Greatest Grass Player in Open Era to Never Win Wimbledon?

Best Grass Player to never win a Wimbledon Title? (Open Era)

  • Andy Roddick

    Votes: 64 47.1%
  • Ivan Lendl

    Votes: 34 25.0%
  • Ilie Năstase

    Votes: 3 2.2%
  • Patrick Rafter

    Votes: 35 25.7%

  • Total voters
    136

BGod

G.O.A.T.
So Ken Rosewall isn't in the discussion.....

Andy Roddick
3 Finals, all to Federer
Additional Semifinal loss to Federer
4 Titles at Queens

Ivan Lendl
2 Finals, Cash & Becker
5 Semifinals, McEnroe(w), Connors, Becker x2 (1w), Edberg (w)
2 Titles at Queens

Ilie Năstase
Won U.S. Open when played on grass
2 Finals, Borg & Smith
Additional quarterfinal loss to Borg
1 Title at Queens

Patrick Rafter
2 Finals, Sampras & Ivanisevic
Additional Semifinal loss to Agassi, 4th round losses to Henman & Ivanisevic
4 Grass Titles
 
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BGod

G.O.A.T.
Expecting Roddick to run away with it I voted for Lendl.

To play the argument, you have 7 Semifinals to 4. Roddick lost all of his to Federer who is arguably GOAT but Lendl too lost 5 to the eventual winners in Becker twice and then McEnroe and Edberg in their primes. He also got half the Queens titles as Roddick. To me it seems more consistent.
 
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FD3S

Hall of Fame
A tie between Lendl and Roddick. Lendl's the far more talented/greater player overall, but Roddick's game was way more suited to grass - he just ran up against one of the best players ever, who also happened to read his serve better than anyone else in the field.
 

NatF

Bionic Poster
I think against anyone not named Sampras or Federer, Roddick would have been able to win one of his finals. Simply on grass I might lean towards Roddick - I think he's as capable as plenty of single and even some multiple time winners on grass.
 

Anaconda

Hall of Fame
Expecting Roddick to run away with it I voted for Lendl.

To play the argument, you have 7 Semifinals to 4. Roddick lost all of his to Federer who is arguably GOAT but Lendl too lost 5 to the eventual winners in Becker twice and then McEnroe and Edberg in their primes. He also got half the Queens titles as Roddick. To me it seems more consistent.

Roddick's name barely gets mentioned in a best serving thread (even Federer gets as many mentions). In truth, Roddick on grass was miles more scary than Lendl, and is a better grasscourter.
 

Djokovic2011

Bionic Poster
I think against anyone not named Sampras or Federer, Roddick would have been able to win one of his finals. Simply on grass I might lean towards Roddick - I think he's as capable as plenty of single and even some multiple time winners on grass.

Yeah, similar situation with Djokovic at the French.
 

TMF

Talk Tennis Guru
Roddick. I think he would be a Wimbledon champion in another era. Unfortunately he's was born at the same time as Federer.
 
G

Golden

Guest
Probably Roddick, though you can make a case for Lendl as well. Lendl had to play Becker, McEnroe, and Edberg, 3 serve and volleyers who excelled on the fast grass of that time. It's astounding that he even made a final as an almost pure baseliner.
 

The_18th_Slam

Hall of Fame
Yeah, similar situation with Djokovic at the French.

Djokovic lost one of his French Open finals to Wawrinka. And in his best season ever, he lost to a nearly 30-year-old Federer in the semifinal. Wawrinka and Federer are great claycourters, but they're no Nadal and Borg.
 

Djokovic2011

Bionic Poster
Djokovic lost one of his French Open finals to Wawrinka. And in his best season ever, he lost to a nearly 30-year-old Federer in the semifinal. Wawrinka and Federer are great claycourters, but they're no Nadal and Borg.

I meant more in terms of finals reached. And Djokovic did lose to Nadal three years in a row like Roddick did to Federer at Wimbledon.
 

pc1

G.O.A.T.
Nastase is considered by a number of experts to be the most gifted player ever. He had a great grass court game and lost two finals at Wimbledon, once to the very strong Stan Smith and another to an unknown player named Bjorn Borg.

He had the most skills of all of the players in the poll to win on grass.

Incidentally the OP wrote that Ken Rosewall shouldn't be in the discussion but just my two cents, here..the greatest player never to win Wimbledon was Pancho Gonzalez.
 

NatF

Bionic Poster
Yeah, similar situation with Djokovic at the French.

Yeah Djokovic is immense on clay. His form in the masters this year was very special. Somethings just aren't meant to be, still makes me a little sad to think about Wimbledon 2009. I think Djokovic still has time for his moment to come.
 

OrangePower

Legend
Roddick over Lendl.

At Roddick's peak (2003-2005), I think he beats everyone other than Federer at Wimbledon. Basically one person prevented him from winning.

Whereas there were several players who were as good as or better than Lendl on grass during his prime.

Not diminishing Lendl - one of my favorites.

But 2003-2005 Roddick/Fed/Wimbledon is kinda like 2005-2007 Fed/Rafa/FO (where the only player that could have beaten Fed in any of those three years was Rafa, and he did).
 

Fedeonic

Hall of Fame
You say grass player, so I choose Rafter, Pat was made to the 70s tennis with the woodies, he was beaten by better servers in 2000-01, by 2002, he was gone, so was the grass.
Else, Roddick, he never had a decent volley to finish points after his serve was returned, Andy would have fared well in the 90s with the fast grass, even pull a Krajicek and win the SW19 title.
 

Mainad

Bionic Poster
I voted for Lendl because he is, overall, the greater player (more Slams, more titles, more weeks at #1 etc.).

But on reflection, I didn't read the question properly because he was not a greater player on grass than Roddick!

Roddick reached more finals at Wimbledon without winning any than any other player in the Open Era. He also has more grasscourt titles than Lendl.

So, if it were possible, I would change my vote to Roddick!
 
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ultradr

Legend
Ivan Lendl, greatest player not to win Wimbledon, not necessarily great "grass" court player.

Roddick, probably the most unlucky one among recent ones:

1. Every time he bumped into Federer
2. Wimbledon slowed surfaces mostly between 2001-2003 and tour switched to
heavier balls (for which Roddick himself refered as "water-mellon" balls).
 
You say grass player, so I choose Rafter, Pat was made to the 70s tennis with the woodies, he was beaten by better servers in 2000-01, by 2002, he was gone, so was the grass.
Else, Roddick, he never had a decent volley to finish points after his serve was returned, Andy would have fared well in the 90s with the fast grass, even pull a Krajicek and win the SW19 title.

Roddick was actually a pretty adept serve and volleyer. It just gets buried in the fact that he often hit terrible approaches off the ground.
 

Fedeonic

Hall of Fame
Roddick was actually a pretty adept serve and volleyer. It just gets buried in the fact that he often hit terrible approaches off the ground.

He's at least better than Djokovic and Murray in that aspect, if he decided to mix S&V in the 2009 Final, like Fed at Shanghai, he would had won the match by sure. People often mention the 6-5 volley, but nobody mentions the 6-2, he had a chance to hit and IO Forehand, but he just sliced back the ball and Fed took the charge, won the point and began the comeback, if he had come in, 2-0 for Roddick by sure.
 
Incidentally the OP wrote that Ken Rosewall shouldn't be in the discussion but just my two cents, here..the greatest player never to win Wimbledon was Pancho Gonzalez.
Rosewall and Gonzalez are my top picks (Rosewall being my personal top choice as he's one of my all time personal favorite players). They played in the era of lightning fast grass, wood rackets and gut strings. You truly had to grasp the nuances of grass court tennis to play well there. Rosewall getting to 4 Finals over a 20 year period (and would've been a few more had he not been on the Pro Tour for 11 years) gets him to my #1 spot
 

Olli Jokinen

Hall of Fame
Probably Roddick, though you can make a case for Lendl as well. Lendl had to play Becker, McEnroe, and Edberg, 3 serve and volleyers who excelled on the fast grass of that time. It's astounding that he even made a final as an almost pure baseliner.
He played s/v on grass. Wilander too.
 
So Ken Rosewall isn't in the discussion.....

Andy Roddick
3 Finals, all to Federer
Additional Semifinal loss to Federer
4 Titles at Queens

Ivan Lendl
2 Finals, Cash & Becker
5 Semifinals, McEnroe(w), Connors, Becker x2 (1w), Edberg (w)
2 Titles at Queens

Ilie Năstase
Won U.S. Open when played on grass
2 Finals, Borg & Smith
Additional quarterfinal loss to Borg
1 Title at Queens

Patrick Rafter
2 Finals, Sampras & Ivanisevic
Additional Semifinal loss to Agassi, 4th round losses to Henman & Ivanisevic
4 Grass Titles
Tim Henman. Cmon Tim. Forever Henman Hill.
 

SonnyT

Legend
I went with Roddick. If he'd gotten a player of Pat Cash's quality in a slam final, he would have been a Wimbledon champion.
For 18 years after '03, only Fab 4 won at Wimbledon. I don't reckon Roddick would beat any of Fab 4. WB champ prior to Federer was Hewitt, I'd call that an even match-up.
 

BauerAlmeida

Hall of Fame
Lendl has more consistency than Roddick but Roddick that extra final and came very close to the title in 2009 (Lendl was never as close).

However, Roddick doesn't have many big wins in Wimbledon.

It's close. I suppose I go with Roddick because of losing so many times to Federer, having several finals and coming very close to the title.
 
Oh, c'mon, it's Lendl. He would have at least 3-4 Wimbledon titles if he played in the post-2002 era. The slower conditions would fit his game like a glove, I think.
 

thrust

Legend
So Ken Rosewall isn't in the discussion.....

Andy Roddick
3 Finals, all to Federer
Additional Semifinal loss to Federer
4 Titles at Queens

Ivan Lendl
2 Finals, Cash & Becker
5 Semifinals, McEnroe(w), Connors, Becker x2 (1w), Edberg (w)
2 Titles at Queens

Ilie Năstase
Won U.S. Open when played on grass
2 Finals, Borg & Smith
Additional quarterfinal loss to Borg
1 Title at Queens

Patrick Rafter
2 Finals, Sampras & Ivanisevic
Additional Semifinal loss to Agassi, 4th round losses to Henman & Ivanisevic
4 Grass Titles
Ken Rosewall:
AO- 4 titles, 1 at 18, the last at age 37
USO- 2 titles, 1 title at 20 another at 35, last final at 39.10
US Pro- 2 titles beating Laver in both finals.
All this despite being barred from all slams for 11 years while on the pro tour.
Also, 4 Wimbledon finals, the last 2 at 35.8 and 39.8 years old.
 

NAS

Hall of Fame
Ken Rosewall:
AO- 4 titles, 1 at 18, the last at age 37
USO- 2 titles, 1 title at 20 another at 35, last final at 39.10
US Pro- 2 titles beating Laver in both finals.
All this despite being barred from all slams for 11 years while on the pro tour.
Also, 4 Wimbledon finals, the last 2 at 35.8 and 39.8 years old.
Rosewall Or Pancho are obvious answer if you are talking all time but in open era Roddick or Lendl is right answer
 

thrust

Legend
Rosewall Or Pancho are obvious answer if you are talking all time but in open era Roddick or Lendl is right answer
Rosewall won 4 slams and 2 WCT finals in the open era. He also reached 4 other finals as well as winning about 35 other tournaments, all this after turning 33. He had a YE ranking of #12 in 1977 at the age of 43. Laver won his last slam after just turning 31 in 1969 and never reached a slam final after that.
 

thrust

Legend
Lendl 0 sets in 2 finals gets him behind Roddick.
Roddick OTOH put in 2 great performances vs Wimbledon GOAT and nemesis Fed.
The open era began in 1968, not 2000. Between 68-74, Ken won 3 grass court slams and reached 2 other grass court slam finals. Roddick won 0 grass court slams.
 
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