TOP 10: Tallest Male & Female Tennis Players in the World!
Height is a trait passed down genetically and something not everyone is gifted with, and when it comes to tennis, being tall gives you a massive advantage! While some may have above-average heights, there are players who stand out from the crowd by a foot and a half!
These individuals have exceptional heights, and their game greatly benefits from it at times. When tall players enter the professional tennis scene, they are usually the favorites to win (unless they’re facing the big three).
Their stature allows them to generate sharp angles and a powerful serve, making their gameplay much more interesting.
So, let me show you some of the tallest tennis players in the world!
Top 10 Tallest Male Tennis Players in the World
You will find individuals of each height in sports, so there is no actual cut-off for what constitutes above-average height.
That is why I have selected the top 10 players for this list. These are the players with the tallest heights, arranged in descending order.
#1 Ivo Karlovic
Height: 6’11”
Ivo Karlovic, the Croatian professional tennis player, is considered the tallest professional tennis player in the world, alongside Reilly Opelka. Measuring in at 6’11”, he set a record in history that most professional tennis players are unable to, the tallest player in the world.
The 43-year-old has won 8 singles titles throughout his professional career, from 2007 to 2016. He is currently ranked 560 in the ATP men’s singles category.
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#2 Reilly Opelka
Height: 6’11”
Reilly Opelka is the second candidate on our list of the top 10 tallest professional tennis players in the world. Matching Ivo Karlovic’s record of 6’11”, he is also the tallest professional tennis player in the world.
Reilly Opelka stepped into the professional scene in 2015 and is now ranked an impressive no.17 in the ATP men’s singles category. The American professional tennis player has won a total of 4 singles titles but consistently pushes to achieve more.
At the ripe age of just 24 years old, Reilly Opelka is just starting his career on the court.
#3 John Isner
Height: 6’10”
John Isner is an American professional tennis player who is ranked no.8 in the ATP men’s singles category and no.14 in the men’s doubles category. He is renowned for his exceptional height, coming in at 6’10”.
John Isner became a professional tennis player in 2007 and is 37 years as of 2022. He currently holds the no.22 spot in the men’s singles category and shows no signs of slowing down.
#4 Jerzy Janowicz
Height: 6’8″
Jerzy Janowicz, the Polish professional tennis player, is the 4th person on our list of tallest male professional tennis players. Standing at 6’8″, he brings an impressive game to the court, awarding him the 1529th spot in the men’s singles category. His highest has been no.14.
The Polish tennis player is known for being the first Polish professional tennis player to reach a Grand Slam semi-final. This occurred at the Wimbledon Championships, where he, unfortunately, lost to Andy Murray.
He has been playing professionally since 2007, and at just 31 years old, he still has a long way to go.
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#5 Dick Norman
Height: 6’8″
Dick Norman is a former professional tennis player who is widely known for his height. At 6’8″, his height was a daunting presence in itself. He turned professional in 1991 and was of 51 years of age when he retired.
The Belgian former professional tennis player’s highest rank in the ATP men’s singles category was no.85.
After retirement, he took to coaching newer individuals and arranging local tennis events to build interest in the sport.
#6 Kevin Anderson
Height: 6’8″
Kevin Michael Anderson is a professional tennis player of South African descent. His peak rank in the ATP men’s singles was achieved in June 2018, when he was ranked 5th.
A great accomplishment as he was the first South African to be ranked in the top 5 after Kevin Curren in 1985.
He turned professional in 2007 and will retire in 2022. The 6’8″ player became satisfied with his career and decided to end on a good note, last being ranked no. 91 before his retirement.
#7 Marc Rosset
Height: 6’7″
Marc Rosset is a Swiss former professional tennis player who retired in 2005. Coming into the court at 6’7″, his height isn’t the only thing he is remembered for.
He is best remembered for winning the ATP men’s singles gold medal at the 1992 Olympic Games. Marc also went on to win one Grand Slam doubles title at the French Open in 1992, partnered with Jakob Hlasek.
The retired Swiss tennis player turned professional in 1988 when he was only 18 years old. The highest rank he achieved in the ATP men’s singles category was no.9.
#8 Chris Guccione
Height: 6’7″
The retired Australian professional tennis player, Christopher Luke Guccione, turned professional in 2003. He has won 5 ATP doubles titles and ranked no.67 in men’s singles and no.38 in men’s doubles at his peak.
The 6’7″ Australian retiree was famous for his left-handed, and one-handed backhand plays. These were the plays that landed him the no.67 spot in men’s singles.
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#9 Marin Cilic
Height: 6’6″
Marin Cilic, the second Croatian professional tennis player on our list, measures to be around 6’6″. He showcases an awe-inspiring career with 20 ATP singles titles.
His most renowned one is a Grand Slam win at the 2014 US Open. He was also the runner-up at the 2017 Wimbledon and 2018 Australian Open championships.
Marin Cilic turned to the professional scene in 2005 and currently holds the no.15 spot in ATP men’s singles rankings. The 33-year-old’s career-best rank has been no.3.
He is famous for the double-handed backhand that has helped him climb the ranks.
#10 Sam Querrey
Height: 6’6″
Samuel Austin Querrey is an American professional tennis player. At 34 years of age and 6’6″ in height, he has had a reasonably successful career as well.
Sam’s best ranking has been no.11 in the ATP men’s singles rankings. He has also won 10 ATP singles titles and holds the record for consecutive service aces in a single match. His record was 10 service aces.
The American professional tennis player is currently no.282 in men’s singles. He turned professional in 2006 and has moved up the ladder using his double-handed backhand play.
Top 10 Tallest Female Tennis Players in the World
I now have my list of the tallest female tennis players in the world. Although their heights might not be as high as their male counterparts, they bring their A-game to the courts, and their height allows them to serve harder, create sharp angles, and win matches!
#1 Eva Hrdinova
Height: 6’3″
Eva Hrdinova is a retired Czech professional tennis player. During her career, Eva Hrdinova 3 titles in the women’s singles category and 19 titles in the doubles category on the ITF circuit.
The Czech Republic professional tennis player peaked in April 2008, when she hit the 168th rank in WTA women’s singles category.
Her last known rank was in 2012 when she was placed no.830 in women’s singles. She preferred to play on the hard court and was dominant with her right hand.
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#2 Akgul Amanmuradova
Height: 6’3”
Akgul Charievna Amanmuradova is a Uzbekistani professional tennis player. Measuring a height of 6’3”, she is also considered one of the world’s tallest female tennis players besides Eva Hrdinova.
At 38 years of age, Akgul has sacked several trophies. She has won 2 doubles titles on the WTA Tour, 10 singles titles, and 16 doubles titles on the ITF circuit.
Her peak rank in the WTA women’s singles rankings was 50th. As of July 2022, she stands at no.692. She prefers the hard surface courts and is dominant with her right hand.
#3 Maria Sharapova
Height: 6’2”
Maria Yuryevna Sharapova is one of the most popular female professional tennis players. Her career has made headlines various times, but that is not all that makes headlines.
At 6’2”, Maria Sharapova is one of the world’s tallest professional female tennis players. She has previously peaked at the no.1 rank and held the spot for over 21 weeks.
The Russian star tennis player competed on the WTA World Tour from 2001 to 2020. She is one of only ten women to achieve a Grand Slam title in her career.
She has grabbed 36 singles titles in her career, with one of those being a Wimbledon championship. Her last singles rank in 2020 was 145th, after which she stopped playing professionally.
With her dominant right hand, she also competed as part of the Russian Olympic team to represent her country in the Olympics.
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#4 Dinara Mikhailovna Safina
Height: 6’1”
Coincidentally the second Russian professional tennis player in our list of top 10 tallest female tennis players we have Dinara Mobinovna Safina.
The retired Russian professional tennis player peaked in April 2009 when she hit the no.1 spot in women’s singles. Throughout her career, Dinara has received a total of 12 singles titles.
The Russian right-handed professional tennis player is the younger sister of Marat Safin. The brother-sister duo is the first to both reach no.1 in their respective leagues.
#5 Venus Williams
Height: 6’1”
Venus Ebony Starr Williams is an American professional tennis player who has won 7 Grand Slam titles in her career. 2 of those have been US Open victories, while the other 5 are Wimbledon championship trophies.
She has achieved many impressive feats, such as becoming no.1 in women’s singles and doubles in both formats.
Sister of highly acclaimed tennis star, Serena Williams, Venus is also regarded as one of the all-time greats in the sport.
The 42-year-old right-handed pro tennis player is 6’1” in height and is regarded as one of the world’s tallest female professional tennis players.
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#6 Ana Ivanovic
Height: 6’½”
The Serbian professional tennis player, Ana Ivanovic, comes in 6th place in our list of tallest female tennis players with a height of 6’½”. She is a former world no.1 player, a spot she held for over 12 weeks. She reached this peak after winning the French Open in 2008.
The Serbian star has won 15 singles titles in her career, reaching the no.1 spot in women’s professional tennis.
She reached the semi-finals in the 2007 Wimbledon championships as well as making it to the quarter-finals in the 2012 US Open.
#7 Nicole Vaidisova
Height: 6’
Nicole Vaidisova is a Czech former professional tennis player. Besides her height of 6’, she is well-known for being a semi-finalist in the Australian Open and Rolland-Garros French Open.
She retired in 2016, but she has collected 6 WTA singles titles and 2 ITF titles throughout her career.
The 33-year-old right-hander retired professional tennis player hit her peak rank of no.128 in 2008 in the doubles category but reached the no.7 spot in the singles category in 2007. She preferred to play on the hard court than any other.
#8 Elena Dementieva
Height: 5’11”
Elena Viacheslavovna Dementieva is a retired professional tennis player from Russia. She is most well-known for receiving a gold medal at the 2008 Olympics held in Beijing.
Before that, she also won a silver medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. The 41-year-old former tennis star was 5’11”, granting her a spot on our list of tallest professional female tennis players.
#9 Caroline Wozniacki
Height: 5’10”
The now-retired Danish superstar Caroline Wozniacki was a former world no.1 professional tennis player. She held the no.1 spot for 71 weeks, including at the end of 2010 and 2011.
She has won 1 Grand Slam title in her career, and 30 singles titles overall.
The 32-year-old Danish female professional tennis player lands at the 9th spot in my list of the tallest female tennis players in the world.
At 5’10”, she powered through several opponents to polish her career as much as she could before retiring in January 2020.
#10 Serena Williams
Height: 5’9”
Serena Williams is undoubtedly the most famous person on this list. Coming in at the height of 5’9”, Serena Jameka Williams is an American professional tennis player.
She has been ranked no.1 for a total of 219 weeks, of which 186 were consecutive, setting a new record. She also ended five years as the no.1 seed in women’s professional tennis by the WTA.
The American right-hander has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, setting her at the top of the board in Grand Slam wins. In total, she has 73 singles titles to her name, landing her 5th in overall rankings.
Serena has also won 23 doubles titles in her career and reached the no.1 spot with her sister, also professional tennis player Venus Williams. She has participated in a variety of tournaments, emerging victorious in most.
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The Takeaway
I cannot stress enough the advantage height gives you in certain sports, and tennis is definitely one of them. Being the taller man on the tennis court gives you some advantages but also drawbacks!
They sure have some powerful shots and steep angles, but I can tell you, the tallest players aren’t the fastest ones, which matters a lot. We’ve seen how the likes of Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, and Murray have dominated world tennis for two decades, and they aren’t the tallest ones!
So, while a tennis player’s height may not be decisive in their success, I assure you, it is a pretty strong tool!
