Tennis is one of the most popular and prestigious sports in the world – and its most important tournaments are known as Grand Slam tournaments.
These tournaments are the Australian Open, Roland-Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open, which take place annually in different countries and on different surfaces.
In this article, we’ll explore the history, characteristics and records of the group of competitions that make up tennis’ Grand Slam.
Check it out 👇
What is a tennis Grand Slam?
Grand Slam is a term used to describe the four main tournaments in professional tennis: the Australian Open, Roland-Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open.
These tournaments are held once a year and are the most important of the season, as well as awarding the best prizes.
Winning one of the four Grand Slam competitions is considered one of the greatest achievements in the world of tennis.
Why is it called the Grand Slam?
The expression Grand Slam originated in the early 1800s in a card game called bridge. It is used to refer to a person who has managed to win all 13 rounds of the game.
From then on, Grand Slam began to be used in other sports as a synonym for consecutive success. As well as tennis, the expression also appears in golf, baseball and rugby.
What are the 4 Grand Slams of tennis?
- Australian Open (January) – Hard
- Roland-Garros (May/June) – Clay
- Wimbledon (June/July) – Grass
- US Open (August/September) – Hard
Grand Slam prizes
- Australian Open – A$ 76.500.000
- Roland-Garros – € 43.900.000
- Wimbledon – £ 44.700.000
- US Open – US$ 65.000.000
Who is the greatest Grand Slam winner in tennis?
Novak Djokovic (men) and Margaret Court (women) are the greatest Grand Slam winners in history, with 24 titles each.
Djoko has won 10 Australian Opens (2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023), 3 Roland-Garros (2016, 2021, 2023), 7 Wimbledons (2011, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022) and 4 US Opens (2011, 2015, 2018, 2023).
Court has won 11 Australian Opens (1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973), 5 Roland-Garros (1962, 1964, 1969, 1970, 1973), 3 Wimbledons (1963, 1965, 1970) and 5 US Opens (1962, 1965, 1969, 1970, 1973).
Tennis’ greatest Grand Slam winners (overall)
- Novak Djokovic (Serbia) – 24 titles
- Margaret Court (Australia) – 24 titles
- Serena Williams (USA) – 23 titles
- Rafael Nadal (Spain) – 22 titles
- Steffi Graf (Germany) – 22 titles
- Roger Federer (Switzerland) – 20 titles
- Helen Wills (USA) – 19 titles
- Chris Evert (USA) – 18 titles
- Martina Navratilova (USA) – 18 titles
Tennis’ greatest Grand Slam winners (men)
- Novak Djokovic (Serbia) – 24 titles
- Rafael Nadal (Spain) – 22 titles
- Roger Federer (Switzerland) – 20 titles
- Pete Sampras (USA) – 14 titles
- Roy Emerson (Australia) – 12 titles
- Rod Laver (Australia) – 11 titles
- Bjorn Borg (Sweden) – 11 titles
- Bill Tilden (USA) – 10 titles
Tennis’ greatest Grand Slam winners (women)
- Margaret Court (Australia) – 24 titles
- Serena Williams (USA) – 23 titles
- Steffi Graf (Germany) – 22 titles
- Helen Wills (USA) – 19 titles
- Chris Evert (USA) – 18 titles
- Martina Navratilova (USA) – 18 titles
- Billie Jean King (USA) – 12 titles
- Maureen Connolly (USA) – 9 titles
- Monica Seles (USA) – 9 titles
Who has won all four Grand Slams in the same year?
Only five tennis players have won all four Grand Slams in a single season: John Budge (1938), Maureen Conolly (1953), Rod Laver (1962, 1969), Margaret Court (1970) and Steffi Graf (1998). This feat is called the Calendar Slam.
Who has won four Grand Slams in their career?
- Andre Agassi (EUA)
- Billie Jean King (EUA)
- Chris Evert (EUA)
- Don Budge (EUA)
- Doris Hart (EUA)
- Fred Perry (England)
- Maria Sharapova (Russia)
- Margaret Court (Australia)
- Martina Navratilova (EUA)
- Maureen Connolly (EUA)
- Novak Djokovic (Serbia)
- Rafael Nadal (Spain)
- Rod Laver (Australia)
- Roger Federer (Switzerland)
- Roy Emerson (Australia)
- Serena Williams (EUA)
- Shirley Fry Irvin (EUA)
- Steffi Graf (Germany)
What is the Golden Grand Slam in tennis?
We call it a Golden Grand Slam when a tennis player manages to win four Grand Slam titles and an Olympics during his career. Only four people have ever achieved this feat in history. See below.
Who has won the Golden Grand Slam in tennis?
- Andre Agassi (USA)
- Rafael Nadal (Spain)
- Serena Williams (USA)
- Steffi Graf (Germany)
What is Boxed Set in tennis?
In tennis, Boxed Set is the name given to the feat of those who manage to win all four Grand Slam titles in all categories (singles, doubles, mixed) during their career. Only three women have achieved this feat. Check them out below.
Who has won the Boxed Set in tennis?
- Doris Hart (USA)
- Margaret Court (Australia)
- Martina Navratilova (USA)
Who was the youngest tennis player to win a Grand Slam?
Lottie Dod was the youngest tennis player to win a Grand Slam. The British player achieved this feat at the age of 15, in 1887, at the Wimbledon tournament.
Who won the 2023 Grand Slam?
- Australian Open – Novak Djokovic (Men)
- Australian Open – Aryna Sabalenka (Women)
- Roland-Garros – Novak Djokovic (Men)
- Roland-Garros – Iga Swiatek (Women)
- Wimbledon – Carlos Alcaraz (Men)
- Wimbledon – Marketa Vondrousova (Women)
- US Open – Novak Djokovic (Men)
- US Open – Coco Gauff (Women)
That’s it! Now you know the Grand Slam tournaments in tennis. Which is your favorite tournament? Let us know in the comments 😃
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