Top 5-10 Peak Levels for Each Surface

Devin

Professional
I thought we could have a thread that lists the top 5-10 people with the highest peak for each surface (slow hard, medium/fast hard, clay, and grass) by best to worst.

I'll start:

Medium/Fast hard:

1. Federer
2. Sampras (Could arguably put him above Federer, but I'd expect Federer to win even on a fast court)
3. Safin
4. McEnroe
5. Lendl (Based on his USO runs, not sure how good the competition was, but it looked like he imposed a lot of dominance, which is why I put him 5th)

Slow hard:

1. Djokovic
2. Federer
3. Agassi
4. Nadal
5. Sampras
6. Courier
Not sure about the rest.

Clay:

1. Nadal
2. Borg
3. Kuerten
4. Lendl
5. Federer
6. Djokovic
7. Ferrero
Not sure where certain people such as Muster, etc would be placed.

Grass:

1. Federer
2. Sampras
3. McEnroe
4. Borg
5. Becker
Have no idea afterwards.

Help me finish the list :eek: and edit it so it is more accurate.
 
Last edited:
D

Deleted member 716271

Guest
I thought we could have a thread that lists the top 5-10 people with the highest peak for each surface (slow hard, medium/fast hard, clay, and grass) by best to worst.

I'll start:

Medium/Fast hard:

1. Federer
2. Sampras (Could arguably put him above Federer, but I'd expect Federer to win even on a fast court)
3. Safin
4. McEnroe
5. Lendl (Based on his USO runs, not sure how good the competition was, but it looked like he imposed a lot of dominance, which is why I put him 5th)

Slow hard:

1. Djokovic
2. Federer
3. Agassi
Not sure about the rest.

Clay:

1. Nadal
2. Borg
3. Kuerten
4. Federer
5. Djokovic
6. Ferrero
Not sure where certain people such as Muster, etc would be placed.

Grass:

1. Federer
2. Sampras
3. McEnroe
Have no idea afterwards.

Help me finish the list :eek: and edit it so it is more accurate.

Hi Devin,

I agree with your list entirely except for I would switch Federer and Djokovic in the clay list ;)
 

metsman

Talk Tennis Guru
Lendl has to be on the clay list, cmon. On slow hard you can add Sampras, Nadal, Courier. Keep in mind that Borg/Lendl would probably be on there if they got to play on slow hard in their primes.

As for grass, I'd add Borg definitely and Becker although you could go for a one time guy like Krajiceck/Stich. Depends on how much of a sample you want (same with Safin, although Safin has a pretty solid sample of play in hard courts).
 
D

Deleted member 716271

Guest
Murray over Djokovic on fast HC :oops:

On a serious note, slightly vexed that you think putting Federer over Djokovic on slow HC is the same as putting Rosewall at #1 on grass :D

I don't actually but I just wanted to throw a bone to our dear friend, Bobby :D
 

K-H

Hall of Fame
You say peak level, but then you've completely ignored that and picked players based on consistency over many years.

I don't mind basing your list on the latter but don't say peak level if you're not basing it on peak level.
 

Backspin1183

Talk Tennis Guru
I'd you're talking just peak level and not overal achievements on each surface, Nadal AO 2009 is right up there with the others for slow hard court. US Open 2010 for medium speed hard court.

You also have to have Coria on clay, think Rome 2005. Who else was going to fight to the last with the young and energetic king of clay over best of 5 at Rome.
 

masao

New User
Before asking that question, you need to realize that for the majority of people here peak Fed is like some mythical creature, which obviously is far from the reality.

Peak Nadal would beat Federer on any surface except indoor.
 

Druss

Hall of Fame
1995 Muster has to be on the clay list, top 5 ahead of Federer and Djokovic, Lendl is also top 5.
 

Sport

G.O.A.T.
1995 Muster has to be on the clay list, top 5 ahead of Federer and Djokovic, Lendl is also top 5.

No way. Federer has 1 RG title and 5 finals. Djokovic 1 RG title and 4 finals. If not for Nadal, they would probably have won 4 or 5 RG titles.

Muster only has 1 RG titles and 1 final alone. He would have probably won 0 RG titles in the Nadal's era.
 

Druss

Hall of Fame
No way. Federer has 1 RG title and 5 finals. Djokvic 1 RG title and 4 finals. If not for Nadal, they would probably have won 4 or 5 RG titles.

Muster only has 1 RG titles and 1 final alone. He would have probably won 0 RG titles.

But this topic is not about achievements or who was more consistent....it's about the top 5-10 peak level on each surface. Muster reached a peak on clay in 1995 that is higher than any peak Fed or Djoker ever reached on the red dirt IMHO.
 

Devin

Professional
Lendl has to be on the clay list, cmon. On slow hard you can add Sampras, Nadal, Courier. Keep in mind that Borg/Lendl would probably be on there if they got to play on slow hard in their primes.

As for grass, I'd add Borg definitely and Becker although you could go for a one time guy like Krajiceck/Stich. Depends on how much of a sample you want (same with Safin, although Safin has a pretty solid sample of play in hard courts).

Do you have any good matches of Krajicek/Stich?

Where would you put Muster on clay?
 
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