What is a Grand Slam in tennis?
A grand slam within tennis is the winning of all four major tournaments consecutively within the span of a calendar year.
Steffi Graf holds the Venus Rosewater Dish//Getty Images
However, the term is also used as an alternative name to major tournaments. In other words; the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open can either be referred to as major tournaments or grand slam tournaments.
If a player wins four grand slam tournaments consecutively, but not all within a calendar year, that is referred to as a non-calendar-year Grand Slam.
If a player wins all four grand slam tournaments in the course of their careers, that is referred to as a Career Grand Slam.
Don Budge (1938), Maureen Connolly (1953), Rod Laver (1962 & 1969), Margaret Court (1970) and Steffi Graf (1988) have completed a Grand Slam, each winning all four majors within a calendar year in the singles.
Steffi Graf also won the women’s singles gold medal at the 1988 Seoul Olympics in the year of her Grand Slam, so her achievement is referred to as a “Golden Slam”.
Which players have completed a Grand Slam in tennis?
Don Budge (1938), Maureen Connolly Brinker (1953), Rod Laver (1962 & 1969), Margaret Smith Court (1970) and Steffi Graf (1988) have completed a Grand Slam within the singles game, which means that they won all four majors – the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and Roland Garros – within a calendar year.
In doubles tennis, the first Grand Slam was achieved by Australians Frank Sedgman and Ken McGregor in 1951. Martina Navratilova and Pam Shriver of the United States accomplished this feat in 1984. In mixed doubles, Australians Margaret Smith Court and Ken Fletcher secured a Grand Slam in 1963. Additionally, Maria Bueno (1960), Owen Davidson (1967), and Martina Hingis (1998) each completed a personal Slam in doubles, partnering with two different players.
Players to win a grand slam (all four majors in one calendar year)
| Player(s) | Year | Category |
| Don Budge | 1938 | Men’s singles |
| Frank Sedgman & Ken McGregor | 1951 | Men’s doubles |
| Maureen Connolly Brinker | 1953 | Women’s singles |
| Maria Bueno (with different partners) | 1960 | Women’s doubles |
| Rod Laver | 1962 | Men’s singles |
| Margaret Smith Court & Ken Fletcher | 1963 | Mixed doubles |
| Owen Davidson (with different partners) | 1967 | Mixed doubles |
| Rod Laver | 1969 | Men’s singles |
| Margaret Smith Court | 1970 | Women’s singles |
| Martina Navratilova & Pam Shriver | 1984 | Women’s doubles |
| Steffi Graf | 1988 | Women’s singles |
| Martina Hingis (with different partners) | 1998 | Women’s doubles |
What is a Golden Slam?
In 1988, Steffi Graf not only completed a Grand Slam by winning all four major tournaments, but she also won the gold medal at the Seoul Olympics women’s singles tournament in the same year, hence why her achievement in that year is referred to as the “Golden Slam”.
What is a non-calendar-year Grand Slam?
A non-calendar-year Grand Slam entails a player winning all four major tournaments back-to-back, but not in the space of a calendar year.
For instance, Novak Djokovic won Wimbledon and the US Open in 2015 and then the Australian and French Opens in 2016, meaning he had won four Grand Slam tournaments in a row, but he did not complete a Grand Slam within a calendar year.
What is a Career Grand Slam?
A Career Grand Slam entails a player winning all four grand slam tournaments over the course of their career – not necessarily consecutively.
Which tennis players have achieved career Grand Slams?
Rod Laver Returning the Ball//Getty Images
In the men’s singles tennis, eight players have achieved a career Grand Slam. They are: Fred Perry (who completed his in 1935), Don Budge (1938), Rod Laver (1962), Roy Emerson (1964), Andre Agassi (1999), Roger Federer (2009), Rafael Nadal (2010), and Novak Djokovic (2016).
In the women’s singles, 10 players have achieved the feat – namely: Maureen Connolly Brinker (1953), Doris Hart (1954), Shirley Fry Irvin (1957), Margaret Smith Court (1963), Billie Jean King (1972), Chris Evert (1982), Martina Navratilova (1983), Steffi Graf (1988), Serena Williams (2003), and Maria Sharapova (2012).
What is a Grand Slam tournament?
Each year, there are four Grand Slam tournaments – also known as major tournaments: the Australian Open, the French Open (also known as Roland Garros), Wimbledon and the US Open.
These tournaments are characterised by higher prize money than other tennis tournaments – and in the men’s singles slams, the matches are best of five sets, as opposed to best of three as is the case for regular ATP tournaments. In women’s Grand Slam tournaments, however, the matches are still best of three sets as is the case in their regular ATP tournaments.
Which tennis players have won the most Grand Slam tournaments?
The most successful men’s singles tennis player in Grand Slam history is Novak Djokovic, who has won 24 major titles. This is level with the most successful women’s singles player, Margaret Court.
Margaret Court is the most successful player in the history of Grand Slam tournaments with 64 when her singles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles tallies are combined.
In the men’s game, that honour goes to Roy Emerson, who won 12 singles titles and 16 doubles titles.
Leonard Solms is a freelance journalist who has been covering local and international sport from South Africa since 2015. Best known for his work for ESPN, he has also written for Al Jazeera, The Continent, New Frame, Planet Rugby and GiveMeSport among several other publications.