In this article, we look at the 10 oldest tennis players in the men’s singles category currently occupying the top 100 spots in the ATP rankings.
Tennis is a physically demanding sport, and players competing in the singles space must maintain peak fitness levels to perform at their best. However, due to the intense physical strain and the gruelling demands of the tennis calendar, many players often retire earlier than expected.
Despite this, there are a select few who defy the conventional notion of age, embodying the adages “ageing like fine wine” and “old is gold.” These players continue to maintain exceptional fitness and form, winning tournaments and making deep runs in Grand Slams, often causing upsets against younger, higher-ranked opponents. Their enduring success is a testament to their resilience, discipline, and commitment to excellence, showing that age is not always a barrier to greatness in sport.
Gaël Monfils
Gaël Monfils is an exceptional example of ageing players still going strong. His exceptional run at this year’s Australian Open has been ample proof of his ability to still compete at the top. He is currently ranked World No. 41 in the ATP Singles Rankings.
Monfils made his Professional debut in 2004 and has gone on to win 13 ATP Singles titles. He also reached two Grand Slam semis (French Open 2008 and US Open 2016). In addition, he also has Junior Grand Slam titles at the Australian Open, the French Open, and Wimbledon, all of which came in 2004 and helped him become the Juniors No. 1–ranked player in the world.
Monfils run at the 2025 Australian Open was incredible as he reached Round Four beating two higher-ranked players, showcasing his resilience, skill, and fitness. He has been one of the most agile and exciting players and continues going deep in ATP and Grand Slam tournaments despite being 38 years old.
The Frenchman is a prime example of fitness, incredible skill, and a never-say-die attitude—qualities that young kids can look up to and strive to emulate.
Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic needs no introduction. The Serbian has been widely regarded as the best player to ever play the game for a while—and he isn’t done yet. The 24-time Grand Slam champion is one of the three players to complete a career Golden Slam after winning the Olympic Gold in the Men’s Singles category at the Paris Olympics last year.
Even though Djokovic is in the twilight of his career and his speed and agility are no longer his strengths when he has to compete against younger, quicker players, the World No. 7 is still a force to be reckoned with. In his quest to get past Margaret Court and gain tennis immortality with a record 25 Grand Slam Singles titles, the 37-year-old is currently in the quarters of the Australian Open and in contention to win the ATP and Grand Slam majors. Djokovic was under a lot of pressure last season after not winning a single Grand Slam or ATP Masters, but he has been exceptional thus far. There is no doubt Djokovic will be contesting for the rest of the major tournaments this year as well.
Despite age and fitness challenges catching up to him, Djokovic remains one of the top contenders on the men’s circuit, defying both injury setbacks and the passage of time with his exceptional skills and unyielding mentality.
Fabio Fognini
Fabio Fognini has been another stalwart of the game who has brought a lot of pride to his nation. He was due to play at this year’s Australian Open but pulled out due to undisclosed reasons.
Now 37, the Italian started his career in 2005 and has so far won eight career titles and a Doubles Australian Open title in 2015. His best Singles performance in a Grand Slam has been making the quarters at the 2011 French Open. He has a preference for the clay surface, and most of his career titles have been either on hard or clay surfaces. He is a temperamental player but possesses flair, speed, and movement on the court.
Currently ranked 88th in the ATP rankings due to loss of form and injuries in 2023 and 2024, Fognini reached his career-high ranking of No. 9 in 2019. Since he plays doubles as well, it remains to be seen how long he can keep up with playing in the singles setup.
Roberto Bautista Agut
Spanish veteran Roberto Bautista Agut is another player who continues to play in the singles circuit at the age of 36.
Bautista Agut turned pro in 2005 and had a highest ranking of World No. 9 in November 2019. He has 12 career titles to date, and his best result in a Grand Slam is a quarter-final appearance at the 2019 Australian Open. Currently ranked World No. 53 on the ATP rankings, he also won the Davis Cup with Spain in 2019.
Bautista Agut plays with a counter-punching technique, possessing a decent all-round game. He is still a dangerous opponent and is able to play offensively with his forehand, though he thrives off his defensive ability with his consistency and quickness around the court.
Bautista Agut is still playing at a fairly decent level and has maintained his fitness to still compete well at the Grand Slams and other ATP Tournaments.
Adrian Mannarino
Adrian Mannarino is another tennis player who has maintained longevity in the sport. At 36 years old, the Frenchman is proving the old adage of “ageing like fine wine”. He is also an entertaining player to watch.
Mannarino has five ATP Tour singles titles. Currently ranked World No. 75, he rose to his highest ranking of World No. 17 in January 2024. He had superb 2023 and 2024 seasons which helped him climb up the rankings and make it to Top 20.
Mannarino is a left-handed defensive baseline and counter-punching player. His service is a solid weapon, and despite his age his agility and court-coverage ability are still quite good. Mannarino beat Ben Shelton at the Australian Open last year, marking his second fourth-round appearance at the Grand Slam Down Under. He has also made it to Wimbledon’s fourth round three times.
On the back of a decent last season, it would be interesting to see how Mannarino fares in 2025.
Also read: Top 5 Australian Open Greatest Men’s Singles Finals
Kei Nishikori
Kei Nishikori is another well-known name around the tennis circuit. The 35-year-old Japanese player has caused some major upsets in his time. Nishikori is the only Japanese men’s player in the open era to be ranked in the top five of the ATP Men’s Singles rankings, which he achieved when he was ranked World No. 4 in March 2015.
Nishikori has 12 career ATP titles to his name and has a catalogue of impressive Grand Slam performances as well. His best Grand Slam performance is making the 2014 US Open final. He has also reached the quarters of the Australian Open, the French Open, and Wimbledon multiple times. He also won an Olympic Bronze in 2016.
At the ongoing Australian Open, Nishikori lost to Tommy Paul in the second round. He had been competing well in major tournaments until 2019 but has lost his way since then, although he is currently ranked World No. 76 and has gotten back to competing in Grand Slams and ATP majors. The Japanese player is a defensive baseline player who likes to stretch rallies before going for winners. He has powerful and accurate groundstrokes both on the forehand as well as the backhand.
Nishikori is definitely not the same level as his top-five ranking days, but he is still very much capable of causing upsets due to his consistent play from the back of the court.
Jan-Lennard Struff
Jan-Lennard Struff is a German veteran who continues to play Singles at 34 years of age.
Struff turned pro in 2009 and managed his highest ranking of World No. 21 in June 2023. He is both a singles and a doubles player and has won one ATP Singles and four ATP Doubles titles. His best result at a Grand Slam is a fourth-round appearance at the French Open twice. He also has a semi-final appearance in Doubles at the Australian Open in 2018. In addition, he was a semi-finalist in the Davis Cup with Germany last year.
Currently ranked World No. 43, Struff lost to Félix Auger-Aliassime in four sets at the ongoing Australian Open. The strong-serving German veteran looks fit enough to compete in major tournaments. He is strong from the baseline and can dictate play from the back of the court on both sides. He likes to serve and volley, which makes him a dangerous opponent.
Struff can definitely play and perform consistently on the ATP tour for a few more years without a doubt.
Dušan Lajovic
Dušan Lajovic is a Serbian tennis player that has been a regular in the men’s circuit for a long time now.
Lajovic turned pro in 2007 and reached his career-high ranking of World No. 23 in September 2020. He has two career ATP titles and has also made it to an ATP Masters 1000 final, having reached the finals of the Monte-Carlo Masters in 2019. His best Grand Slam performances have come at the French Open and the Australian Open, in each of which he has managed to reach the fourth round. He has also made it to a French Open quarter-final in Doubles and beat top-ten players like Jannik Sinner, Andrey Rublev, and Novak Djokovic in ATP Tour matches in 2023. He also qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Lajovic is currently ranked World No. 80, but even in the 2024 season he beat many top-ranked players like Félix Auger-Aliassime, Ugo Humbert, and Arthur Fils. He is not an easy opponent to deal with and has an affinity for the clay surface, preferring to play dominant tennis from the back of the court.
Lajovic remains a tricky adversary, which he has proven by beating many higher-ranked and younger players on tour.
David Goffin
David Goffin is another old-timer. The 34-year-old Belgian has been on the ATP tour for a long time and continues to put in strong performances.
Goffin turned pro in 2009 and rose to his highest ranking of World No. 7 in the men’s singles ATP Rankings in November 2017. He is the highest-ranked Belgian men’s player in the history of the game and is still the No. 1 Belgian tennis player.
Goffin has six career ATP titles to his name. His best performances at Grand Slams have been multiple quarter-final appearances at the Australian Open, the French Open, and Wimbledon. He has also been a Davis Cup finalist with Belgium in 2015 and 2017.
Goffin lost in the first round of the ongoing Australian Open, though he has been a consistent player over the years. Currently ranked World No. 53, he is a tough opponent. He is predominantly a baseline player with powerful groundstrokes and one of the best two-handed backhand down-the-line shots on tour.
At 34, Goffin continues to prove that age is just a number, maintaining both consistency and fitness to give his younger opponents a run for their money.
Grigor Dimitrov
Grigor Dimitrov is still a very popular name on the men’s tour in tennis. The 33-year-old Bulgarian is a stalwart of the game, and even though injuries have crept up from time to time, he still has the skills and the mentality to beat a top-ten opponent on his day.
Dimitrov turned pro in 2007 and reached a career-high ranking of World No. 3 in November 2017. He was a child prodigy and gained massive popularity after winning the Junior Boys Singles titles at the 2008 Wimbledon and US Open, also becoming the World No. 1 Junior Boys player.
Dimitrov has nine ATP career titles to date, and his best Grand Slam appearances have been reaching the semis of the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. His best performance has been winning the year-ending ATP Masters Finals in November 2017.
Currently ranked World No. 10, Dimitrov is renowned for his athleticism, hustle, and exceptional shot-making abilities. However, injuries have been taking a toll on him recently, with his latest setback coming at the ongoing Australian Open as he was forced to retire in the first round.
It will be interesting to see whether Dimitrov can recover from these recurring injury issues and play regularly this season, or if it might be time for him to seriously consider retirement.
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