The Most Badass Americans in Tennis History

Given the amount of machismo sports we follow in the United States—football, basketball, wrestling—tennis sometimes doesn't get its proper due. There's no physical contact, no wild crashes, and no gruseome injuries—it's popularily viewed alongside golf as a leisure sport. That shouldn't, however, prevent us from acknowledging the true American badasses who have taken the court. From Serena Williams' fire and Andre Agassi's career-saving lifestyle changes to Billie Jean King's championships and social activism, these are the Most Badass Americans in Tennis History.

*We've included a couple naturalized citizens for this list.*

RELATED: 20 Things You Didn't Know About the U.S. Open

Years active: 1930s-1950s
Accolades: 7x Grand Slam champion, former world No. 1, International Tennis Hall of Fame (Inducted 1966)

Frank Parker is a bit forgotten in American tennis lore, but his accomplishments were too badass to ignore. While he was out here winning the U.S. Open in back-to-back years (1944-1945), he was also a sergant in the U.S. Army Air Forces during WWII on two different fronts around the globe. In 1945, while serving in the South Pacific, he actually hitched a 9,000 mile ride back to the U.S. on an Air Force bomber so he could defend his U.S. Open title (he won). We wouldn't even be able to make instant coffee after a 9,000 mile flight, much less win the U.S. Open.

Years active: 1978-1994
Accolades: 3x Grand Slam champion, 35 total career titles, youngest ever U.S. Open champion (16 years old), Associated Press' Female Athlete of the Year for tennis (1979), International Tennis Hall of Fame (Inducted 1992)

Imagine being three years removed from having braces and winning the U.S. Open title. Or having braces and being on the cover of Sports Illustrated at 14 years old. Or even having braces and accomplishing anything remotely awesome. While we were busy changing the rubber bands in our braces and struggling to have face-to-face conversations with girls, Tracy Austin was winning the U.S. Open. She's a badass and an inspiration for every awkward teeanger out there.

Years active: 1972-1989
Accolades: 21x Grand Slam champion, year-end No.1 (1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, and 1981), most Grand Slam finals appearances in tennis history (34), highest win percentage in tennis history (90.05%), 186 total career titles, International Tennis Hall of Fame (Inducted 1995)

Nicknamed the "Ice Maiden," Chris Evert was never very outspoken, but her cool and calm dissection of opponents makes her an under-the-radar Badass Queen. Her career record warrants this disctinction as well—she owns the highest winning percentage ever amongst both men and women. Don't underestimate the silent killer. Sidebar: Never forget this classic clip.

Years active: 1988-2000
Accolades: 4x Grand Slam champion, youngest male to reach all four Grand Slam singles finals (22 years and 11 months), 29 career total titles, International Tennis Hall of Fame (Inducted 2005)

Jim Courier's fiery on-court personality and crowd-pleasing antics made him a fan favorite during a loaded American men's tennis field in the 1990s. Competing with Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, and Michael Chang, Courier's haul of four Grand Slam titles is pretty impressive. Often the underdog against those guys, Courier's passion helped him take his natural talents to the next level to become a champion agmonst legends.

Years active: 2000-2012
Accolades: 2003 U.S. Open Champion, 3x Wimbledon Finalist, former world No. 1, 32 total career titles

In another decade, Andy Roddick might've been an all-time great. Possessing a wicked serve, a powerful forehand, and the athleticism to put it all together, Roddick peaked right in the middle of Roger Federer's prime (Roddick lost three Wimbledon finals to Federer). Still, he ranks as the most succesful American male player of his time, and his on-court passion and tirades are second to only John McEnroe. He might be remembered more for his unfufilled potential, verbal takedowns of chair umpires, and his marriage to Brooklyn Decker than for his actual game, but that doesn't take away from his 12 years of being a true American statesman to tennis badasses all over the world.

Years active: 1988-2002
Accolades: 14x Grand Slam champion, year-end No. 1 for six consecutive years (1993-1998), 66 total career titles, International Tennis Hall of Fame (Inducted 2007)

All of the honors and titles are undoubtedly important, but what most tennis fans will remember about Pete Sampras was his rivalry with Andre Agassi. Sampras went 20-14 against Agassi, and 4-1 in Grand Slam finals matches against him. Sampras was so good that Agassi noted that his 1995 U.S. Open finals loss to Sampras was a near death-blow to his career. Afterwards, Agassi's life spiraled out of control with injuries and drug use—Sampras would win five more Grand Slams before Agassi would complete his comeback to win the 1999 French Open. Who else can say that their play nearly (literally) killed off their rival? There's only one Pete Sampras, folks.

Years active: 1989-2008
Accolades: 9x Grand Slam champion, youngest ever French Open champion at age 16, 3x WTA Tour champion, 53 total career titles, International Tennis Hall of Fame (Inducted 2009)

This naturalized American citizen is a major "What if?" in tennis history. Monica Seles won eight Grand Slams before her 20th birthday, and was the year-end world No. 1 in 1991 and 1992. In 1993, she was stabbed with a nine-inch knife in an on-court attack by an obsessed fan of Steffi Graf (Seles's biggest rival at the time), and didn't return to the court for two years. Upon returning, she never found her top form again, but did manage to win one more Grand Slam title at the 1996 Australian Open before playing her last match in 2003.

She had a chance to completely own the 1990s, and it was tragically taken from her. To survive a horrifying stabbing, come back, and still be a champion is courageous to say the least.

Years active: 1972-1996
Accolades: 8x Grand Slam champion, only person to win the U.S. Open on grass, clay, and hard courts, second highest winning percentage in male tennis history (81.85%, first amongst Americans), No. 1 ranked for 268 total weeks, 109 total career titles (most all-time), International Tennis Hall of Fame (Inducted 1998)

Jimmy Connors was a rebel in his time. In 1974, he went 99-4 and won three Grand Slam titles. By then, he was considered a "maverick" for refusing to join the ATP, allowing him to pursue more, smaller tournaments. Because of his shunning of the ATP, he was excluded from the French Open in 1974—a tournament he would've likely won. You can't front against the winningest American male tennis player ever.

Years active: 1986-2006
Accolades: 8x Grand Slam champion, Olympic gold medalist (1996), one of seven Career Grand Slam winners, one of two Career Golden Slam winners, 61 total career titles, International Tennis Hall of Fame (Inducted 2011)

Known as "The Punisher," Andre Agassi's career had some extreme valleys and peaks. After winning three Grand Slams in the first decade of his career, he started doing crystal meth in the mid-90s, lost his No. 1 ranking, sank to 147th in the ATP rankings, lost his love for the game, and was often injured. He managed to clean himself up, regain his form, and continue his assault on the tennis world by 1999, winning five Grand Slams from 1999-2003.

Not many people recover from a meth problem to become the alpha male in their profession—actually, that doesn't happen ever. Salute to one of the most colorful, successful, remarkable, and badass players in tennis history.

Years active: 1995-Present
Accolades: 31x Grand Slam champion, 3x WTA Tour Championships winner (2001, 2009, 2012), 4x Olympic gold medalist (2000, 2008, 2012), WTA Player of the Year (2002, 2008, 2009, 2012), highest grossing female player ever (over $40 million in prize money)

Serena Williams burst onto the pro scene at age 14 in 1995, but she was very much in the shadow of her older sister Venus. By 1999, however, she had won her first Grand Slam title at the U.S. Open, and made it onto this memorable Sports Illustrated cover. That photo of her—the snarling features, pure power, crazed eyes—is an iconic snapshot of her career, and foreshadowed a future career of badassery. Being a champion is dope in itself, but the way Serena has done it has made her a symbol of female empowerment and black strength. Whether it's hurling threats at a line judge for not getting a call, or bodying the women's game like nobody else has, Serena is totally unfuckwittable in the realm of badass American tennis players, men and women alike.

Years active: 1968-1983
Accolades: 39x Grand Slam champion, record 20x Wimbledon champion, 8x Federation Cup winner, 129 total career titles, Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year (1972), International Tennis Hall of Fame (Inducted 1987), Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient

Her tennis resume is undeniable—39x Grand Slam champion, former world No. 1, and founder of the Women's Tennis Association, World TeamTennis, and the Women's Sports Foundation—but it's her work off the court that propels her to an elite level of badassery.

She's one of only 23 athletes to have ever been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is the highest civilian honor that the government can award. Her work in the LGBT community is just as heroic as her tennis performances, and for her to remain an active player despite being publicly outed in 1981 (she was the first prominent lesbian female athlete) is a testament to her will to live. Billie Jean King wasn't just a badass in tennis, but in life too.

Years active: 1970-1980
Accolades: 5x Grand Slam champion, 53 total career titles, only black male to win the U.S. Open, Australian Open, and Wimbledon titles, International Tennis Hall of Fame (Inducted 1985)

African-American athletes owe a lot to Arthur Ashe. Without him, there's no guarantee that the Williams sisters, James Blake, or blacks in other traditionally middle class white sports would ever see the court. He attended UCLA on a tennis scholarship, but also had to join the Reserves Officers' Training Corps to pay for his tuition. In 1966, he joined the Army, became a second lieutenant, and headed up West Point's tennis program for a few years before turning professional in 1970.

Throughout his life, he used his platform for charity, political, and social causes: He supported the formation of the ATP to help unionize tennis players, rallied against South Africa's apartheid policies after being denied a visa there in 1972 (the first of many anti-apartheid protests he staged), and founded two organizations to fight HIV and AIDS after being disclosing his HIV status in 1992. He succomed to AIDs less than a year later at the age of 49. Ashe was a leader, a humanitarian, and above all, a champion in every challenge he faced.

Years active: 1978-1992
Accolades: 17x Grand Slam champion, 5x WCT Finals champion (1979, 1981, 1983-1984, 1989), 3x Tour Finals champion (1978, 1983-1984), 4x Davis Cup winner (1979, 1981-1982, 1992), 3x ATP Player of the Year (1981, 1983-1984), International Tennis Hall of Fame (Inducted 1999)

When he was tearing up the ATP Tour, John McEnroe played and acted out of his damn mind. His on-court tantrums made him feared among officials, players, and fans alike. You just never knew what McEnroe was going to do next. Nobody was better at tearing apart chair umpires and opponents, and it sometimes felt like his wild head of hair (a mop-top only akin to Jackie Moon) would explode into flames from his hot temper.

He racked up two suspensions for verbal abuse, committed endless code violations, smashed dozens of racquets, and consistently gave zero fucks about anything other than winning. A 17-time Grand Slam champion, McEnroe certainly is one of the greatest American tennis players of all-time, and the most badass ever.