1. Introduction
2. The chosen criteria
3. Similar options tested
4. Data Used
5. Homogenization system
6. Description of searches and graphics
7. Sources
8. Next challenge

1. Introduction

The question is: Who is the best tennis player of all time?
What is the best system to determine it?
Normally different methods are considered to assess who is the GOAT (Greatest Of All Times):

The reality is that there are numerous statistics in the field of sports in general and tennis in particular.

All are valid to determine success in specific plots and from the subjective vision of each person.

In general, most of these modalities have a major defect, which is that they only consider the winners of titles, but not the whole of the entire career of each player, that is, tournaments where they have been finalists, semifinalists, quarterfinalists, etc.

Really, winning a tournament is sometimes a matter of luck, especially when it is achieved by a narrow margin, regardless of other circumstances.

Also, many classifications that combine different types of scoring, even though they are wisely weighted, are actually evaluating the same data repeatedly, the basic fact, which is each game played, because logically, the one that has won the most titles has won the most. matches, he has achieved more points, he has achieved higher positions in the ranking, etc.

2. The chosen criteria

In order to assess the complete career of any player, in our opinion they should be assessed in the most complete and objective way possible, and only the matches and rivals with whom they have played should be rated.

At the beginning of the Open era, when creating the ranking, points were scored according to the rival with whom he had played, something that was discarded due to the difficulty of evaluating it and keeping it up to date.

But this WEB proposes a method that in one way or another reaches a globally similar conclusion and similar results as if each match were valued depending on the rival.

This method would be to score the players with the scoring system currently awarded by the ATP Ranking for each type of tournament.

The value of the matches is given by the category of the tournament and the level of the players is closely related to the points that are awarded in each phase of the tournament, which is quite fair.

The value of each tournament and the scoring of each phase could be discussed, but in reality, the current ATP scoring system is well established and accepted by the tennis community without major difficulties.

That is why it is the one we have chosen as a base. And we are convinced that any other logically designed scoring system would reach very similar conclusions.

The data can easily be obtained from 2009 when the current scoring system began, but in the stage prior to 2009 the scoring system was different, which is why it has become necessary to standardize the matches and tournaments with the current system.

This has been a very laborious job (more than a million pieces of data used) and the result may not satisfy some, but it is one more way of measuring the performances of tennis players, something like their vital tennis marathon, which It does not exclude other modalities.

Although the idea, at first glance, may seem simple, we are not aware, despite having searched for it, that this valuation method has been used before and I believe that it has the value of novelty.

3. Similar options tested

Something similar can be obtained by taking the ATP Ranking score at the end of each year. The result should not differ much from our method, but in this way, much less laborious, the search possibilities provided by this WEB could not be developed.

In addition, it has some drawbacks, such as that it does not include all the tournaments, but only the 18 or 19 scoring ones, it awards points in weeks without playing due to injury, during the pandemic it established a points maintenance system that distorted the end-of-year classification, etc.

Another possibility is to award points only for matches won, without considering the fact of qualifying for the 1st round of the tournament, where the ATP does award points even if they lose the match. Also, in this way, the results are very similar.

4. Data Used

They will be published in the next few days after the first tests.

5. Homogenization system

It will be published in the next few days after the first tests.

6. Description of searches and graphics

Note in advance: Some of the filters and dropdowns are not operational at this time.

The system allows the selection by means of drop-down menus and mobile pointers of the following options:

Classification of the best tennis players in history by viewing a complete table, in order of score (according to this method). Selection for temporary periods with a minimum of one year. Filtered by countries, player's hand (right-left handed), career up to a specific age, and career of current tennis players according to their age. Selection by tournaments, differentiating them by name, category and type of surface.

It also provides a tool to see the evolution of the player's career over time through moving graphs of two types, and make comparisons and races between them up to a maximum set of 5 players.

7. Sources

They will be published in the next few days after the first tests.

8. Next challenge

This version undoubtedly contains errors and errata, which we have already detected and will correct in the coming days, and it is coming to light to be valued by the tennis community and it has a long way to go.

In future versions we will include some more basic indicator, even if it is not new, to improve the general vision and to be able to make simple comparisons.

The WEB is designed for tennis fans who are not excessively technical and not for experts in tennis statistics, and it is intended to be simple and friendly.

And finally, the next challenge is to include the women's tennis career.