Tennis has been transformed over the last five decades by TV, money, technology, equipment, fashion and politics. But through all of that, the players have remained at the heart of the game. As part of our golden anniversary celebration of the Open era, Tennis.com presents its list of 50 best players—the Top 25 men and the Top 25 women—of the last 50 years. You'll be able to view the entire list in the March/April issue of TENNIS Magazine.

(Note: Only singles results were considered; any player who won a major title during the Open era had his or her entire career evaluated; all statistics are through the 2018 Australian Open.)

Years played: 1969–1985
*Titles: 38

Major titles: 2 (1972 Wimbledon, 1971 US Open)*

Smith may have the most recognizable name in tennis history, though that has more to do with the shoes he endorses than the tournaments he won. Still, the 6’4” Californian’s career is worth recognizing and remembering in its own right. Smith has been largely overshadowed in the sport’s history books by his more charismatic peers, such as Arthur Ashe, Ilie Nastase and Jimmy Connors, but he was a pro-tour and Davis Cup stalwart for a decade and a half, who racked up 38 titles and more than 600 matches wins.

As the hippie era came to tennis in the early ’70s, Smith stood—squarely—on the side of law and order. If the sport had a sheriff, it was this long, tall, Pasadena straight-arrow who had spent four years at USC and served in the U.S. Army. He played a commanding serve-and-volley game that brought him early Grand Slam success. In 1971, two years after turning pro, Smith reached the Wimbledon final, where he lost to John Newcombe in five sets, and won the US Open. The following summer, in his most memorable victory, Smith came back to beat Ilie Nastase in a classic five-set Wimbledon final.

If that contest between the blond American and the dark-haired Romanian had a Cold War overtone, the Davis Cup final between the two countries later that year in Bucharest was a full-blown battle between East and West. It was also this U.S. tennis soldier’s finest hour. Faced with the formidable and irascible two-man team of Nastase and Ion Tiriac, as well as equally formidable cheating from the local officials, Smith won all three of his matches, and the Cup, for the States. It was one of 16 times that this most All-American of players won a Cup-clinching match for his country.

Defining Moment: In the 1972 Davis Cup final against Romania in Bucharest, Smith knew that any ball that landed near a line was in danger of being called out by the local line judges. His solution? Don’t hit anything near a line. Despite that self-imposed restriction, Smith put together a flawless, 6-0 fifth set against Ion Tiriac to clinch the tie and the Cup.

Watch: Stan Smith reflects on his 1972 Wimbledon title

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The 50 Greatest Players of the Open Era (M): No. 23, Stan Smith