14
Laver:
Close era amateur: 6 wins from 1960 to 62, no missed GS. 6 * 0.4 = 2.4
Close era pro: 8 wins from 1963-67, no missed GS. 8 * (4/3) * 0.6 = 6.4
Open era: 5 wins from 1968-69, no missed. 5 = 5
Total = 14
Rosewall:
Close era amateur: 4 wins from 1953 to 56, missed 2 FO, not corrected. 4 * 0.4 = 1.6
Close era pro: 15 wins in 24 GS from 1957-66, missed 5 AO. 15 * (24 + 5) / 24 * (4 / 3) * 0.6 = 14.5
Open era: 4 wins in 13 GS from 1968-72, missed 6. 4 * (13+6)/13 = 6
Total = 22
Gonzalez:
Close era amateur: 2 wins in 4 GS from 1948 to 49, missed 4. 2 * (4+4)/4 * 0.4 = 1.6
Close era pro: 12 wins in 21 GS from 1950-61, missed 15. 12 * (21 + 15) / 21 * (4 / 3) * 0.6 = 16.5
Open era: no wins.
Total = 18
Tilden:
Close era amateur: 10 wins in 19 GS from 1920 to 30, missed 25. 10 * (19+25)/19 * 0.4 = 9.3
Close era pro: 4 wins in 8 GS from 1931-35, missed 7. 4 * (7+8) / 8 * (4 / 3) * 0.6 = 6
Open era: N/A
Total = 15
Connors:
Open era: 8 wins in 27 GS from 1974 to 83, missed 13. 8 * (27+13)/27 = 12
McEnroe:
Open era: 7 wins in 17 GS from 1979 to 84, missed 7. 7 * (17+7)/17 = 10
Don Budge
Close era amateur: 6 wins in 6 GS from 1937 to 38, missed 2. 6 * (6 + 2)/6 * 0.4 = 3.2
Close era pro: 4 wins in 5 GS from 1939-42, missed 7. 4 * (7+5) / 5 * (4 / 3) * 0.6 = 7.68
Total = 11
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