TENNIS PLAYERS from Argentina

Top 10

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Argentinean Tennis Players of all time. This list of famous Argentinean Tennis Players is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography's online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Argentinean Tennis Players.

1. Guillermo Vilas (b. 1952)

With an HPI of 67.35, Guillermo Vilas is the most famous Argentinean Tennis Player.  His biography has been translated into 44 different languages on wikipedia.

Guillermo Vilas (Spanish pronunciation: [ɡiʎeɾmo bilas]; born 17 August 1952) is an Argentine former professional tennis player. He was the world No. 1 of the Grand Prix seasons in 1974, 1975 and 1977. He won 62 singles titles and 16 doubles titles during his career, including four singles major titles and the 1974 Tour Finals. World Tennis, among other rankings and publications, rated him as world No. 1 in 1977. In the computerized ATP rankings, he peaked at No. 2 in April 1975, a position he held for a total of 83 weeks, although some have argued that Vilas should have been ranked No. 1 for at least 10 weeks, particularly in 1977 when he won two majors. He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1991, two years after his first retirement. Vilas is known for his prowess on clay courts. He won over 650 matches on clay, an all-time record. His peak was the 1977 season during which he won 16 ATP singles titles, including two majors (both on clay) and had a 53-match winning streak on clay, the longest in the Open Era at his time. In 2016, The Daily Telegraph ranked him as the third best male clay-court player of all time, behind Rafael Nadal and Björn Borg. In 2018, Steve Tignor for Tennis Magazine ranked him as the 16th greatest tennis player of the Open Era. Historical and statistical studies presented in 2015 by Argentinian journalist Eduardo Puppo and Romanian mathematician Marian Ciulpan concluded that Vilas should have been No. 1 in the old ATP ranking system for seven weeks between 1975 and 1976. The ATP and its chief executive at that time, Chris Kermode, although not refuting the data, decided not to officially recognize Vilas as No. 1. In October 2020, Netflix released a documentary film about Vilas's case titled Guillermo Vilas: Settling the Score. In May 2024, ATP's vice-president confirmed that Vilas will never be number one.

2. Gabriela Sabatini (b. 1970)

With an HPI of 65.63, Gabriela Sabatini is the 2nd most famous Argentinean Tennis Player.  Her biography has been translated into 53 different languages.

Gabriela Beatriz Sabatini (Spanish pronunciation: [gaˈβɾjela saβaˈtini]; born 16 May 1970) is an Argentine former professional tennis player. A former world No. 3 in both singles and doubles, Sabatini was one of the leading players from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s, amassing 41 titles across both disciplines. In singles, Sabatini won the 1990 US Open, the WTA Finals in 1988 and 1994, and was runner-up at Wimbledon 1991, the 1988 US Open, and the silver medalist at the 1988 Olympics. In doubles, she won Wimbledon in 1988 partnering Steffi Graf, and reached three French Open finals. Among Open Era players who did not reach the world No. 1 ranking, Sabatini has the most wins over reigning No. 1 players. In 2006, she was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, and in 2018 Tennis Magazine ranked her as the 20th-greatest female player of the preceding 50 years.

3. Juan Martín del Potro (b. 1988)

With an HPI of 58.19, Juan Martín del Potro is the 3rd most famous Argentinean Tennis Player.  His biography has been translated into 54 different languages.

Juan Martín del Potro (Spanish pronunciation: [xwam maɾˈtin del ˈpotɾo]; born 23 September 1988) is an Argentine former professional tennis player. He was ranked world No. 3 in men's singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), in August 2018. Del Potro won 22 ATP Tour-level singles titles, including a major at the 2009 US Open, where he defeated Rafael Nadal and the five-time defending champion Roger Federer en route. Del Potro's other career highlights include reaching the 2018 US Open final, winning an Olympic silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics and a bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics, winning Indian Wells in 2018, and leading Argentina to the 2016 Davis Cup title. Notably, his career was hampered by a succession of wrist and knee injuries. Del Potro first entered the top 10 of the ATP rankings on 6 October 2008. With his US Open win, he became the only man outside the Big Three (Nadal, Federer, and Novak Djokovic) to win a major between the 2005 French Open and the 2012 US Open, a span of 32 tournaments. In January 2010, he reached a then-career-high ranking of world No. 4, after which he withdrew from most of the season due to an injury to his right wrist. In 2016, del Potro led Argentina to its first Davis Cup title by defeating Croatia's Marin Čilić in the final from two sets down. He then reached his first major semifinal in four years by defeating Federer in the quarterfinals of the 2017 US Open. In 2018, he won his first Masters 1000 title at Indian Wells, defeating the defending champion and world No. 1 Federer in the final. After reaching the semifinals of the 2018 French Open, he matched his career-high ranking of No. 4, and in August 2018 he reached the world No. 3 ranking for the first time. At the 2018 US Open, he reached his second major final, where he lost to Djokovic. Del Potro did not play between June 2019 and February 2022 because of pain from a knee injury, formally retiring in 2024 after a farewell exhibition match against Djokovic.

4. David Nalbandian (b. 1982)

With an HPI of 55.73, David Nalbandian is the 4th most famous Argentinean Tennis Player.  His biography has been translated into 49 different languages.

David Pablo Nalbandian (Spanish pronunciation: [daˈβið ˈpaβlo nalβanˈdjan]; born 1 January 1982) is an Argentine former professional tennis player. He reached his highest ranking in singles of world No. 3 in March 2006, during a career that spanned from 2000 to 2013. Nalbandian was runner-up in the singles event at the 2002 Wimbledon Championships. During his career, he won 11 singles titles, including the Tennis Masters Cup in 2005 and two Masters 1000 tournaments. Nalbandian is the only Argentine man in history to reach the semifinals or better at all four majors and to reach the Wimbledon final. He was a member of the Argentinian Davis Cup team who reached the finals of the World Group in 2006, 2008 and 2011. Nalbandian played right-handed with a two-handed backhand, regarded at the time to be one of the best on tour. Nalbandian was considered one of the greatest players to have never won a Grand Slam title. Since his retirement, Nalbandian has taken up the sport of rally racing and has competed in Rally Argentina.

5. Gastón Gaudio (b. 1978)

With an HPI of 54.44, Gastón Gaudio is the 5th most famous Argentinean Tennis Player.  His biography has been translated into 36 different languages.

Gastón Norberto Gaudio (Spanish pronunciation: [ɡasˈtoŋ ˈɡawðjo]; born 9 December 1978) is an Argentine former professional tennis player. He won eight singles titles and achieved a career-high ATP singles ranking of world No. 5 in April 2005. Gaudio's most significant championship came at the 2004 French Open, when he defeated fellow Argentine Guillermo Coria from two sets down in the final.

6. Guillermo Coria (b. 1982)

With an HPI of 52.52, Guillermo Coria is the 6th most famous Argentinean Tennis Player.  His biography has been translated into 34 different languages.

Guillermo Sebastián Coria (born 13 January 1982), nicknamed El Mago (The Magician in Spanish), is an Argentine former professional tennis player. He reached a career-high ATP world No. 3 singles ranking in May 2004. Coria achieved his best results on clay, where he won eight of his nine ATP singles titles, and during his prime years in 2003 and 2004 was considered "the world's best clay-court player." He reached the final of the 2004 French Open, where he was defeated by Gastón Gaudio despite serving for the match twice and being up two sets to love. In later years, injuries and a lack of confidence affected his game, and he retired in 2009 at the age of 27. Between 2001 and 2002, he served a seven-month suspension for taking the banned substance nandrolone.

7. Mariano Puerta (b. 1978)

With an HPI of 51.30, Mariano Puerta is the 7th most famous Argentinean Tennis Player.  His biography has been translated into 27 different languages.

Mariano Rubén Puerta (Spanish pronunciation: [maˈɾjano ruˈβem ˈpweɾta]; born 19 September 1978) is an Argentine tennis coach and former professional player. He reached a career-high ATP world No. 9 singles ranking in August 2005. His career highlight is reaching the final of the French Open in 2005. Shortly afterwards he tested positive for the banned substance etilefrine in a drugs test, for which he received an eight-year doping ban, subsequently reduced to two years on appeal.

8. José Luis Clerc (b. 1958)

With an HPI of 50.97, José Luis Clerc is the 8th most famous Argentinean Tennis Player.  His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.

José Luis Clerc (Spanish pronunciation: [xose luis kleɾk]; born 16 August 1958), also known by the nickname Batata, is a former professional tennis player from Argentina. He reached a career-high Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) world No. 4 singles ranking on 3 August 1981, following a run of 25 consecutive match wins after Wimbledon.

9. Patricia Tarabini (b. 1968)

With an HPI of 50.93, Patricia Tarabini is the 9th most famous Argentinean Tennis Player.  Her biography has been translated into 24 different languages.

Patricia Tarabini (born 6 August 1968) is an Argentine tennis coach, retired top 30 singles player and former Grand Slam mixed-doubles champion.

10. Diego Schwartzman (b. 1992)

With an HPI of 50.58, Diego Schwartzman is the 10th most famous Argentinean Tennis Player.  His biography has been translated into 28 different languages.

Diego Sebastián Schwartzman (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈdjeɣo seβasˈtjan ˈʃwaɾtsman], German: [ˈʃvaʁtsman]; born 16 August 1992) is an Argentine former professional tennis player. He won four ATP Tour singles titles and reached his career-high singles ranking of world No. 8 in October 2020. As a clay court specialist, his best results were on this surface. He was noted for his high-quality return game. When he reached the quarterfinals of the 2017 US Open, the 170-centimetre (5 ft 7 in) Schwartzman was the shortest major quarterfinalist since the equally-tall Jaime Yzaga at the 1994 US Open. Schwartzman said: "It's not just for the big guys here." Schwartzman reached his first Masters final at the 2020 Italian Open, defeating defending champion and world No. 2, Rafael Nadal, en route. He lost to Novak Djokovic in the final. A month later, at the 2020 French Open, he defeated world No. 3 Dominic Thiem to reach his first major semifinal, the shortest man to do so since the 5-foot-6-inch (168 cm) American Harold Solomon at the 1980 French Open.