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Tom Okker Surpassed Federer and Nadal in Paris Masters Titles but Never Claimed a Grand Slam

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are legends of tennis, boasting a combined total of 42 Grand Slam victories and 64 Masters 1000 titles. Yet, when it comes to the Paris Masters, their success was limited. Federer captured just one title there in 2011, while Nadal never managed to win the tournament.

In contrast, Dutch player Tom Okker won more Paris Masters trophies than both Federer and Nadal combined. Okker claimed the first-ever Paris Masters crown in 1969, dominating the event on carpet courts without dropping a set.

Okker’s Paris Masters Journey

The year after his debut triumph, Okker exited early in 1970 but bounced back in 1973, reaching the semifinals before falling to Ilie Nastase. His second Paris Masters title came in 1975, secured after an intense five-set final against Arthur Ashe, where Okker rallied from two sets down. Over five decades later, he remains one of only seven players with multiple singles titles at this tournament.

Paris Masters Multiple Title Winners

  • Novak Djokovic: 7 titles
  • Boris Becker & Marat Safin: 3 titles each
  • Tom Okker, Brian Gottfried, Andre Agassi & Pete Sampras: 2 titles each

While Federer and Nadal struggled at Paris, Novak Djokovic dominated, holding the record with seven titles. Okker stands among elite company, sharing the two-title distinction with Gottfried, Agassi, and Sampras. He made one more appearance in 1976, reaching the quarterfinals.

Grand Slam Challenges for Okker

Despite his strong performances at the Paris Masters, Okker never captured a Grand Slam singles title. He reached at least the semifinals in every major and came closest at the 1968 US Open final, where he lost to Ashe. Interestingly, Okker had defeated Ashe in that memorable 1975 Paris Masters final.

  • Australian Open: Semifinal (1975)
  • Roland Garros: Semifinal (1969)
  • Wimbledon: Semifinal (1978)
  • US Open: Final (1968)

While singles Grand Slam titles eluded him, Okker found success in doubles, winning two Grand Slam doubles championships: Roland Garros in 1973 with John Newcombe and the US Open in 1976 alongside Marty Riessen. He also reached the world number one spot in doubles in 1979.

On the singles circuit, Okker won 35 ATP titles overall, peaked at world number three in the rankings, and retired in 1981 with a respectable legacy.

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