Steffi Graf, Boris Becker and the Top 10 German Players in Tennis History

German tennis has been experiencing a resurgence of late, with players like Andrea Petkovic and Sabine Lisicki leading the way on the women's side, and Florian Mayer and Philipp Kohlschreiber setting the pace for the men.

However, those players still have a way to go before they can fill the shoes of their more-accomplished compatriots.

Here's a look at the 10 most successful players of all time from Germany, the inspirations for a new generation.

10. Philipp Petzschner

It may be odd to think of the 27-year-old as one of his country's finest, with only one singles title to his credit and five doubles victories.

The clincher, though, is that two of those doubles wins have come at Grand Slam events: Wimbledon in 2010 and the U.S. Open this year. Both victories came with Austrian Jurgen Melzer.

9. Rainer Schuettler

ATP World Tour veteran Schuettler turned pro back in 1995 and still maintains a ranking in the top 130 now that it's 16 years later.

Over the course of his career, he has spent time in the top 10 of the rankings—peaking at No. 5—and also made the finals of the 2003 Australian Open, falling to Andre Agassi.

He's always been known as one of the hardest-working players on tour, a fact Agassi—no slouch himself—acknowledged in his victory speech after that Grand Slam final match.

8. Nicolas Kiefer

Greatness was predicted for Kiefer early on, supported by his exceptional results in the juniors, winning the 1995 Australian and U.S. Open boys titles. Two years later, he was a quarterfinalist at Wimbledon in the main draw.

While he never did win a Slam as a professional, Kiefer did get as high as five in the rankings; won six singles titles and made 13 other finals; and took home a Silver Medal in the 2004 Olympics, partnering Schuettler.

7. Claudia Kohde-Kilsch

Before Steffi Graf, there was a group of German women making their way up the rankings: Kohde-Kilsch, Sylvia Hanika and Bettina Bunge. Kohde-Kilsch stands out among them and not just because of her 6'2" frame.

She rose to No. 4 in the world and won 10 singles titles over the course of her career. Kohde-Kilsch also captured two Grand Slam doubles crowns, teaming up with Czech Helena Sukova, among her 26 victories in team play.

6. Anke Huber

Saddled with the title of being "the next Steffi" from the onset can put a lot of pressure on any player. Huber was deemed that by a nation looking for someone to fill Graf's shoes, and while she didn't achieve that, she still managed to carve out a very successful career.

She maintained a consistent presence in the top 10 through a good chunk of the 1990s, reaching her career-high of No. 4 in 1996, the same year she made her only Grand Slam singles final (Australian Open).

Huber won 12 singles titles—on all four surfaces (hard, clay, grass and carpet) to boot.

5. Tommy Haas

It's hard to believe, but Haas was once the youngest player ranked in the top 50; now he's one of the veterans on tour. If he were to retire today, he could look back on his career with pride: a career-high No. 2 ranking and singles titles won on all surfaces.

Currently, he's making his way back from injury—a task he's been all-too familiar with during his career. His all-court game and shot-making ability still makes him a threat to nearly anyone in a tournament draw.

4. Michael Stich

The 1991 Wimbledon champion possessed one of the most fluid all-around games seen in men's tennis over the past 20 years. Twice in his career, he won singles titles on all four surfaces in the same season.

Stich also made the finals of the '94 U.S. Open and '96 French Open, further proof of his versatility.

Aside from Grand Slam success, Stich also rose to the occasion when it came time to play for Germany: He won an Olympic Gold Medal in 1992 with Boris Becker and in 1993, won the Hopman Cup and Davis Cup.

3. Gottfried von Cramm

What can you say about the life of von Cramm? Off-the-court issues aside, von Cramm was one of the most dominant players of the early half of the 20th century.

He won the French Open twice and also made the finals of Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in his career. His 1937 Davis Cup match against Don Budge is considered the stuff of legend.

2. Boris Becker

One of the game's greatest players of all time, Becker burst onto the world scene by winning Wimbledon as a 17-year-old behind his booming serve and acrobatic play.

He did one of the hardest things there is to do the following year: defend a major title. He went on to add another Wimbledon title, a U.S. Open and two Australian Opens to the trophy cabinet.

Becker established himself as one of the best ever in indoor play and also helped Germany to Davis Cup titles.

1. Steffi Graf

The numbers and accomplishments are simply staggering for "Fraulein Forehand": 107 singles titles, 22 of those being Grand Slams; the "Golden Slam" in 1988 (all four Majors, plus an Olympic title in the same calendar year); the longest stint by any player—male or female—at No. 1 .. the list goes on and on.

Her unparalleled athleticism led her to greatness and she maintained that level for a decade.

The Next Wave

The 2011 season was a successful one for Germany as a nation, with four women in the top 35 and Andrea Petkovic leading the way at 10.

Florian Mayer won his first career ATP title and also notched a win over none other than Rafael Nadal during the season.

The next generation still has a way to go to match the careers of some of their predecessors and peers, but appears to be on track to do so.