| Revision as of 04:38, 1 September 2005 editEveryking (talk | contribs)155,603 editsm Reverted edits by 139.130.237.146 to last version by Fernando Rizo← Previous edit | Revision as of 19:00, 4 September 2005 edit undo202.156.6.67 (talk)No edit summaryNext edit → | ||
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| | '''Country:''' || Australia | | '''Country:''' || Australia | ||
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| | '''Residence:''' || N/A | |||
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| | '''Height:''' || 5 ft 8 in (172 cm) | | '''Height:''' || 5 ft 8 in (172 cm) | ||
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| | '''Plays:''' || Left | | '''Plays:''' || Left | ||
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| | '''Turned pro:''' || |
| '''Turned pro:''' || 1962 | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | '''Retired:''' || |
| '''Retired:''' || 1974 | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | '''Highest singles ranking:''' || |
| '''Highest singles ranking:''' || 1 | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | '''Singles titles:''' || 39 | | '''Singles titles:''' || 39 | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | '''Career prize money:''' || $1,564,213 | | '''Career prize money:''' || US$1,564,213 | ||
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| ! colspan="2" bgcolor="#ffffff" | Grand Slam Record<br>Titles: 11 | ! colspan="2" bgcolor="#ffffff" | Grand Slam Record<br>Titles: 11 | ||
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| | '''W''' (1961-62-68-69) | | '''W''' (1961-62-68-69) | ||
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| | |
| US Open | ||
| | '''W''' (1962-69) | | '''W''' (1962-69) | ||
| |} | |} | ||
| '''Rod Laver''' (born ], ]) was a professional ] player. Born '''Rodney George Laver''' at ] in ], ], he is still considered by many to be the greatest player to ever play the game of tennis, although there are a number of rivals for that title. | |||
| '''Rodney George "Rod" Laver''' (born ] ], in ], ]) is a former World No. 1 ] player from Australia. He is the only player in tennis history to have won all four of tennis' ] singles titles in the same year on two separate occasions – first as an amateur in ], and then again as a professional in ]. For this achievement, Laver is considered by many tennis fans to be the greatest individual player of all time. | |||
| Laver was a young boy when he left school to pursue a career in tennis, a career that would last 23 years. A left-hander, he began playing at a time when amateur tennis players were given (under the table) little more than cost of living money for their appearances in tournaments. When ] business tycoon ] formed a professional tennis tour and forced the beginning of the ] in 1968, it changed the game forever, even for Laver who was approaching the end of his career. With the start of open tennis in Laver became the first tennis player to surpass the $1 million mark in lifetime prize money. | |||
| Laver was a young boy when he left school to pursue a career in tennis that would end up lasting 23 years. Laver's first major singles title was the ] in ], where he beat fellow Australian ] in a titanic five-set final. He then captured his first ] singles crown in ]. In 1962, he became only the second male player after ] in ] to win all four of the Grand Slam titles in the same year. | |||
| At the time, the Grand Slam events were only open to amateur players, who were given (under the table) little more than cost of living money for their appearances in tournaments. | |||
| Laver turned professional after completing Grand Slam in 1962. He quickly established himself among the leading professional players, delighting crowds with duels against ] and ]. During the next seven years, Laver won the ] five times, including four in a row from ]-1969. | |||
| With the dawn of the ] in ], professional players were once again allowed to compete in the Grand Slam events. Laver became Wimbeldon's first Open Era champion in 1968, beating fellow-Australian ] in straight sets in the final. | |||
| In 1969, Laver achived the Grand Slam for a second time, sealing the achievement with a four-set win over Roche in the ] final. He had an incredible record that year, winning 17 of the 32 singles touarnments he entered and compiling a 106-16 win-loss record. In beating ] in four sets in the Wimbeldon final, he captured the title at the All England Club for the fourth consecutive time that he'd entered the championship (and reached the final for the sixth consecutive time as he'd been runner-up in ] and 1960). He set a record of 31 consecutive match victories at Wimbledon between 1961 and ], which lasted until ] when it was eclipsed by ]. Unlike his first Grand Slam year in 1962, in 1969 Laver was playing in events open to all players in the professional and amateur ranks, and thus winning tournaments that involved all of the best players in the world. | |||
| In ], Laver won a then-record US$292,717 in tournament prize money. The figure enabled him to become the first tennis player to surpass US$1 million in prize money. | |||
| Laver helped Australia win the ] four consecutive times from 1959-62. In ], professionals were permitted to play in the Davis Cup for the first time, and Laver was on a winning team for the fifth time, claiming two singles and a doubles rubber in the final as Australia beat the ] 5-0. | |||
| Laver was officially ranked the World No. 1 player in 1961, 1962, 1968 and 1969. He retired from the professional tennis tour in ]. He was still ranked in the Top 10 at the time of his retirement. | |||
| Laver's 11 Grand Slam singles titles currently place him tied for third place on the all-time list, along with Borg. Only ] and ] have won more Grand Slam singles titles. Laver would almost certainly have won more than the 11 Grand Slam singles titles he did had he not been barred from entering the Slams from 1963-67, due to his professional status. Laver also won eight Grand Slam doubles titles. | |||
| While there are other players who could also validly have a claim to the title of the greatest male tennis player of all time, few would argue that Laver is, at the very least, among the best six or seven men ever to play tennis. Many fans consider him to be the greatest as he is the only play (male or female) to have achieved the Grand Slam twice. | |||
| Laver was inducted into the ] in ]. | |||
| ⚫ | In July ], Laver suffered a major stroke while being interviewed by ] for a series on greatest athletes of the 20th Century. Characteristically, tennis played an important role in his recovery. | ||
| In ], the centre court at ], which today hosts the Australian Open, was named the ] is named in his honour. | |||
| ⚫ | In ], Laver, along with fellow Australian tennis superstar ], was honoured with his portrait on a ] by the "Australia Post Australian Legends Award". | ||
| ⚫ | == Grand Slam singles finals == | ||
| Like many previous great players such as ], ], ], ], and ] who had turned professional and were thereafter unable to compete in the four Grand Slam tournaments, Laver might well have won a number of additional titles had he been allowed to play. Despite losing five years as a professional, Laver still won 11 Grand Slam singles titles. His victories include winning the ] singles championship in 1962. That same year he won the ] singles championship and repeated as winner in 1969. In addition, he won the ] singles championship twice and the ] singles title 4 times. | |||
| === Wins (11) === | |||
| Rod Laver won the singles ] in ], becoming only the second person (and first man) in tennis history to accomplish the feat since the ] player ] did it in ]. He defeated ] in the Australian and French Open finals, ] at Wimbledon, and Emerson again in the U.S. Open to complete his Grand Slam. However, Laver's greatest accomplishment is that he did it again in ], the only person to ever do it twice. That year he defeated ] in the Australian Open final, ] in the French Open, ] at Wimbledon, and ] in the U.S. Open to complete his second Grand Slam. | |||
| Year Championship Opponent in Final Score in Final | |||
| For approximately 35 years, from about 1920 to 1955, ] was generally considered the greatest player who had ever lived, his only rivals being ] and ]. In the mid-1950s most observers began to think that ] had claimed that title. With the emergence of Laver in the ], opinion began to swing away from the now nearly forgotten Gonzales to the great champions of the ], first to Laver, then to ], and finally to ]. Almost certainly Laver is one of the six or seven best players to have ever lived. It is interesting to note, however, that even into his 40s, an age at which few top players are still competing, Gonzales could still beat Laver at times. The most notable occasion was a 5-set match at ] in which the 42-year-old Gonzales rallied to beat the number 1 player in the world. Gonzales beat Laver again a few weeks later in a ] tournament. | |||
| ⚫ | 1960 Australian Championships Neale Fraser 5-7, 3-6, 6-3, 8-6, 8-6 | ||
| ⚫ | 1961 Wimbledon Charles McKinley 6-3, 6-1, 6-4 | ||
| ⚫ | 1962 Australian Championships Roy Emerson 8-6, 0-6, 6-4, 6-4 | ||
| ⚫ | 1962 French Championships Roy Emerson 3-6, 2-6, 6-3, 9-7, 6-2 | ||
| ⚫ | 1962 Wimbledon Martin Mulligan 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 | ||
| ⚫ | 1962 US Championships Roy Emerson 6-2, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 | ||
| ⚫ | '''''Open Era''''' | ||
| ⚫ | 1968 Wimbledon Tony Roche 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 | ||
| ⚫ | 1969 Australian Open Andres Gimeno 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 | ||
| ⚫ | 1969 French Open Ken Rosewall 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 | ||
| ⚫ | 1969 Wimbledon John Newcombe 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 | ||
| ⚫ | 1969 US Open Tony Roche 7-9, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 | ||
| === Runner-ups (6) === | |||
| In ], Rod Laver was inducted into the ], in ]. In his native country Australia, ]'s major tennis facility the ] is named in his honour, and hosts the ] tennis tournament. | |||
| Year Championship Opponent in Final Score in Final | |||
| ⚫ | In July 1998, Laver suffered a major stroke while being interviewed by ] for a series on greatest athletes of the 20th |
||
| 1959 Wimbledon Alex Olmedo 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 | |||
| 1960 Wimbledon Neale Fraser 6-4, 3-6, 9-7, 7-5 | |||
| 1960 US Championships Neale Fraser 6-4, 6-4, 9-7 | |||
| 1961 Australian Championships Roy Emerson 1-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 | |||
| 1961 US Championships Roy Emerson 7-5, 6-3, 6-2 | |||
| '''''Open Era''''' | |||
| 1968 French Open Ken Rosewall 6-3, 6-1, 2-6, 6-2 | |||
| == External links == | |||
| ⚫ | In ], |
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| * | |||
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| ⚫ | ==Grand Slam |
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| ⚫ | 1960 |
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| ⚫ | 1961 |
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| ⚫ | 1962 |
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| ⚫ | 1962 |
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| ⚫ | 1962 |
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| ⚫ | 1962 |
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| ⚫ | ''Open Era'' | ||
| ⚫ | 1968 |
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| ⚫ | 1969 Australian Open |
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| ⚫ | 1969 |
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| ⚫ | 1969 |
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| ⚫ | 1969 |
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| ] | ] | ||
Revision as of 19:00, 4 September 2005
| ||
| Country: | Australia | |
| Height: | 5 ft 8 in (172 cm) | |
| Weight: | 150 lb (68 kg) | |
| Plays: | Left | |
| Turned pro: | 1962 | |
| Retired: | 1974 | |
| Highest singles ranking: | 1 | |
| Singles titles: | 39 | |
| Career prize money: | US$1,564,213 | |
| Grand Slam Record Titles: 11 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Australian Open | W (1960-62-69) | |
| French Open | W (1962-69) | |
| Wimbledon | W (1961-62-68-69) | |
| US Open | W (1962-69) | |
Rodney George "Rod" Laver (born August 9 1938, in Rockhampton, Australia) is a former World No. 1 tennis player from Australia. He is the only player in tennis history to have won all four of tennis' Grand Slam singles titles in the same year on two separate occasions – first as an amateur in 1962, and then again as a professional in 1969. For this achievement, Laver is considered by many tennis fans to be the greatest individual player of all time.
Laver was a young boy when he left school to pursue a career in tennis that would end up lasting 23 years. Laver's first major singles title was the Australian Championships in 1960, where he beat fellow Australian Neale Fraser in a titanic five-set final. He then captured his first Wimbledon singles crown in 1961. In 1962, he became only the second male player after Don Budge in 1938 to win all four of the Grand Slam titles in the same year.
At the time, the Grand Slam events were only open to amateur players, who were given (under the table) little more than cost of living money for their appearances in tournaments.
Laver turned professional after completing Grand Slam in 1962. He quickly established himself among the leading professional players, delighting crowds with duels against Pancho Gonzales and Ken Rosewall. During the next seven years, Laver won the US Professional Singles Championship five times, including four in a row from 1966-1969.
With the dawn of the Open Era in 1968, professional players were once again allowed to compete in the Grand Slam events. Laver became Wimbeldon's first Open Era champion in 1968, beating fellow-Australian Tony Roche in straight sets in the final.
In 1969, Laver achived the Grand Slam for a second time, sealing the achievement with a four-set win over Roche in the US Open final. He had an incredible record that year, winning 17 of the 32 singles touarnments he entered and compiling a 106-16 win-loss record. In beating John Newcombe in four sets in the Wimbeldon final, he captured the title at the All England Club for the fourth consecutive time that he'd entered the championship (and reached the final for the sixth consecutive time as he'd been runner-up in 1959 and 1960). He set a record of 31 consecutive match victories at Wimbledon between 1961 and 1970, which lasted until 1980 when it was eclipsed by Bjorn Borg. Unlike his first Grand Slam year in 1962, in 1969 Laver was playing in events open to all players in the professional and amateur ranks, and thus winning tournaments that involved all of the best players in the world.
In 1971, Laver won a then-record US$292,717 in tournament prize money. The figure enabled him to become the first tennis player to surpass US$1 million in prize money.
Laver helped Australia win the Davis Cup four consecutive times from 1959-62. In 1973, professionals were permitted to play in the Davis Cup for the first time, and Laver was on a winning team for the fifth time, claiming two singles and a doubles rubber in the final as Australia beat the United States 5-0.
Laver was officially ranked the World No. 1 player in 1961, 1962, 1968 and 1969. He retired from the professional tennis tour in 1974. He was still ranked in the Top 10 at the time of his retirement.
Laver's 11 Grand Slam singles titles currently place him tied for third place on the all-time list, along with Borg. Only Pete Sampras and Roy Emerson have won more Grand Slam singles titles. Laver would almost certainly have won more than the 11 Grand Slam singles titles he did had he not been barred from entering the Slams from 1963-67, due to his professional status. Laver also won eight Grand Slam doubles titles.
While there are other players who could also validly have a claim to the title of the greatest male tennis player of all time, few would argue that Laver is, at the very least, among the best six or seven men ever to play tennis. Many fans consider him to be the greatest as he is the only play (male or female) to have achieved the Grand Slam twice.
Laver was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1981.
In July 1998, Laver suffered a major stroke while being interviewed by ESPN for a series on greatest athletes of the 20th Century. Characteristically, tennis played an important role in his recovery.
In 2000, the centre court at Melbourne Park, which today hosts the Australian Open, was named the Rod Laver Arena is named in his honour.
In 2003, Laver, along with fellow Australian tennis superstar Margaret Smith Court, was honoured with his portrait on a postage stamp by the "Australia Post Australian Legends Award".
Grand Slam singles finals
Wins (11)
Year Championship Opponent in Final Score in Final 1960 Australian Championships Neale Fraser 5-7, 3-6, 6-3, 8-6, 8-6 1961 Wimbledon Charles McKinley 6-3, 6-1, 6-4 1962 Australian Championships Roy Emerson 8-6, 0-6, 6-4, 6-4 1962 French Championships Roy Emerson 3-6, 2-6, 6-3, 9-7, 6-2 1962 Wimbledon Martin Mulligan 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 1962 US Championships Roy Emerson 6-2, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 Open Era 1968 Wimbledon Tony Roche 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 1969 Australian Open Andres Gimeno 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 1969 French Open Ken Rosewall 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 1969 Wimbledon John Newcombe 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 1969 US Open Tony Roche 7-9, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2
Runner-ups (6)
Year Championship Opponent in Final Score in Final 1959 Wimbledon Alex Olmedo 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 1960 Wimbledon Neale Fraser 6-4, 3-6, 9-7, 7-5 1960 US Championships Neale Fraser 6-4, 6-4, 9-7 1961 Australian Championships Roy Emerson 1-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 1961 US Championships Roy Emerson 7-5, 6-3, 6-2 Open Era 1968 French Open Ken Rosewall 6-3, 6-1, 2-6, 6-2
External links
- International Tennis Hall of Fame profile
- ATP profile
- Official Wimbledon profile
- BBC profile
- Davis Cup record