Rod Laver is not only regarded as one of the greatest Australian tennis players of all time, but has even been argued as one of the greatest tennis players worldwide too. His career success in tennis not only earnt him the honor of having the Australian Open centre court, Rod Laver Arena named after him, but also the annual Team Europe vs Team World tournament, the Laver Cup.Australian tennis had started to peak around the 50s and 60s era, with big-name players such as Ken Rosewall, Roy Emerson and John Newcombe blasting onto the scene and representing the land downunder in their stride. However, it was Rod Laver who led this movement, absolutely dominating the 60s era of tennis with 11 Grand Slam wins just in that decade.
Rodney George Laver was born in Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia, on 9 August 1938. He was the third of four children of Roy Laver, a cattleman and butcher, and his wife Melba Roffey. Although of a slightly short and medium build, Laver developed a technically complete serve-and-volley game, with aggressive groundstrokes to back it up.
In 1962, Rod Laver became just the second man in the world to win all four Grand Slams in that calendar year, a feat which was previously achieved by American player Don Budge in 1938. This was a huge milestone for Australian tennis, and the world began to recognise Australia as one of the “tennis hubs” of the world, possessing an arsenal of world-class players.
As the 60s progressed, it became relevant that the tennis scene was being dominated by the Aussies, with 32 out of the 40 Grand Slams played within the decade of 1960-1969, was won by an Australian player. This achievement was a joint-effort between Rod Laver and Roy Emerson, Australia’s ace players at the time, who obtained a combined Grand Slam championship title count of 23 Grand Slams together in the 60s. Even when Rod Laver and Roy Emerson were off the scene in the Grand Slam finals, Australia’s huge arsenal of tennis stars would often rise to claim the title. Such players included Neale Fraser, Fred Stolle and John Newcombe, all of whom secured more than one Grand Slam in the 60s.
Essentially, there was almost always an Australian player who would be in the finals of a 60s Grand Slam, and at times even 2 Aussies battling it out for the title. While Rod Laver was not the most accomplished Australian Grand Slam winner, as this feat was toppled by Roy Emerson, who secured 12 during his career compared to Laver’s 11 titles, there are other more prominent reasons which gave rise to the legacy of Rod Laver essentially becoming the father of Australian tennis.
Perhaps one of the greatest achievements that can be made in one’s tennis career, winning all four Grand Slams within the same calendar year, is a feat that requires the utmost of dedication, focus and effort to accomplish. Rod Laver not only became the second man ever to do this in 1962, but became the first man ever to achieve the feat twice, repeating another calendar Grand Slam win in 1969, completely dominating 2 entire years of professional tennis in the 1960s.
Australian open: W (1960, 1962, 1969)
French Open: W (1962, 1969)
Wimbledon: W (1961, 1962, 1968, 1969)
US Open: W (1962, 1969)
Australian open: W (1959, 1960, 1961, 1969)
French Open: F (1961)
Wimbledon: F (1970)
US Open: W (1960, 1970, 1973)
