Ranking the Countries That Produce the Best Tennis Talent

Tennis has always been and will remain an international sport for all countries and people to enjoy and play.

While much talk in the press could be about top players like Andy Murray or Caroline Wozniacki, their lone success does not particularly relate to the country's talent as a whole, and they are the only individuals that are keeping their country's names in the spotlight.

Some countries have a numerous amount of its male and female athletes in the Top 100, and this can show how great a country is at producing stars on the tour.

This list is primarily focused on the men's tour and rankings but also considers the WTA players when a female athlete is just too dominant.

In order, here are the rankings for the overall most talented countries for tennis.

8. Switzerland

Switzerland has zero female athletes in the Top 100, but there is a very special reason why this country just made the list.

Obviously, Roger Federer as a Swiss player has helped his country achieve great accolades, but there is more to it than that.

Stanislas Wawrinka, a man who has always been trying to catch up to his buddy at the top, is finally reaching his peak performance and results in big tournaments.

Stan the Man, who was always floating around the 20th position in the rankings, is in the Top 10 with a chance to get even higher up.

Since the country has two great players in the Top 10, they cannot be forgotten on this list of talent.

7. Germany

Germany has five male players in the Top 100, but what is even more impressive is the five women that reside in the Top 50.

Sabine Lisicki and Angelique Kerber are the notable top players on the women's side, but they have not been around for too long, so it is unclear as to whether they will remain strong for their country.

Florian Mayer, Philipp Kohlschreiber and Tommy Haas are the big names that achieve decent results for Germany.

Philipp Petzschner also helps out as a top doubles player with two Grand Slam titles to his name.

Again, Germany is not so dominant with any one player but they do have many forces on the tour.

6. Russia

Russia has produced many top tennis stars for years and years.

A recent superstar in the men's game that simply fell off is Nikolay Davydenko, who is still ranked inside the Top 50. But, to perhaps take his place as the top player in the country is Mikhail Youzhny, who has had a phenomenal season already this year.

These players do not explain why Russia is the sixth best country overall in the tennis world, but the women from that country are among the best.

So many Russian names have been in the Top 50 for over a decade, with Svetlana Kuznetsova, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Nadia Petrova and Maria Kirilenko being some of them.

Oh, and did I mention Maria Sharapova? Surely she is lightyears ahead of her fellow compatriots but Russia is still likely the most talented country in the WTA.

5. Serbia

Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic are both Top 20 players in the women's rankings, and that made Serbia's ranking in this list go up a little more.

Janko Tipsarevic and Novak Djokovic have been strong as the two Top 20 male athletes from the country.

They do fairly well in the Davis Cup tournament and have a top doubles player, Nenad Zimonjic, to help them out when the ties are close.

Tipsarevic was briefly in the Top 10 with Nole and the two of them were often seen in the latter stages of tournaments. Viktor Troicki has been following in their footsteps and has recently waned (and is facing a potential 18-month suspension as well, but that's another story) but is still also a very good player.

4. USA

With Andy Roddick's retirement coming at the 2012 U.S. Open and Mardy Fish's decline since being a member of the Top 10, USA has not had a male at the complete forefront of the game.

However, John Isner and Sam Querrey are not too far from that, with their rankings currently floating around the 20th spot.

And with Michael Russell's and James Blake's careers drawing closer to an end, there are new, promising competitors, such as Jack Sock, Denis Kudla and the Harrison brothers (Ryan and Christian) to potentially fill in the gaps.

But, the United States is ranked so high on this list because of the women.

Besides Serena Williams to top the entire women's game, there are 10 athletes in the Top 100, and Sloane Stephens seems to be on her way to consistent and steady success.

3. Argentina

There is only one Argentinian female in the Top 100, and she would be Paula Ormaechea, ranked 80th in the world.

But the power and talent in the men's game can be seen frequently in players from Argentina.

There are seven men from the country ranked better than 80th in the world, with Horacio Zeballos, Carlos Berlocq, Juan Monaco and the upcoming talent, Federico Delbonis being some of the most notable ones.

Even David Nalbandian, who has rapidly fallen in the rankings to approximately 200th in the world, has been a stellar player over the years, reaching the semifinals or better in every Grand Slam tournament.

But Juan Martin del Potro definitely carries much of the country's weight and expectations on his shoulders.

He has won a major before and seems to be getting back into top form again to possibly win more.

2. France

France has been known to produce very talented tennis players with much variety and flair.

In fact, there are 12 French individuals ranked in the Top 75 on the ATP tour (which equates to 16 percent).

This staggering number is almost as amazing as seeing just how talented these guys are on the court.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Richard Gasquet and Gilles Simon are the giants inside the Top 20, and these guys all remain very consistent and successful over time.

Jeremy Chardy, Benoit Paire, Adrian Mannarino, Kenny de Schepper and Nicolas Mahut are all playing better tennis than ever currently, and they may be moving way up the rankings, too.

And then there are the inconsistent but also incredibly great players, Michael Llodra, Gael Monfils and Julien Benneteau, who are not afraid of big stages or going for huge shots.

1. Spain

Though there are eight women in the Top 100, that statistic is easily overlooked when considering just how dominant the male Spaniards have been over the years.

First off, there are nine Spaniards in the Top 50, which is roughly 20 percent (interestingly enough, Marcel Granollers is ranked 51st, so it pretty much is one-fifth of the Top 50).

Then, there are the dangerous floaters who are usually a tough time for the top guys, such as Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, Albert Ramos, Daniel Gimeno-Traver, Roberto Bautista Agut and Albert Montanes.

Additionally, there are men who continue to improve immensely, including Pablo Andujar, Feliciano Lopez and even David Ferrer (who is a giant in the sport).

Players such as Fernando Verdasco and Tommy Robredo know what it is like to be ranked at the top of the field and how to play big matches due to their experience.

And there are three men in the Top 20—Nicolas Almagro (who is consistent but has yet to break the barrier), David Ferrer (who is exceeding expectations year after year) and Rafael Nadal, who should need no introduction.

Surely, Spain is a powerhouse that may remain the best country for tennis for a long time.