A Love of Mathematics Aids in Ranking Tennis’s GOAT

Jason’s affection for tennis also came in handy this past summer during his Cullman Scholarship experience with the Pioneer Research Institute. The program, done in collaboration with Oberlin College, offers high school students with an opportunity to conduct original, undergraduate-level research.

After several weeks learning complex algorithms and coding tactics to support a culminating research project, Jason needed a subject matter to put his newly acquired knowledge to the test.

With the support of an assigned college professor, Jason created his own algorithm to effectively rank the top professional tennis players of all time. Using a variety of statistics spanning far beyond wins, losses, and career earnings, the result was a thorough ranking that put hard data behind a debate often riddled by generational biases.

“Nobody has really done something in tennis as far as career rankings go and I think that’s mainly because of how complicated the scoring system is,” Jason explained “Like games, sets, and matches, right? So, it can be a bit confusing.”

Considered among KUA’s highest honors, the Cullman Scholarship Program was established in 1983 with a gift from Hugh Cullman ’42 and supports students in off-campus study opportunities. In 2024, Jason and nine other students were awarded scholarships to pursue an area of study of their choosing that develops leadership skills, global and environmental awareness, and service to others.

For Jason, one of his biggest concerns was the possibility that his findings emulate what is widely considered tennis’s Top 3 players in Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Rafael Nadal. But his assigned instructor, Professor Tim Chartier of Davidson College, was quick to quell those concerns.

“He said, ‘that’s what’s supposed to happen,’” Jason said of the possibility his research ranks Federer, Djokovic, and Nadal as the three greatest male tennis players of all time — which it inevitably did. “‘If you find out some random player is the best, that means you probably did something wrong.’ So that gave me some confidence that it’s okay if my research corroborates what’s widely thought.”

Though his Cullman Scholarship experience took place online, Jason said he was inspired by the people — both instructors and peers — he interacted with during his research program. Jason will attend UC Berkeley in the fall where he plans to further study mathematics, and potentially finance, with the intention of one day becoming a professor.

But whatever happens down the road, Jason said he is incredibly grateful to the Cullman family for providing him with the resources to further explore his passion. Or, as it turned out, passions.