Famous Left Handed Tennis Players
We often take lefties as a super talented people and they have proved it in every field. Now in tennis southpaw players gain popularity due to their different playing styles.
As we know left handed tennis player’s ratio is very less as compared to right-handed tennis players, as we know both sides have talent but right handed tennis players took spotlights in major events.
Tennis lovers and other information collections want to learn more about lefty tennis players who have shown excellent performance and have shown the world their talent.
We have left handed ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) and WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) from the open era. We have listed all the tennis players according to the winning single’s career titles.
10+ Top Male & Female Left Handed Tennis Players
1: Martina Navratilova
| Name | Martina Navratilova |
| Nickname | The King of WTA |
| National | US |
| Date of Birth | Oct 18, 1956 |
| Height | 5 ft 8 in / 173 cm |
| Plays | Left-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| Birthplace | Prague, Czech Republic |
| Career titles | 167 |
| Grand Slams | Singles (18), Doubles (31), Mixed Doubles (10) |
| Highest Ranking | No. 1 (July 10, 1978) |
| Autobiography | Read Here |
| Equipment & Gears | Racquets (Bancroft, Yonex) |
She is one of the most prominent left-handed female tennis players and wins most WTA singles titles. She played her first tennis tournament at the age of 8 and after that, she ranked #1 after winning the Virginia Slims championship and the Wimbledon women’s singles final in 1978 for the first time.
Martina Navratilova is the only female who took a total of 59 Grand Slams in her tennis career even though not a single ATP player is near to her achievements. If we talk about the best left-handed tennis player then Martina Navratilova is on top with the most titles.
2. Rod Laver
| Name | Rod Laver |
| Nickname | |
| National | Australian |
| Date of Birth | Aug 09, 1938 |
| Height | 5 ft 8 in / 173 cm |
| Plays | Left-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| Birthplace | Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia |
| Career titles | 78 |
| Grand Slams | Singles (11), Doubles (6), Mixed Doubles (3) |
| Highest Ranking | No. 1 (1961, Lance Tingay) |
| Autobiography | Read Here |
| Equipment & Gears | Racquet (Dunlop) |
Another addition to the list of most famous lefties, Rod is the best male left handed tennis player in tennis sports, Rod Laver was the inspiration behind the Laver Cup tournament, and the Rod Laver Arena was named after him.
The International Hall of Fame inducted Laver in 1981 after he retired in 1979, he won a total of 20 grand slams. Upon winning the singles title at the Australian Open in 2009, Laver presented Rafael Nadal with the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup.
3. Jimmy Connors
| Name | James Scott Connors |
| Nickname | , Jimbo |
| National | United States |
| Date of Birth | September 2, 1952 |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in / 178 cm |
| Plays | Left-handed (two-handed backhand) |
| Birthplace | Belleville, Illinois, U.S |
| Career titles | 109 |
| Grand Slams | Singles (8), Doubles (2) |
| Highest Ranking | No. 1 (July 29, 1974) |
| Autobiography | Read Here |
| Equipment & Gears | Racquet (Wilson) |
A great coach and cool left handed player are now showcased here among famous tennis lefties, he become a professional tennis player in 1972, what makes him a legendary player is that he won the U.S open on 3 different court surfaces (Clay, Grass, Hard).
Another record he made by winning a total of 10 Grand Slams, he retired from tennis on April 29, 1996. His name is written in Tennis HoF (Hall of Fame).
4. Rafael Nadal
| Name | Rafael Nadal |
| Nicknames | , , Rafa, El Nino, Rafi |
| National | Spain |
| Date of Birth | June 03, 1986 |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in / 185 cm |
| Plays | Left-handed (two-handed backhand) |
| Birthplace | Manacor, Mallorca, Spain |
| Career titles | 88 |
| Grand Slams | Singles (20) |
| Highest Ranking | No. 1 (18 August 2008) |
| Autobiography | Read Here |
| Equipment & Gears | Racquet (Babolat) |
Modern era Left handed tennis champion award only goes to Nadal, After winning the 2010 U.S. Open tournament, Rafael Nadal now has a total of 20 Grand Slams under his belt.
Now in the current time, he is facing a few injuries and ended before finishing the tournaments. His fans call him GOAT in tennis and the best tennis rival between Djokovic and Federer, he helped to revolutionize the sport with his topspin tennis.
5. John McEnroe
| Name | John McEnroe |
| Nicknames | , Johnny, Mcbrat, Johnny Mac |
| National | American |
| Date of Birth | February 16, 1959 |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in / 180 cm |
| Plays | Left-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| Birthplace | Wiesbaden, West Germany |
| Career titles | 77 |
| Grand Slams | Singles (7), Doubles (9), Mixed Doubles (1) |
| Highest Ranking | No. 1 (March 3, 1980) |
| Autobiography | Read Here |
| Equipment & Gears | Racquets (Dunlop, Wilson, Volkl) |
McEnroe played tennis in all variations and he retired from singles in 1994 & 2006 is the last year for doubles tennis. In addition to winning grand slam titles 17 in total in every category, he was ranked World No. 1 once as well.
Currently, he is a tennis commentator and working on different nonprofit projects, it has been seen that top tour players get tipped by him. The BEST volleyer ever, and the left-hander makes things a little easier for him to win matches easily.
6. Guillermo Vilas
| Name | Guillermo Vilas |
| National | Argentine |
| Date of Birth | August 17, 1952 |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in / 180 cm |
| Plays | Left-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| Birthplace | Buenos Aires, Argentina |
| Career titles | 62 |
| Grand Slams | Singles (4) |
| Highest Ranking | No. 2 (30 April 1975) |
| Autobiography | Read Here |
| Equipment & Gears | Racquets (Puma, Head) |
7. Monica Seles
| Name | Monica Seles |
| National | American |
| Date of Birth | Dec 02, 1973 |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in / 178 cm |
| Plays | Left-handed (two-handed both sides) |
| Birthplace | Novi Sad, Yugoslavia |
| Career titles | 53 |
| Grand Slams | Singles (9) |
| Highest Ranking | No. 1 (March 11, 1991) |
| Autobiography | Read Here |
| Equipment & Gears | Racquets (Prince, Yonex) |
7. Goran Ivanisevic
| Name | Goran Ivanišević |
| National | Croatian |
| Date of Birth | September 13, 1971 |
| Height | 6 ft 4 in / 193 cm |
| Plays | Left-handed (two-handed backhand) |
| Birthplace | Split, Croatia |
| Career titles | 22 |
| Grand Slams | Singles (1) |
| Highest Ranking | No. 2 (4 July 1994) |
| Autobiography | Read Here |
| Equipment & Gears | Racquets (Head) |
8. Andres Gomez
| Name | Andrés Gómez Santos |
| National | Ecuadorian |
| Date of Birth | February 27, 1960 |
| Height | 6 ft 4 in / 193 cm |
| Plays | Left-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| Birthplace | Guayaquil, Ecuador |
| Career titles | 21 |
| Grand Slams | Singles (1), Doubles (2) |
| Highest Ranking | No. 4 (11 June 1990) |
| Autobiography | Read Here |
| Equipment & Gears | Racquets (Yonex) |
9. Guy Forget
| Name | Guy Forget |
| National | French |
| Date of Birth | January 04, 1965 |
| Height | 6 ft 3 in / 191 cm |
| Plays | Left-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| Birthplace | Casablanca, Morocco |
| Career titles | 11 |
| Grand Slams | 0 |
| Highest Ranking | No. 4 (25 March 1991) |
| Equipment & Gears | Racquets (Lacoste, Babolat) |
10. Henri Leconte
| Name | Henri Leconte |
| National | French |
| Date of Birth | July 04, 1963 |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in / 185 cm |
| Plays | Left-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| Birthplace | Lillers, France |
| Career titles | 9 |
| Grand Slams | Singles (0), Doubles (1) |
| Highest Ranking | No. 5 (22 September 1986) |
| Equipment & Gears | Racquets (Prince, Head) |
Here below we have some Honorable mentions in our left handed player’s list, which can’t be completed without them.
Final words
All above mentioned tennis lefties are listed according to the most winning titles in singles, whereas from old timers Rod Laver is the left handed tennis player who wins the most grand slams in total named 11 in singles, 6 in doubles and 3 in Mixed Doubles according to the wiki.
In the new generation, Rafael Nadal is one of the most favorites and topped among southpaw players in tennis, every southpaw player in tennis should read the below mentioned articles.
Also Read
- How to Hold a Tennis Racquet? Guide for Left-Handed Players
- Best Tennis Racquets for Left-handed Tennis Players
- Do Left Handers Have an Advantage in Tennis?
- How to grip a Tennis Racquet
As someone who enjoys both playing tennis and writing, I strive to embody a combination of skillful technique and unwavering perseverance on the court while simultaneously offering valuable observations and reflections to my audience through my articles. My overarching objective is to motivate and encourage others on their individual paths towards tennis success.
