Rod Laver
Australian tennis player (born 1938) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Rodney George Laver AC MBE (born 9 August 1938) is an Australian former tennis player. Laver was ranked the world number 1 professional player indisputably for five years from 1965 to 1969 and by some sources also in 1964 and 1970. He was also ranked as the number 1 amateur in 1961 and 1962. Laver won 198 singles titles which is the most won by a player in history.[3]
Full name | Rodney George Laver |
---|---|
Country (sports) | Australia |
Residence | Carlsbad, California, U.S. |
Born | (1938-08-09) 9 August 1938 (age 85) Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia |
Height | 173 cm (5 ft 8 in)[1] |
Turned pro | 1963 (amateur tour from 1956) |
Retired | 1979 |
Plays | Left-handed (one-handed backhand) |
Prize money | US$1,565,413 |
Int. Tennis HoF | 1981 (member page) |
Singles | |
Career record | 1689–538 (75.8%) in pre Open-Era & Open Era[2] |
Career titles | 198 [3] (72 open era titles listed by ATP) |
Highest ranking | No. 1 (1961, Lance Tingay)[4] |
Grand Slam singles results | |
Australian Open | W (1960, 1962, 1969) |
French Open | W (1962, 1969) |
Wimbledon | W (1961, 1962, 1968, 1969) |
US Open | W (1962, 1969) |
Other tournaments | |
Tour Finals | RR – 2nd (1970) |
WCT Finals | F (1971, 1972) |
Professional majors | |
US Pro | W (1964, 1966, 1967) |
Wembley Pro | W (1964, 1965, 1966, 1967) |
French Pro | W (1967) |
Doubles | |
Career record | 235–77 (75.32%)[lower-alpha 1] |
Career titles | 28[lower-alpha 1] |
Highest ranking | No. 11 (per ATP) |
Grand Slam doubles results | |
Australian Open | W (1959, 1960, 1961, 1969) |
French Open | W (1961) |
Wimbledon | W (1971) |
US Open | F (1960, 1970, 1973) |
Mixed doubles | |
Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
Australian Open | F (1959) |
French Open | W (1961) |
Wimbledon | W (1959, 1960) |
Team competitions | |
Davis Cup | W (1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1973) |
Laver won 11 Grand Slam singles titles and 8 Pro Majors titles. He completed the Grand Slam (winning all four slams in a calendar year) in singles twice in 1962 and 1969; the latter remains the only time a man has done so in the Open Era. He also completed the Pro Slam (winning all three pro majors in one year) in 1967.[5][6] Laver won titles on all court surfaces of his time: grass, clay, hard, carpet, wood and he contributed to five Davis Cup titles for Australia during an age when the Davis Cup was deemed as significant as the four majors.[7] The Rod Laver Arena and the Laver Cup tournament are named after him.[8]