Guillermo Vilas
Awards & Honours
10
Awards Won
4
Honours
2
Rankings
4
Records
Vilas's record is specific and difficult to match. Four Grand Slam singles titles, 62 ATP singles titles, and more than 650 clay-court match wins, the last an all-time figure. His 53-match clay-court winning streak in 1977 stood as the Open Era record until it was surpassed. The Daily Telegraph ranked him the third-greatest clay-courter of all time in 2016, behind only Rafael Nadal and Björn Borg, and Steve Tignor of Tennis Magazine placed him 16th among the greatest Open Era players in 2018. He was the first South American man to win a major singles title. The one honor missing from his record, the No. 1 ranking, has been argued for by statisticians and champions alike without resolution.
Awards
Honours & Distinctions
International Tennis Hall of Fame
Inducted in recognition of his career achievements.
All-time clay-court match wins record
More than 650 clay-court match victories, an all-time record.
Open Era clay-court winning streak record
53 consecutive clay-court match wins, the longest in the Open Era at the time.
Vilas Tennis Academy
A tennis academy named for and associated with him.
Rankings & Lists
Greatest clay-court players of all time
Greatest Open Era players
Records & Feats
Most clay-court match wins in tennis history
Vilas won more than 650 matches on clay, an all-time record.
Longest Open Era clay-court winning streak at the time
Won 53 consecutive clay-court matches in 1977, the longest streak in the Open Era until it was surpassed.
First South American man to win a Grand Slam singles title
Won the 1977 French Open, becoming the first South American man to take a major singles championship.
83 weeks ranked No. 2 in the world
Held the ATP No. 2 ranking for 83 weeks, a record at the time.