Grand Slam (tennis)

In tennis, a singles player or doubles team that wins all four Grand Slam titles in the same year is said to have achieved the Grand Slam or a Calendar Year Grand Slam. If the player or team wins all four consecutively, but not in the same calendar year, it is called a Non-Calendar Year Grand Slam. If a player wins all four at some point in his or her career, even if not consecutively, it is called a Career Grand Slam.

The four Grand Slam tournaments are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, and public attention. They are:

• Australian Open
• French Open
• Wimbledon
• US Open

History

The term Grand Slam, as applied to tennis, was first used by New York Times columnist John Kieran according to Total Tennis, The Ultimate Tennis Encyclopedia by Bud Collins. In the chapter about 1933, Collins writes that after the Australian player Jack Crawford had won the Australian, French, and Wimbledon Championships, speculation arose about his chances in the U.S. Championships. Kieran, who was a bridge player, wrote: "If Crawford wins, it would be something like scoring a grand slam on the courts, doubled and vulnerable." Crawford, an asthmatic, won two of the first three sets of his finals match against Fred Perry, then tired in the heat and lost the last two sets and the match.

The expression Grand Slam, initially used to describe the winning of the tennis major events in one calendar year, was later incorporated by other sports, notably golf, to describe a similar accomplishment.

Calendar Year Grand Slam (four majors in one calendar year)

Men's Singles

• Don Budge (1938)
• Rod Laver (1962 • 1969)

Women's Singles

• Maureen Connolly (1953)
• Margaret Smith Court (1970)
• Steffi Graf (1988)
  • Note: Graf also won the Olympic gold medal in 1988 (The "Golden" Grand Slam)

Men's Doubles

• Frank Sedgman & Ken McGregor (1951)

Women's Doubles

• Maria Bueno (1960), with Christine Truman Janes at the Australian Championships, then Darlene Hard at the French Championships, Wimbledon, and the U.S. Championships.
• Martina Navrátilová & Pam Shriver (1984)
• Martina Hingis (1998), with Mirjana Lučić at the Australian Open, then Jana Novotná at the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open.

Mixed Doubles

• Margaret Smith Court & Ken Fletcher (1963)
• Margaret Smith Court (1965), with: John Newcombe at the Australian Championships; Ken Fletcher at the French Championships and Wimbledon; and Fred Stolle at the U.S. Championships.
• Owen Davidson (1967), with Lesley Turner Bowrey at the Australian Championships, then Billie Jean King at the French Championships, Wimbledon, and the U.S. Championships.

Boys' Singles

• Stefan Edberg (1983)

Non-Calendar Year Grand Slam (four consecutive majors regardless of year)

Though the term was originally defined as winning all four tournaments in the same calendar year, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) declared the official term as a player holding all four titles simultaneously, regardless of the calendar year. After Martina Navrátilová won four consecutive major championships, holding all four at once, the ITF awarded her the Grand Slam US$1 million bonus, as she held all four titles at once. Bud Collins sarcastically called her accomplishment the "Grand Snap" because Playtex was the sponsor of the bonus.

• Martina Navrátilová (1983-84)
  • Won six consecutive Grand Slam titles. Her streak was Wimbledon, US Open, and Australian Open in 1983, followed by French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open in 1984. The Australian Open was held in December from 1977 through 1985, returning to its original January date in 1987.
• Steffi Graf (1993-94)
  • Graf also won a Calendar Year Grand Slam in 1988.
• Serena Williams (2002-03)
  • The " Serena Slam" — a reference to the Tiger Slam won by Tiger Woods between 2000 and 2001.

In doubles:

• Gigi Fernandez & Natasha Zvereva (1992-93)
  • Six consecutive titles from the 1992 French Open through 1993 Wimbledon.

Most Grand Slam singles titles in a row (consecutive)

Men

• Don Budge (6): (1937 Wimbledon through the 1938 U.S. Championships).

Women

• Maureen Connolly Brinker (6): (1952 Wimbledon through the 1953 U.S. Championships).
• Margaret Smith Court (6): (1969 US Open through the 1971 Australian Open).
• Martina Navratilova (6): (1983 Wimbledon through the 1984 US Open).

Most Grand Slam singles finals in a row (consecutive)

Men

• 10: Roger Federer ( 2005 Wimbledon through the 2007 US Open).

Women

• 13: Steffi Graf ( 1987 French Open through the 1990 French Open).

Most Grand Slam singles titles in a row (non-consecutive)

Helen Wills Moody won all 16 of the Grand Slam singles tournaments she played beginning with the 1924 U.S. Championships and extending through the 1933 Wimbledon Championships (not counting her defaults in the 1926 French and Wimbledon Championships). The first 15 of those were won without losing a set. During this period, she won 6 Wimbledons, 4 French Championships, and 6 U.S. Championships. She also won the 1924 Summer Olympics during this period. Moody never entered the Australian Championships.

Career Grand Slam

Winning all four Grand Slam tournaments during a career is termed a Career Grand Slam. (The players who won all four Grand Slam tournaments during a single calendar year are also listed elsewhere in this article.) A number of players have failed to achieve the Career Grand Slam because they did not have long careers or because a particular tournament was ill-suited to the player's game. Bjorn Borg never won the US Open or the Australian Open; John McEnroe never won the Australian Open or the French Open; Ken Rosewall, Guillermo Vilas, Ivan Lendl, and Mats Wilander failed to win Wimbledon, while John Newcombe, Jimmy Connors, Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg, Pete Sampras and (thus far) Roger Federer failed to win the French Open.

The following lists the players who won all four Grand Slam singles tournaments during their careers. The year in which they won their first Grand Slam singles tournament is listed first. The years in which the tournaments needed to complete the Career Grand Slam were won are then listed. The ages of the players when the Career Grand Slam was completed are listed between the square brackets.

Men's Singles

• Fred Perry (1933-34-35)
• Don Budge (1937-38)
• Rod Laver (1960-61-62)
• Roy Emerson (1961-63-64)
• Andre Agassi (1992-94-95-99)

Women's Singles

• Maureen Connolly Brinker (1951-52-53)
• Doris Hart (1949-50- 51-54)
• Shirley Fry Irvin (1951-56-57)
• Margaret Smith Court (1960-62-63)
• Billie Jean King (1966-67-68-72)
• Chris Evert (1974-75-82)
• Martina Navratilova (1978-81-82-83)
• Steffi Graf (1987-88)
• Serena Williams (1999-2002-03)

Men's Doubles

In the following, the teams and individual players who won all four Grand Slam doubles tournaments during their careers are listed. The year in which they won their first Grand Slam doubles tournament is listed first. The years in which the tournaments needed to complete the Career Grand Slam were won are then listed.

• Frank Sedgman & Ken McGregor (1951-52)
• Lew Hoad & Ken Rosewall (1953-56)
• Roy Emerson & Neale Fraser (1959-60-62)
• John Newcombe & Tony Roche (1965-67)
• Jacco Eltingh & Paul Haarhuis (1994-95-98)
• Todd Woodbridge & Mark Woodforde (1992-93-95-2000)
• Bob Bryan & Mike Bryan (2003-05-06)

Male doubles players who won a Career Grand Slam (20):

• Adrian Quist (1935-36-39)
• Frank Sedgman (1950-51-52)
• Ken McGregor (1951-52)
• Lew Hoad (1953-56)
• Ken Rosewall (1953-56)
• Neale Fraser (1957-58-59)
• Roy Emerson (1959-60-62)
• Fred Stolle (1962-63-65)
• John Newcombe (1965-67-74)
• Tony Roche (1965-67-74)
• Bob Hewitt (1962-64-67-77)
• John Fitzgerald (1982-84-86-89)
• Anders Järryd (1983-87-89)
• Jacco Eltingh (1994-95-98)
• Paul Haarhuis (1994-95-98)
• Mark Woodforde (1989-92-93-2000)
• Todd Woodbridge (1992-93-95-00)
• Jonas Björkman (1998-2002-03-05)
• Bob Bryan (2003-05-06)
• Mike Bryan (2003-05-06)

Women's Doubles

• Margaret Smith Court & Judy Tegart Dalton (1966-69-70)
• Kathy Jordan & Anne Smith (1980-81)
• Martina Navratilova & Pam Shriver (1981-82-83-84)
• Gigi Fernandez & Natasha Zvereva (1992-93)
• Serena Williams & Venus Williams (1999-2000-01)

Female doubles players who won a Career Grand Slam (19):

• Louise Brough Clapp (1942-46-50)
• Doris Hart (1947-48-50-51)
• Shirley Fry Irvin (1950-51-57)
• Maria Bueno (1958-60)
• Lesley Turner Bowrey (1961-64)
• Margaret Smith Court (1961-63-64)
• Judy Tegart Dalton (1964-66-69-70)
• Martina Navratilova (1975-76-77-80)
• Kathy Jordan (1980-81)
• Anne Smith (1980-81)
• Pam Shriver (1981-82-83-84)
• Gigi Fernandez (1988-91-92-93)
• Natasha Zvereva (1989-91-93)
• Helena Suková (1989-90-93)
• Jana Novotná (1989-90-94)
• Martina Hingis (1996-97-98)
• Serena Williams (1999-2000-01)
• Venus Williams (1999-2000-01)
• Lisa Raymond (2000-01-06)

Mixed doubles

In the following, the players who won all four Grand Slam mixed doubles tournaments during their careers are listed. (The year in which they won their first Grand Slam mixed doubles tournament is listed first. The years in which the tournaments needed to complete the Career Grand Slam were won are then listed.)

• Frank Sedgman & Doris Hart (1949-51)
• Ken Fletcher & Margaret Smith Court (1964-65)
• Marty Riessen & Margaret Smith Court (1969-75)

Male doubles players who won a Career Grand Slam:

• Frank Sedgman (1949-51)
• Ken Fletcher (1963)
• Owen Davidson (1965-66-67)
• Marty Riessen (1969-75)
• Bob Hewitt (1961-70-77-79)
• Todd Woodbridge (1990-93-94-95)
• Mark Woodforde (1992-93)
• Mahesh Bhupathi (1997-99-2005-06)

Female doubles players who won a Career Grand Slam:

• Doris Hart (1949-51)
• Margaret Smith Court (1961-63)
• Billie Jean King (1967-68)
• Martina Navrátilová (1974-85-2003)
• Daniela Hantuchová (2001-02-05)

Calendar Year Golden Slam

The "Golden Slam" is a term created in 1988 when Steffi Graf won all four Grand Slam singles tournaments and the singles gold medal in tennis at the Summer Olympics in the same calendar year.

Tennis was not an Olympic medal sport from 1928 through 1984; therefore, many top tennis players from the past never had the chance to complete a Golden Slam.

Career Golden Slam

A player who wins all four Grand Slam tournaments and the Olympic gold medal during the player's career has achieved a Career Golden Slam.

• Singles players who won a Career Golden Slam:
  • Steffi Graf (1988)
  • Andre Agassi (1992-94-95-96-99)

• Doubles teams that won a Career Golden Slam:
  • Todd Woodbridge & Mark Woodforde (1992-93-95-96-2000)
  • Serena Williams & Venus Williams (1999-2000-01)

• Individual doubles players who won a Career Golden Slam:
  • Gigi Fernandez: partnering Mary Joe Fernandez won the 1992 and 1996 Olympic Gold Medal; partnering Natasha Zvereva won six consecutive Grand Slam doubles tournaments in 1992-93.

Small Slam

Players who have won three of the four Grand Slam tournaments in the same year, are sometimes said to have achieved a Small Slam.

Men's Singles

• Jack Crawford
  • 1933: Australian, French & Wimbledon Championships
• Fred Perry
  • 1934: Australian, Wimbledon & U.S. Championships
• Tony Trabert
  • 1955: French, Wimbledon & U.S. Championships
• Lew Hoad
  • 1956: Australian, French & Wimbledon Championships
• Ashley Cooper
  • 1958: Australian, Wimbledon & U.S. Championships
• Roy Emerson
  • 1964: Australian, Wimbledon & U.S. Championships
• Jimmy Connors
  • 1974: Australian, Wimbledon & US Open
• Mats Wilander
  • 1988: Australian, French & US Open
• Roger Federer
  • 2004: Australian, Wimbledon & US Open
  • 2006: Australian, Wimbledon & US Open
  • 2007: Australian, Wimbledon & US Open

Women's Singles

• Helen Wills
  • 1928: French Championships, Wimbledon, & U.S. Championships
  • 1929: French Championships, Wimbledon, & U.S. Championships
• Margaret Smith Court - also winner of a Calendar Year Grand Slam in 1970
  • 1962: Australian, French, & U.S. Championships
  • 1965: Australian, Wimbledon, & U.S. Championships
  • 1969: Australian, French, & US Open
  • 1973: Australian, French, & US Open
• Billie Jean King
  • 1972: French Open, Wimbledon, & US Open
• Martina Navrátilová - won six consecutive Grand Slam titles in 1983-84
  • 1983: Wimbledon, US Open, & Australian Open
  • 1984: French Open, Wimbledon, & US Open
• Steffi Graf - also winner of a Calendar Year Grand Slam in 1988
  • 1989: Australian Open, Wimbledon, & US Open
  • 1993: French Open, Wimbledon, & US Open
  • 1995: French Open, Wimbledon, & US Open
  • 1996: French Open, Wimbledon, & US Open
• Monica Seles
  • 1991: Australian Open, French Open, & US Open
  • 1992: Australian Open, French Open, & US Open
• Martina Hingis
  • 1997: Australian Open, Wimbledon, & US Open
• Serena Williams - winner of a Non-Calendar Year Grand Slam after winning the 2003 Australian Open
  • 2002: French Open, Wimbledon, & US Open

Men's Doubles

• Jacques Brugnon
  • 1928: Australian Championships, French Championships, Wimbledon
• Jack Crawford
  • 1935: Australian Championships, French Championships, Wimbledon
• John Bromwich
  • 1950: Australian Championships, Wimbledon, U.S. Championships
• Ken McGregor
  • 1952: Australian Championships, French Championships, Wimbledon
• Frank Sedgman
  • 1952: Australian Championships, French Championships, Wimbledon
• Ken Rosewall
  • 1953: Australian Championships, French Championships, Wimbledon
  • 1956: Australian Championships, Wimbledon, U.S. Championships
• Lew Hoad
  • 1953: Australian Championships, French Championships, Wimbledon
  • 1956: Australian Championships, Wimbledon, U.S. Championships
• Tony Roche
  • 1967: Australian Championships, French Championships, U.S. Championships
• John Newcombe
  • 1967: Australian Championships, French Championships, U.S. Championships
  • 1973: Australian Open, French Open, US Open
• Anders Jarryd
  • 1987: Australian Open, French Open, US Open
  • 1991: French Open, Wimbledon, US Open
• John Fitzgerald
  • 1991: French Open, Wimbledon, US Open
• Jacco Eltingh
  • 1998: Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon

Women's Doubles

• Margaret Osborne duPont
  • 1946: French Championships, Wimbledon, U.S. Championships
  • 1949: French Championships, Wimbledon, U.S. Championships
• Louise Brough Clapp
  • 1946: French Championships, Wimbledon, U.S. Championships
  • 1949: French Championships, Wimbledon, U.S. Championships
  • 1950: Australian Championships, Wimbledon, U.S. Championships
• Doris Hart
  • 1951: French Championships, Wimbledon, U.S. Championships
  • 1952: French Championships, Wimbledon, U.S. Championships
  • 1953: French Championships, Wimbledon, U.S. Championships
• Shirley Fry Irvin
  • 1951: French Championships, Wimbledon, U.S. Championships
  • 1952: French Championships, Wimbledon, U.S. Championships
  • 1953: French Championships, Wimbledon, U.S. Championships
• Darlene Hard
  • 1962: French Championships, Wimbledon, U.S. Championships
• Lesley Turner Bowrey
  • 1964: Australian Championships, French Championships, Wimbledon
• Betty Stove
  • 1972: French Open, Wimbledon, US Open
• Margaret Smith Court
  • 1973: Australian Open, French Open, US Open
• Virginia Wade
  • 1973: Australian Open, French Open, US Open
• Helen Gourlay Cawley
  • 1977: Australian Open (January), Wimbledon, Australian Open (December)
• Martina Navratilova
  • 1982: French Open, Wimbledon, Australian Open
  • 1983: Wimbledon, US Open, Australian Open
  • 1986: French Open, Wimbledon, US Open
  • 1987: Australian Open, French Open, US Open
• Pam Shriver
  • 1982: French Open, Wimbledon, Australian Open
  • 1983: Wimbledon, US Open, Australian Open
  • 1987: Australian Open, French Open, US Open
• Helena Sukova
  • 1990: Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon
• Gigi Fernandez
  • 1992: French Open, Wimbledon, US Open
  • 1993: Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon
  • 1994: Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon
• Natasha Zvereva
  • 1992: French Open, Wimbledon, US Open
  • 1993: Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon
  • 1994: Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon
  • 1997: Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon
• Jana Novotna
  • 1990: Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon
  • 1998: French Open, Wimbledon, US Open
• Virginia Ruano Pascual
  • 2004: Australian Open, French Open, US Open
• Paola Suarez
  • 2004: Australian Open, French Open, US Open

Mixed Doubles

• Eric Sturgess
  • 1949: French Championships, Wimbledon, U.S. Championships
• Frank Sedgman
  • 1951: French Championships, Wimbledon, U.S. Championships
  • 1952: French Championships, Wimbledon, U.S. Championships
• Doris Hart
  • 1951: French Championships, Wimbledon, U.S. Championships
  • 1952: French Championships, Wimbledon, U.S. Championships
  • 1953: French Championships, Wimbledon, U.S. Championships
• Vic Seixas
  • 1953: French Championships, Wimbledon, U.S. Championships
• Margaret Smith Court
  • 1964: Australian Championships, French Championships, U.S. Championships
  • 1969: Australian Open, French Open, US Open
• Billie Jean King
  • 1967: French Championships, Wimbledon, U.S. Championships
• Marty Riessen
  • 1969: Australian Open, French Open, US Open
• Bob Hewitt
  • 1979: French Open, Wimbledon, US Open
• Martina Navratilova
  • 1985: French Open, Wimbledon, US Open
• Mark Woodforde
  • 1992: Australian Open, Wimbledon, US Open

Boys' Singles

• Mark Kratzmann
  • 1984: Australian Open, Wimbledon, US Open
• Nicolas Pereira
  • 1988: French Open, Wimbledon, US Open
• Gaël Monfils
  • 2004: Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon

Girls' Singles

• Natalia Zvereva
  • 1987: French Open, Wimbledon, US Open
• Magdalena Maleeva
  • 1990: Australian Open, French Open, US Open

The career "Boxed Set"

Another imaginable Grand Slam-related accomplishment is winning a "boxed set" of Grand Slam titles – winning the singles, doubles, and mixed doubles at all four Grand Slam events.

The top men's singles players have played comparatively little doubles, and very little mixed doubles. Three women have completed the "boxed set" during their careers:

• Doris Hart
• Margaret Smith Court
• Martina Navrátilová

Serena Williams has come closer than any other currently active player to joining this elite group. She has yet to win the mixed doubles at the Australian and French opens (finishing as the runner-up at the 1999 Australian Open and 1998 French Open).