There’s nothing better than watching a tennis player get pumped up after winning an important point. Their enthusiasm is contagious and allows you as a fan to also get into the game, and even support them more than you otherwise would. The energy, celebration, and fist pumping also helps the player make a comeback or keep the foot on the gas pedal during a route.

Unfortunately, some tennis players are more enthusiastic than others. For example, Pete Sampras never seemed to get into it, and neither did Stefan Edberg, two great champions. Maybe they internalized their emotions better than the top three fist pumpers I have on my list. So, let’s go to my list of greatest fist pumpers.

1.Jimmy Connors:

Nobody comes close to this guy. His enthusiasm was contagious. And nothing was more fun than to watch him come back from behind or light a match on fire. He’d get the whole crowd into it. He’d also do his fist pumping windmill celebration right in the face of the crowd. Watch this clip from his phenomenal run at the 1991 US Open. It’s probably worthy as one of the greatest points of all time, and it has the running, windmill fist pumping to match! Also, there’s two fist pumps back to back in the clip. The first one is decent, but the second one is why he’s the number one fist pumper of all time.

2. Rafa Nadal:

Mr. Vamos himself. Rafa loves to pump his fist. I have a feeling that this is the reason why he wears so many sleeveless shirts, so that the world gets to see his biceps bulge out of his body after each fist pump. The special thing about Rafa’s fist pump is the fact that it’s preceded by a jump high into the air. It usually goes something like this, first he wins the point, next he rises emphatically into the air, in midair he does a first fist pump, then he comes down, dos a little back step dance, stops and finally resolves in a knee raise/fist pump combo – as he screams “VAMOS!”

3. Ana Ivanovic

Out of all the ladies out there, I’ve never seen anyone out there be as expressive and enthusiastic as former number 1 and French Open champion Ana Ivanovic. She had a trademark “Ajde!” which means “Come on” in Serbian. Here’s a great clip of her giving her trade mark Ajde fist pump to the detriment of the poor towel boy she inadvertently scares. Although, she doesn’t have the dramatic jumps or windmills we see with Rafa and Jimmy, I feel as though Ana was more consistent with her fist pumps. If you ever watched her matches you see her fist pumping her way to both wins and losses. This is the main reason she makes my top 3 fist pumping list.