Grand Slams Important Facts

History - Important Facts

Important Facts

The Grand Slams are the four most important competitions in tennis.

To win all four events in one calendar year is known as completing the 'Grand Slam'. Very few players have done this, Donald Budge in 1938 and Rod Laver in1962 and 1969, are the only men to have achieved it.

Margaret Court in 1970, Maureen Connelly in 1953 and Steffi Graf in 1988 are the only women. Though the term was originally restricted to the winning of all four tournaments in the same calendar year, the International Tennis Federation declared the official term as a player holding all four titles simultaneously, regardless of the calendar year.

Andre Agassi is the last tennis player to have won a career Grand Slam all 4 titles but in different years.

Four consecutive Grand Slam titles

Martina Navratilova won four consecutive major championships, holding all four at once. The International Tennis Federation awarded her the Grand Slam $1,000,000 bonus, as she held all four titles at once.

Steffi Graf and Serena Williams have also completed this Grand Slam (by ITF regulations).

Between 1924 and 1933 Helen Wills has a streak of winning sixteen straight Grand Slam singles events, the first fifteen without losing a set. During this period she won 5 times at Wimbledon, 4 French Opens, and 7 US Opens without losing. She also won the 1924 Summer Olympics during this streak. Wills never entered Australian Open which was in its infancy.

Career Golden Slam
Winning all tournaments in a True Golden Slam, but non-consecutively:
Players who won a Career Golden Slam:
Andre Agassi (1992-94-95-96-99)
Teams that won a Career Golden Slam:
Serena Williams & Venus Williams (1999-2000-01)

The Career "Boxed Set"

Perhaps the greatest Grand Slam related accomplishment imaginable is winning a boxed set of Grand Slam titles — winning the singles, doubles, and mixed doubles at all four Grand Slam events. No male player has ever achieved this feat, but three women have completed the "boxed set" during their careers: These tennis players are: Doris Hart, Margaret Smith Court & Martina Navratilova.