GOAT Index

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Pancho Gonzales: the case for the GOAT

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    Pancho Gonzales: the case for the GOAT

    USA · Born 9 May 1928, Los Angeles, California, USA · Died 1995 · Career 1947–1974

    Self-taught Mexican-American with a thunderous serve and fierce competitive drive who dominated the touring professional circuit through the 1950s.

    Career highlights

    Why Pancho Gonzales could be the GOAT

    Because pros were banned from the majors, Gonzales spent his prime outside the Grand Slams, yet he was the best player in the world for most of the 1950s, beating a string of challengers on the head-to-head pro tours. He was still winning tour events in his forties. Many contemporaries called him the toughest competitor they ever faced.

    What fans say

    Pancho Gonzales is #19 of 20 in the fan ranking, with a 0–3 head-to-head record from 52 Men's tennis votes. See the full Men's tennis GOAT ranking

    Pancho Gonzales head to head

    How the ranking works. Every head-to-head vote is a result, like a game. The standings use a Bradley–Terry model, the same idea behind chess ratings: beating a highly rated legend counts for more than beating a long shot. Ratings are shown on a chess-style scale centred on 1500.

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