Tennis is truly a global sport these days, with top players representing countries all around the globe. Not only do countries embrace the sport at the recreational level, but fans follow their favorite players. Of course, it ultimately helps if the countries produce top-ranked players as well.
These are the 15 best tennis countries historically. Since there are always highs and lows with the overall talent, this is more of a traditional ranking instead of where they all currently stand.
15. Japan
- Total Grand Slam Titles: 10
Japan is finally getting some results at the highest level in tennis. It’s been a long time coming, as the country really enjoys watching the sport and playing it at a recreational level.
Naomi Osaka and Kei Nishikori are the two faces of Japanese tennis right now, with more talented players on the way as well. If the sport ever truly explodes in Japan, it could instantly be one of the new hotbeds.
14. Austria
- Total Grand Slam Titles: 7
Dominic Thiem has renewed interest for tennis fans in Austria. The country always has at least a few contenders at the highest level on the men’s and women’s sides.
Once Thiem was able to win a Grand Slam title at the U.S. Open in 2020, many started to follow tennis as one of the major sports yet again. He’s still young, and could be the face of Austria tennis for quite some time.
13. United Kingdom
- Total Grand Slam Titles: 38
For the country that believes that it’s the birthplace of tennis, the United Kingdom has not exactly been dominating in tennis over the last few decades. The women’s side has been very inconsistent, and the men’s side struggled to have anyone compete for Grand Slam titles until Andy Murray came along.
Having someone like Murray inspire the next generation of kids could end up paying off, as several youngsters are being talked about as potential top 10 players. For now, people are looking for results more than anything before counting on the United Kingdom to do much going forward.
12. Russia
- Total Grand Slam Titles: 40
Russia has the depth of players and the Grand Slam titles to be one of the top tennis countries of all time. Morat Safin and Maria Sharapova are just two players who stand out, as they were both able to win multiple Grand Dlam titles during their career.
They have had more success on the women’s side compared to the men, but there are always at least a few competitors going into the second week of Grand Slam events. On top of that, people in Russia seem to enjoy playing recreationally, and following players from their country.
11. Argentina
- Total Grand Slam Titles: 19
Guillermo Vitas made Argentina a force to be reckoned with on the tour when he won a few Grand Slams during his heyday.
That helped to usher in the next generation of tennis players, led by Juan Martin del Potro. Like Brazilian tennis players, most Argentinian players enjoy playing on clay courts. However, they are usually a bit more well-rounded, which suits them well when trying to win all throughout the year.
10. Brazil
- Total Grand Slam Titles: 13
Thanks to Gustavo Kuerten, Brazil finally received the recognition that they deserve as a true player in international tennis. He was able to win multiple French Opens, and is treated as a hero back in his country.
Brazilians on both men’s and women’s tours always seem to love playing on clay. That’s what the predominant surface is to train on in Brazil, and it plays very similarly to the French Open. There aren’t any true superstars on the rise right now, but Brazil has a few top 100 players with a chance to move up.
9. Sweden
- Total Grand Slam Titles: 50
Sweden’s prime as a tennis power might be over right now, but they always put out quality pros every single year. Most people know the country as the home to Bjorn Borg, Stephen Edberg, Mats Wilander, but their talent pool is not just limited to that trio.
Sweden wants to get back on top as one of the true leaders in Tennis, but they need one of the younger players to really push for titles.
8. Switzerland
- Total Grand Slam Titles: 56
Roger Federer deservedly gets a lot of the attention when anybody mentions Switzerland tennis. However, Martina Hingis and Stan Wawrinka need a lot of credit as well for winning multiple Grand Slam titles in their Hall of Fame careers.
Switzerland might not be the best of the best in Europe for tennis, but it’s hard to deny having three superstars like that. They are a big reason why tennis has grown in popularity so much in the last few years.
7. Italy
- Total Grand Slam Titles: 18
Italy is just one big-time player away from finally breaking through as one of the best countries in tennis history. They have no one who has won more than one Grand Slam title on either the men’s or women’s side, which is a bit puzzling considering all the talent.
Maybe one of the younger players currently in the mix has a chance, but Italy always does well in team competitions. They have championships at the Davis Cup and the Fed Cup, and their flexibility on multiple surfaces has allowed them to have good success.
6. Serbia
- Total Grand Slam Titles: 28
A country the size of Serbia should not be so productive in putting out solid tennis talent. Novak Djokovic is obviously the big-name here, but other players who made a huge name for themselves include Ana Ivanović and Jelena Jankovic.
This generation of players did not exactly have the best set up when it comes to crafting their game, which just goes to show that the best could still come from this country.
5. Germany
- Total Grand Slam Titles: 46
Germany’s most talked-about champion in the history of men’s tennis is Boris Becker. They haven’t had a truly dominant player on the men’s side since he was challenging for majors all the time. However, the women’s side saw arguably the greatest tennis player of all time in Steffi Graf.
If it seems like Germany’s tennis history is showing some age, there are some very talented players coming up the ranks right now. It wouldn’t be surprising at all to see a few Germans win Grand Slams in the next five years.
4. France
- Total Grand Slam Titles: 57
France has ruled the world in tennis from time to time, but they are looking for a Grand Slam champion to once again put them on the map.
Mary Pierce and Amelie Maursemo gave them credibility on the women’s side most recently, but they haven’t had a champion on the men’s side since Yannick Noah. There is quite a bit of depth at the highest level right now, but no one has been able to push it to the next level just yet.
3. Spain
- Total Grand Slam Titles: 68
Spain’s run as one of the top countries for tennis is relatively new. They’ve had a lot of success in the last couple of decades, and a lot of the championships come from Raafael Nadal. There are other players who have had quite a bit of success, but no one has been able to be quite like him.
On the women’s side, Spain relies on Arantxa Sánchez Vicario as the four-time champion to really put Spain as a major player in tennis.
They’ve had some other solid players, but no one has been able to match her level of consistency. Many Spanish players are great on clay, but their ability to win on other surfaces has generally elevated the nation.
2. Australia
- Total Grand Slam Titles: 145
Australia has a very rich history when it comes to tennis. They are looking for their first men’s champion since Lleyton Hewitt, but the women’s side has been powered lately by Ashleigh Barty.
As long as they have the Australian Open, this is going to be a consistent power in tennis. They have the funding to keep things going at a high-level, feeding younger players into the system each and every year.
1. United States
- Total Grand Slam Titles: 530
The United States may not currently be in their heyday, but it’s hard to rank them anywhere besides first in tennis.
They’ve had multiple Grand Slam winners on both the men’s and women’s tour, with the likes of Serena Williams, John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, and Monica Seles being just a short list of legends.
They are looking to revamp their junior system so that they can continue to be successful at the highest level. Even with a slight hiccup, they are still the country everyone is looking to the throne at the top.
I listed the greatest United States tennis players ever in this post.