Top 10 Best Pro Racquetball Players
List of the ten all time greatest to have on the Pro Racquetball Tour.He is the Donald Bradman of racquetball. Never heard of Bradman, did you? Statistically, he stands so far above everyone else that it's hard to argue against him being number one. He took a year off from cricket and won the South Australian Open squash tournament. Bradman is the only athlete ever to be statistically twice as good as the rest in his sport. Even decades later, the next best averages are around 40% lower.
The bottom line is that if you did your research, you would find it hard to argue against Bradman, whose hand-eye coordination is far ahead of anyone else who has ever lived, including Federer. Sir Donald Bradman is the greatest cricketer of all time in the toughest sport of all time, during one of the toughest periods on earth. A batting average of 99.94 - just 0.06 shy of perfection - is why he is the greatest. To be that close to perfection is an amazing feat.
Kane Waselenchuk is the Donald Bradman of racquetball.
This is a very easy decision. His longevity and current physical condition, even today, are amazing! He looks like he did 30 years ago and plays almost as well, with hardly any drop-off.
I am 52 years old now. When I think of racquetball, I see Marty Hogan in my head. I see other players in the spotlight for short periods of time over the past 30 years, but the vision of Marty is head and shoulders above all others. It turns out he is a heck of a nice guy as well - very humble, and he helps others on a daily basis.
His total balance on and off the court makes everyone else a distant second on the list.
Won more professional racquetball matches and tournaments than any player in history. At or near the top of the sport from 1985-2005. #1 Ranked Player in 1990, '93, '94, '95, '98, and '02. Best serve of all time.
Dominated Kane until he was 35 years old. Great rivalry with Hogan that went back and forth during the '80s and early '90s. His serve is the biggest weapon in the history of the sport.
At the top when the sport was at its peak. A whole different level of play during his time. Kane has to play amateurs.
Outside of his chronic back issues from the many times he would hit the floor face-first in a single game, his devastating backhand and ability to backhand splat a cross-court pinch rollout are something that just cannot be replicated in the last 20 years of the game. Cliff had the most dominating serve, but if Sudsy didn't have Derrick Rose's same bad luck when it comes to genetics versus injuries in a hardwood court sport, Sudsy could have continued to dominate until the age of 40 without question.
The gets he could pull off, given his vertical and diving ability, only added to his .50-like power shots. I just heard from him this week, and he is doing well with his continued virtual instructions out east. He is also still playing doubles at a high level as of 1/21.
Cheers,
Steve/USNSWC >. Steven Essani (Chicago)
Played with Mike as a teenager at Southfield Athletic Club. Should be best ranked ever!
#1 Ranked Player from 1983 to 1987. Won Ektelon, Catalina, and DP Nationals in 1983. Won DP Nationals in 1984.
#1 Ranked Player in the World in 1992. Winner of Pro Nationals in 1989, 1992, and 1993. One of the top players in the world from 1984 to 1998.
#1 Player in the World from 1972-1976. Five-time National Singles Champion. Won multiple national titles indoors, outdoors, and in paddleball. Won twenty consecutive tournaments.
Most strategic player of all time. Dominated indoors and outdoors, in both singles and doubles!
Ruben is a very dedicated player. I had the pleasure of meeting him once at a tournament, and he took the time to talk to me about racquetball questions that I had!
#1 Ranked Player in the World in 1988. Winner of the 1988 Pro Nationals. 1983 Pro Racquetball Rookie of the Year. One of the top players in the world from 1982 to the present.
#1 Ranked Player in the World in 1982. Won Ektelon Nationals in 1980. Won Ektelon and Catalina Nationals in 1982. 1979 Pro Racquetball Rookie of the Year. Stopped Hogan's streak of five consecutive #1 rankings in 1982.
#1 Player in the World in 2003. Winner of the 1999 US Open. Winner of the 2001 IRT Pro Nationals. Winner of the 2006 US Open. One of the top players in the world from 1996-2010.
Played and beat most of the best players of all time. Top five in my opinion.
Quickest player I have ever seen on the court.
One of the strongest and most humble players.
Winner of over 20 Professional Tournaments. His ranking never dropped below #4. Won 4 Grand Slam Events. Beat all of the best players from the '80s era and '90s era.
One of the best rollout hitters ever, out of Executive Club in Rocky River, Ohio.