Being tall while playing tennis isn’t required to have success. However, all the players making this list have found ways to succeed in the sport thanks to their height.
Who are the tallest tennis players ever? To make the list, they had to have some decent success at the pro level.
As one might expect, they almost all have outstanding serves. Some used their height to their advantage better than others. A few even have Grand Slam singles titles to their name.
Here are the 13 tallest tennis players in the world.
13. Victor Hanescu – 6‘6“ (198 cm)
Romanian Victor Hanescu made one memorable run at a Grand Slam, getting to the quarterfinals of the French Open in 2005. He was a consistent player, getting into the 20s for ranking. However, he never found any level of consistency to be a true challenger.
Injuries kept his career from becoming anything more. It also hurt him that he didn’t have quite the amount of movement often seen at the top of tennis.
12. Sam Querrey – 6’6″ (198 cm)
A very productive player in recent times from the United States is Sam Querrey. He has double-digit titles as a professional, and he did reach a Grand Slam semifinal at the 2017 Wimbledon Championships.
Like a lot of players making this list, he can count on a serve as his biggest weapon. Consistency has always been a solid part of his game, but he is starting to slow down as he nears the end of his career.
11. Daniil Medvedev – 6’6″ (198 cm)
One of the most talented tall tennis players ever is Daniil Medvedev. He might go down as one of the most talented tennis players period.
He has a Grand Slam to his name, and he’s reached #1 in the world already. It’s all about building consistency at this point, as his 2022 season finished with a pair of fourth-round finishes at the French Open and U.S. Open.
When he’s on, few players can match his level. Look for him to have the most amount of success in his career on hard courts.
10. Marin Čilić – 6’6″ (198 cm)
As he continues to wrap up a remarkable career, Marin Čilić plays well and has built up a solid résumé. He’s likely not going to match his 2014 U.S. Open effort, as he was able to hoist the trophy as a surprising winner.
Injuries robbed him of some playing time during his career, but he deserves credit for bouncing back. It’s tough for any player to get back, but taller players struggle the most.
9. Juan Martin Del Potro – 6’6″ (198 cm)
A lot of times people thought that Juan Martin Del Potro was about to revolutionize tennis. He came into his own and showed the world what he could accomplish in 2009 when he steamrolled his way to the U.S. Open title.
Since then, it’s been one injury after another. It seems like he can never get that level of consistency that he would like. Now, he’s announced his retirement and is stepping away from the game. He’s truly one of those guys who could’ve been outstanding, but his body never allowed him to thrive.
8. Marc Rosset – 6’7” (201 cm)
Embed from Getty ImagesBefore Roger Federer redefined Swiss tennis, Mike Rosset was the most impressive player of his country’s generation. He beat his countrymen twice in 2000 when Federer first came onto the scene.
Although he only made one semifinal in his career at a Grand Slam, he did win a gold medal at the 1992 Olympics. He reached the top 10 in the world in singles and doubles.
7. Dick Norman – 6’7″ (201 cm)
There wasn’t much of a singles career for Dick Norman, as he only made the fourth round of a Grand Slam tournament once. However, he turned himself into a very solid doubles player late in his career, reaching the 2009 French Open Final.
With four career titles to his name in doubles, he reached as high as #10 in the world. The Belgian not only had length as an advantage, but his left-hand serves gave opponents trouble.
6. Chris Guccione 6’7” (201 cm)
Although he only reached as high as the 60s for a ranking in singles, Australian Chris Guccione has turned into a very solid doubles player. At 6‘7“ tall left-hander, he’s a matchup nightmare for a lot of players. Creating pace and spin, he can dictate points and change defense into offense right away.
Technically inactive currently, that could always change. He’s attempting to become a bit healthier again to possibly play some more doubles before retirement.
5. Kevin Anderson – 6’8″ (203 cm)
It was a slow developing career for Kevin Anderson as a tennis player. Originally from South Africa, he came to the United States and played college tennis at Illinois. After a college career and bouncing around as a professional, it wasn’t until he was 30 years old that he started to make noise at Grand Slams.
He reached two finals in his career at Grand Slam events, as he was the runner-up at the 2017 U.S. Open and 2018 Wimbledon. all in all, it’s been a very satisfying career despite having relatively low expectations at first.
4. Jerzy Janowicz – 6’8″ (203 cm)
It was a promising start for Jerzy Janowicz when he made it to the semifinals of Wimbledon in 2013. However, to this day, that’s still his biggest accomplishment on the court.
The Polish star caught the injury bug early and never found a way to get back. It seems like his knees just aren’t built for the overall wear and tear of playing tennis at a high level.
3. John Isner – 6’10” (208 cm)
It can be argued that John Isner has been the most consistent American tennis player in the last two decades. He hasn’t been able to win a major title, and the odds of that happening are slim at this age. However, he’s a matchup nightmare for any opponent when they see him getting ready to serve.
His 6‘10“ frame allows him to generate speed, spin, and insane angles. He’s one of the toughest players in tennis history when serving. He holds the fastest serve in ATP history, getting up to 157.2 mph.
Isner is one of the oldest guys on tour right now, but he doesn’t seem ready to hang it up just yet. As long as his serve is consistent, he can give anyone a game.
2. Reilly Opelka – 6’11” (211 cm)
When Reilly Opelka won the Junior Wimbledon Championships, he instantly started receiving hype. His professional success hasn’t been there yet, but he is still young enough that he could make noise later on.
Injury issues are always going to be somewhat of a problem for a guy who is 6‘11“ tall. If he can get his body right and serve even more consistently, he could reach that next level of success.
1. Ivo Karlovic – 6’11’ (211 cm)
Known by many as the grand standard of tall tennis players, Ivo Karlovic had an overall outstanding career. The Croatian was on the tour for decades, causing trouble for even the best players of all time.
Someone playing that long and having a devastating serve is going to own a lot of records. It can be argued he is one of the best servers in tennis history. He was able to win smaller titles on tour, but never truly challenged for Grand Slam titles.
Does Height In Tennis Matter?
While a lot of these tall players have had success at the ATP level, it hasn’t equated to many Grand Slam victories.
What seems to be the case is that at the highest levels, taller players don’t have the required movement or all-around versatility to win consistently. This is a bigger issue on the women’s side than on the men’s side.
Maybe this will change in the future, as players like Daniil Medvedev have shown that there are opportunities to reach #1 in the world and win Grand Slams with height. Throughout history, the average height of a tennis player has gone up, so it’s inevitable that it will likely continue to evolve.
Tall tennis players have a lot of advantages, and there are bound to be players who put it all together and become nearly unstoppable on the court.
I listed the tallest female tennis players ever in this post.