Rod Laver
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| Country | Australia | |
| Residence | Carlsbad, California, U.S. | |
| Date of birth | August 9 1938 | |
| Place of birth | Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia | |
| Height | 172 cm (5 ft 8 in) | |
| Weight | ||
| Turned Pro | 1962 (Started playing in 1956) | |
| Retired | 1979 | |
| Plays | Left-handed | |
| Career Prize Money | US$1,564,213 | |
| Singles | ||
| Career record: | 392 - 99 (79.8%) in the Open era as recorded by the ATP | |
| Career titles: | at least 184 including 39 listed by the ATP | |
| Highest ranking: | 1 | |
| Grand Slam results | ||
| Australian Open | W ('60, '62, '69) | |
| French Open | W ('62, '69) | |
| Wimbledon | W ('61, '62, '68, '69) | |
| U.S. Open | W ('62, '69) | |
| Doubles | ||
| Career record: | 230 - 77 (74.9%) in the ATP statistics | |
| Career titles: | 27 in the ATP statistics | |
| Highest ranking: | 11 in the ATP statistics | |
|
Infobox last updated on: N/A. | ||
Rodney George "Rod" Laver MBE (born August 9 1938, in Rockhampton, Australia) is a former tennis player from Australia who arguably was the World No. 1 player for seven consecutive years. He is the only tennis player to have twice won all four of tennis' Grand Slam singles titles in the same year — first as an amateur in 1962 and second as a professional in 1969. He is the only male player during the open era to have won a calendar year Grand Slam. Laver has been rated as the greatest male player of all time by several experts and polls.[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]
[edit] Playing style
Although of a slightly short stature and medium build (1.72m), Laver developed a technically complete serve-and-volley game, with aggressive groundstrokes to back it up. As Dan Maskell put it, he was "technically faultless, from his richly varied serve to his feather-light touch on drop volleys plus a backhand drive carrying destructive topspin when needed or controlling slice when the situation demanded it." His lefthanded serve was well disguised and wide swinging. His wristy groundstrokes on both flanks were hit with topspin, an innovation in the 1960s, as was the attacking topspin lob, which Laver developed into a weapon. His stroke technique was based on quick shoulder turns, true swings, and exquisite timing. His backhand, often hit on the run, was a point-ender that gave him an advantage. Laver was very quick and mobile and had a gigantic left forearm. Rex Bellamy wrote, "The strength of that wrist and forearm gave him blazing power without loss of control, even when he was on the run and at full stretch. The combination of speed and strength, especially wrist strength, enabled him to hit ferocious winners when way out of court." At the net, he had forcing volleys, often hit as stroke volleys. Especially on the backhand, he could hit sharp underspin angles as well. Julius Heldman pointed out, "He is competent on low balls, handling them with underspin for control, but he will cream any ball at waist level or higher." He was difficult to lob, because of his springing agility, and when forced to retreat, he could come up with a vicious counterpunch.
As an amateur, Laver was a somewhat flashy player, often a late starter. He had to learn to control his adventurous shotmaking and integrate percentage tennis into his game when he turned professional. In his prime, he could adapt his style to all surfaces and to all conditions. Laver had a great record in five-set-matches, often turning things around with subtle changes of tactics or by simply hitting his way out of danger. When he got into the "zone," he went for broke. Then he would, as Heldman explains, "literally jump and throw his racket at the ball with all the force he could muster, wrist and arm snapping over at the hit."
[edit] Career
[edit] Amateur career
Laver was a young boy when he left school to pursue a tennis career that lasted 23 years. He was coached in Queensland by Charlie Hollis and later by the Australian Davis Cup team captain Harry Hopman, who gave Laver the nickname "Rocket."
Laver was the U.S. junior champion in 1956 and the Australian junior champion in 1957. He had his breakthrough on the world stage in 1959, when he reached all three finals at Wimbledon, winning the mixed doubles title with Darlene Hard. As an unseeded player, he lost the singles final to Peruvian Alex Olmedo after surviving an 87-game semifinal against American Barry MacKay. His first major singles title was the Australian Championships in 1960, where he defeated fellow Australian Neale Fraser in a five-set final. He then captured his first Wimbledon singles crown in 1961.
In 1962, Laver became only the second male player after Don Budge in 1938 to win all four Grand Slam singles titles in the same year and won an additional 17 titles. Among those titles were the Italian Championships and the German Championships, giving Laver the "clay court triple" of Paris, Rome, and Hamburg that had been achieved previously only by Lew Hoad in 1956. The biggest hurdle to Laver's winning the Grand Slam was the French Championships on slow clay, where Laver won three consecutive five-setters beginning with the quarterfinals. In his quarterfinal with Martin Mulligan, Laver saved a matchpoint in the fourth set with a backhand volley after coming to the net behind a second serve. In the final, Laver lost the first two sets and was down 0-3 in the fourth set before coming back to defeat Roy Emerson. At Wimbledon, his progress was much easier. Laver lost only one set the whole tournament, to Manuel Santana in a quarterfinal, who held a set point for a two set lead. At the U.S. Championships, Laver lost only two sets during the tournament and defeated Emerson again in the final.
At the time, the Grand Slam events were open only to amateur players, who were given (under the table) little more than cost-of-living money for their appearances in tournaments.
[edit] Professional career
[edit] Before the open era
Laver turned professional after completing the Grand Slam in 1962. He quickly established himself among the leading professional players such as Pancho Gonzales and Ken Rosewall. During the next seven years, Laver won the U.S. Pro Championships five times, including four in a row beginning in 1966.
In the first half of 1963, Laver was beaten badly by both Rosewall and Hoad. Hoad won the first 8 matches against Laver, and Rosewall won 11 out of 13. By the end of the year, however, with four tournament titles, Laver had become the No. 2 professional player (on par with Hoad) behind Rosewall.[citation needed]
In 1964, Laver and Rosewall both won seven important titles (plus four minor events), but Laver won 12 of 15 matches against Rosewall and the two most prestigious titles, the U.S. Pro Championships over Gonzales and the Wembley Pro Championship over Rosewall, signalling the change of pro leadership.
In 1965, Laver was clearly the No. 1 professional player, winning 15 titles and 13 of 18 matches against Rosewall. In ten finals, Laver won eight against the still dangerous Gonzales.
In 1966, Laver won 15 events, including the U.S. Pro Championships, the Wembly Pro Championship, and eight other important tournaments.
In 1967, Laver won 18 titles, including the Wimbledon Pro, the U.S. Pro Championships, the Wembley Pro Championship, and the French Pro Championship, which gave him a clean sweep of the most important professional titles. The tournament in 1967 on Wimbledon's Centre Court was the only professional event ever staged on that court before the open era began. Laver beat Rosewall in the final 6-2, 6-2, 12-10.
[edit] During the open era
With the dawn of the open era in 1968, professional players were once again allowed to compete in Grand Slam events. Laver became Wimbledon's first open era champion in 1968, beating the best amateur, American Arthur Ashe, in a semifinal and fellow-Australian Tony Roche in the final, both in straight sets. Laver was also the runner-up to Ken Rosewall in the first French Open. In this first "open" year, there were only eight open events besides Wimbledon and the French Open, where professionals, registered players, and amateurs could compete against each other. The professionals mainly played their own circuit, with two groups - National Tennis League (NTL) and World Championships Tennis (WCT) - operating. Laver was ranked No. 1 universally, winning the U.S. Professional Championships on grass and the French Pro Championship on clay (both over John Newcombe). Laver also won the last big open event of the year, the Pacific Southwest in Los Angeles on hard courts. Ashe regarded Laver's 4-6, 6-0, 6-0 final win over Rosewall as one of his finest performances.[9] Laver said, "This is the kind of match you always dream about. The kind you play at night in your sleep."[citation needed]
In 1969, Laver won all four Grand Slam tournaments in the same calendar year for the second time, sealing the achievement with a four-set win over Roche in the U.S. Open final. He won 18 of the 32 singles tournaments he entered and compiled a 106-16 win-loss record. In beating Newcombe in four sets in the Wimbledon final, he captured the title at the All England Club for the fourth consecutive time that he had entered the tournament (and reached the final for the sixth consecutive time as he had been runner-up in 1959 and 1960). He set a record of 31 consecutive match victories at Wimbledon between 1961 and 1970, which lasted until 1980 when it was eclipsed by Björn Borg. Unlike his first Grand Slam year in 1962, Laver in 1969 played in events open to all the best professional and amateur players of the world. In the year's Grand Slam tournaments, Laver had five five-set-matches, twice coming back from two sets down in early rounds. In the four finals, however, he lost a total of only two sets. His hardest match was a marathon 90-game semifinal against Roche at the Australian Open under tropical hot conditions. Other opponents at the Australian Open included Roy Emerson, Fred Stolle, and Andres Gimeno. At the French Open, Laver beat Gimeno, Tom Okker, and Rosewall. At Wimbledon, Laver overcame strong challenges from Stan Smith, Cliff Drysdale, Ashe, and Newcombe. At the U.S. Open on slippery grass courts, Laver defeated Dennis Ralston, Emerson, Ashe, and Roche. Laver proved his versatility by winning the Grand Slam tournaments on grass and clay, plus the two most important hard court titles (South African Open at Ellis Park, Johannesburg and the U.S. Professional Championships at Boston) and the leading indoor tournaments (Philadelphia U.S. Pro Indoor and Wembley British Indoor). With US$124,000 in prize money, he was also the first player to break the US$100,000 barrier in a year.
In the early 1970s, Laver lost his grip on the major tournaments. He played only five Grand Slam tournaments from 1970 through 1972. This was partly due to his contracts with NTL and WCT. But on the WCT tours, he remained the leading player and by far the leading prize money winner.
In 1970, Laver won 13 titles and US$201,453 in prize money, including the rich 'Tennis Champions Classic' and five other big events (Sydney Dunlop Open, Philadelphia, Wembley, Los Angeles, South African Open). Those were the equivalent of the modern day ATP Masters Series. With only two majors played by all the best players (Wimbledon and the U.S. Open), there was no clear-cut World No. 1 in 1970. Wimbledon champion Newcombe, U.S. champion Rosewall, and Laver (who won the most titles and had a 3-0 win-loss record against Newcombe and a 5-0 record against Rosewall) were ranked the highest by different journalists and expert panels. Although Newcombe was top ranked by Lance Tingay, Newcombe wrote later in his autobiography "Newk-Life on and off the Court" (2002) that the top honour in 1970 belonged to Laver.
In 1971, Laver successfully defended his title at the "Tennis Champions Classic," winning 13 consecutive winner-take-all matches against top opponents and US$160,000. He also won seven tournaments, including the Italian Open in Rome on clay over Jan Kodes, the reigning French Open champion. For the year, Laver won a then-record US$292,717 in tournament prize money and became the first tennis player to surpass US$1 million in career prize money.
In 1971 and 1972, Laver finished as the points leader of the WCT tournament series but lost the playoff finals at Dallas to Rosewall. The last match is rated as one of the best of all time and drew a TV audience of over 20 million. Beginning in 1972, Laver cut back his tournament schedule, partly due to back and knee injuries and his tennis camp businesses.
In 1973, Laver won seven tournaments and successfully participated in the semifinals and final of the Davis Cup, where he won all six of his rubbers for Australia.
In 1974, Laver won six of 13 tournaments and ended the year as World No. 4 on the computer. At 36, he was the oldest player during the open era to have been included in the year-ending top five.
In 1975, Laver set a record for WCT tournaments by winning four titles and 23 consecutive matches.
In 1976, Laver semi-retired from the main tour, playing only a few selected events. He also signed with World Team Tennis, where he became "Rookie of the Year" at the age of 38.
Laver won a record 45 open titles after he turned 30 years old. And despite his relatively advanced age, his win-loss percentage during the open era was around 80%, which places him fifth on the open era list behind Borg, Jimmy Connors, Ivan Lendl, and John McEnroe but ahead of Pete Sampras and Roger Federer.
[edit] Davis Cup
Laver helped Australia win the Davis Cup four consecutive times from 1959-62. In 1973, professionals were permitted to play in the Davis Cup for the first time, and Laver was on a winning team for the fifth time, claiming two singles and a doubles rubber in the final as Australia beat the United States 5-0.
[edit] Rivalry with Ken Rosewall
Laver had a long-running, friendly rivalry with Rosewall between 1963, when he started out as a pro, and 1976, when both were semi-retired from the main tour. Including tournaments and one-night stands, they played over 130 matches, all of them as professionals, with some results from the barnstorming pro tours lost or badly recorded. According to "Total Tennis," Laver won 62 of their matches while losing 49. Other counts and estimations by the tennis historian Robert Geist give possible results of 76-66 or 100-85 in favor of Laver. The bulk of Rosewall's wins came in the first half of 1963, when Laver was a rookie pro. Except the first year (1963) and the last year they played (1976), Laver always had a positive record against Rosewall. In the open era, a match score of 23-9 in favor of Laver can be documented (see the details in Ken Rosewall).
[edit] Place among the all-time great tennis players
The press, notably Lance Tingay of the Daily Telegraph, issued subjective rankings for amateur players before the start of the open era and for all players after the start of that era. Laver was ranked by the press as the World No. 1 player in 1961 and 1962 (as an amateur) and in 1968 and 1969 (as a professional).
Some editors of the Wikipedia article "World number one male tennis player rankings" argue that Laver was the world's best player, amateur or professional, for up to seven consecutive years from 1964 through 1970. According to the article, Bill Tilden was the best player seven years and Pancho Gonzales eight years. While Laver was indisputably the best player from 1965 through 1969, the article asserts that Laver had a valid claim for the top spot also for 1964 and 1970.
Jack Kramer, the long-time tennis promoter and himself a candidate for the title of best player of all time, ranks Laver only in the "second echelon" of great players, just behind the six best.[10] He writes that although Laver was "absolutely unbeatable for a year or two late in the 1960s," a "careful comparison" could be made between Laver and the somewhat older Gonzales and that Kramer is "positive that Gonzales could have beaten Laver regularly." Kramer's main argument for down grading Laver is that, "Rosewall beat Laver in those two World Championship of Tennis finals and that was a title Laver really wanted." Kramer sees as evidence of Gonzales's superiority over Laver the fact that Gonzales defeated Laver in a U.S.$10,000 winner-take-all, five-set match before 15,000 spectators in New York City's Madison Square Garden in January 1970, when Gonzales was 41 years old and Laver was still considered the World No. 1 player. On the other hand, Gonzales was still a top ten player when this match occurred and Laver subsequently won this event, beating Gonzales in a straight sets semifinal. Overall, his head-to-head-record with Gonzales was either 36-19 or 36-20 in favor of Laver, depending on the source. Laver was 11-4 against Gonzales during the open era.[11]
Many experts disagree with Kramer's assessment of Laver. For example, Dan Maskell, John Barrett, Joe McCauley,[12] Ted Schroeder, and Tony Trabert rank Laver as the best of all time. Schroeder has been quoted by Alan Trengove as saying, "You take all the criteria - longevity, playing on grass and clay, amateur, professional, his behaviour, his appearance - in all criteria, Laver's the best player of all time." These experts cite the fact that during his amateur, touring professional, and open era careers, he won a record 184 singles titles. He also holds the record for most titles won in a single year during the amateur era (22 in 1962),[13] during the touring pro era (18 in 1967),[14], and during the open era (18 in 1969).[15] After turning professional in 1963, Laver won the U.S. Pro Championships five times and the Wembley Pro Championship four times between 1964 and 1967 (plus two more times in 1969 and 1970 when the event was known as the "British Covered Court Championships"). In 1967, Laver won a "Professional Grand Slam" by winning all four of the major professional tournaments: the U.S. Pro Championships, the Wembley Pro Championships, the French Pro Championship, and the Wimbledon Pro. In a poll by the Associated Press in 2000, Laver was voted "The Male Tennis Player of the Century," ahead of Pete Sampras, Tilden, Björn Borg, Donald Budge, John McEnroe and Hoad (tied), Rosewall and Roy Emerson (tied), and Kramer.
In 1989, Bud Collins wrote, "I remain unconvinced that there ever was a better player than Rod Laver".[16] Thirteen years later, however, as editor of the massive "Total Tennis, The Ultimate Tennis Encyclopedia", Collins was more guarded. He wrote on page 693 that Laver would "be known as possibly the greatest player ever." On page 673, Collins said that Gonzales was "probably as good as anyone who ever played the game, if not better." And on page 749, Collins called Tilden "perhaps the greatest player of them all."[17] In an August 2006 article for MSNBC, Collins ranked Laver as one of the five top men's tennis stars of all time, along with Tilden, Gonzales, Borg, and Sampras. He pointed to Tilden's "phenomenal .938 winning percentage," said "If I had to choose someone to play for my life it would be Pancho Gonzalez," praised Borg's uncanny transition from the French Open to Wimbledon, cited Sampras's "assault on the citadels of the past," and called Laver "in my eyes, the greatest player ever".[18]
In 1973, the ATP's computer rankings were established. Laver attained his highest ranking on that computer of World No. 3 in 1974. Laver's highest year-end ranking by the ATP was World No. 4 in 1974. Laver semi-retired from the main professional tennis tour in 1975 while still being ranked in the top 10.
In terms of yearly prize money won, Laver was the leader from 1964 until 1971.[19]
The number of tournament singles titles that Laver won during his career varies depending on the source. This problem is discussed in a 2006 article by Raymond Lee.[20] The ATP credits Laver with 39 open era titles in ATP sanctioned events. Other sources, like "Total Tennis: The Ultimate Tennis Encyclopedia" (edited by Bud Collins), give him 47 or 54 titles during the open era alone. Laver's overall tally, however, undoubtedly is much higher. Collins credits him with 184 titles in amateur, professional, and open competition, without listing them in detail.
Laver's eleven Grand Slam singles titles currently place him tied with Borg for third place on the all-time list. Only Sampras, Emerson, and Roger Federer have won more Grand Slam singles titles. Laver also won eight Grand Slam doubles titles. Laver is the only player to have twice won all four Grand Slam singles tournaments during the same calendar year.
Laver was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1981. Laver was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the Queen's Birthday Honours of 1970. He also is an Australian Living Treasure.
[edit] After retiring from tennis
In July 1998, Laver suffered a major stroke while being interviewed by ESPN for a series on greatest athletes of the 20th Century. Characteristically, tennis played an important role in his recovery.
In 2000, the centre court at Melbourne Park, which today hosts the Australian Open, was named the Rod Laver Arena in his honour.
In 2003, Laver, along with fellow Australian tennis superstar Margaret Smith Court, was honoured with his portrait on a postage stamp by the "Australia Post Australian Legends Award".
Laver retired to Carlsbad, California.[21]
[edit] Grand Slam singles finals
[edit] Wins (11)
| Year | Championship | Opponent in Final | Score in Final |
| 1960 | Australian Championships | Image:Flag of Australia.svg Neale Fraser | 5-7, 3-6, 6-3, 8-6, 8-6 |
| 1961 | Wimbledon | Image:Flag of the United States.svg Chuck McKinley | 6-3, 6-1, 6-4 |
| 1962 | Australian Championships (2) | Image:Flag of Australia.svg Roy Emerson | 8-6, 0-6, 6-4, 6-4 |
| 1962 | French Championships | Image:Flag of Australia.svg Roy Emerson | 3-6, 2-6, 6-3, 9-7, 6-2 |
| 1962 | Wimbledon (2) | Image:Flag of Australia.svg Marty Mulligan | 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 |
| 1962 | U.S. Championships | Image:Flag of Australia.svg Roy Emerson | 6-2, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 |
| Open Era: | |||
| 1968 | Wimbledon (3) | Image:Flag of Australia.svg Tony Roche | 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 |
| 1969 | Australian Open (3) | Image:Flag of Spain under Franco.svg Andres Gimeno | 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 |
| 1969 | French Open (2) | Image:Flag of Australia.svg Ken Rosewall | 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 |
| 1969 | Wimbledon (4) | Image:Flag of Australia.svg John Newcombe | 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 |
| 1969 | U.S. Open (2) | Image:Flag of Australia.svg Tony Roche | 7-9, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 |
[edit] Runner-ups (6)
| Year | Championship | Opponent in Final | Score in Final |
| 1959 | Wimbledon | Image:Flag of Peru.svg Alex Olmedo | 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 |
| 1960 | Wimbledon | Image:Flag of Australia.svg Neale Fraser | 6-4, 3-6, 9-7, 7-5 |
| 1960 | U.S. Championships | Image:Flag of Australia.svg Neale Fraser | 6-4, 6-4, 9-7 |
| 1961 | Australian Championships | Image:Flag of Australia.svg Roy Emerson | 1-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 |
| 1961 | U.S. Championships | Image:Flag of Australia.svg Roy Emerson | 7-5, 6-3, 6-2 |
| Open Era: | |||
| 1968 | French Open | Image:Flag of Australia.svg Ken Rosewall | 6-3, 6-1, 2-6, 6-2 |
[edit] Singles titles (184)
[edit] Titles listed on the website of the Association of Tennis Professionals (39)
[edit] Additional singles titles (145)
[edit] Notes and sources for this section
This list of 184 singles titles from 1960 through 1976 may be incomplete. The last count by tennis historian Robert Geist, which is still unpublished, is 188 singles titles. Nevertheless, Laver won far more titles than the "official" open era record of Jimmy Connors with 109 singles titles.
- Collins, Bud; Laver, Rodney George (1973). The Education of a Tennis Player. New York: Simon and Schuster. ISBN 067121533-7.
- International Tennis Federation (1970). BP Yearbook of World Tennis 1970. London. Edited by Barrett, John.
- International Tennis Federation (1971). World of Tennis '71. London. Edited by Barrett, John.
- International Tennis Federation (1972). World of Tennis '72. London. Edited by Barrett, John.
- International Tennis Federation (1973). World of Tennis '73. London. Edited by Barrett, John.
- International Tennis Federation (1974). World of Tennis '74. London. Edited by Barrett, John.
- International Tennis Federation (1975). World of Tennis '75. London. Edited by Barrett, John.
- International Tennis Federation (1976). World of Tennis '76. London. Edited by Barrett, John.
- Laver, Betty (2001). Rod Laver: The Red-headed Rocket from Rockhampton. Gladstone, Qld: Betty Laver. ISBN 095799320x.
- McCauley, Joe (2003). The History of Professional Tennis. London.
- Sutter, Michel (1992). Vainqueurs-Winners 1946-1991. Paris. (forewords by Arthur Ashe and Mark Miles).
[edit] Amateur titles: 1960-1962 (44)
- 1960 (7): Australian Championships, Brisbane; Kingaroy, Australia; Lausanne, Switzerland; Newport, Rhode Island, U.S.; Pennsylvania Grass Court Championships, Merion, U.S.; Eastern Grass Court Championships, South Orange, New Jersey, U.S.; Southampton, New York, U.S.
- 1961 (15): Wimbledon, London; Adelaide, Australia; Auckland, New Zealand; Bad Neuenahr, Germany; Brisbane; Brisbane Hard Courts; Caracas, Venezuela; Deauville, France; German Championships, Hamburg; Houston, Texas, U.S.; Kingston, Jamaica; Melbourne, Australia; Poertschach, Austria; Sydney, Australia; Sydney Metropolitan.
- 1962 (22): Australian Championships, Sydney; French Championships; Wimbledon; U.S. Championships; British Hard Court Championships, Bournemouth, United Kingdom]]; Brisbane; Brisbane Hard Courts; Caracas; Connaught, Ireland; Irish Championships, Dublin; Swiss Championships, Gstaad; German Championships, Hamburg; Dutch Championships, Hilversum, Netherlands; Hobart, Australia; Houston; Lugano, Switzerland; Melbourne; Oslo, Norway; Palermo, Italy; Queen's Club, London; Italian Championships, Rome; Sydney.
[edit] Professional titles: 1963-1967 (66)
- 1963 (5): Cannes, Kitzbühel, Noordwijk-on-Sea, Capetown, Johannesburg.
- 1964 (11): Boston US Pro, Wembley London Pro, Geneve, Johannesburg, Monterey, Perth (4 man event), Port Elizabeth, Salisbury, Biarritz (4 man), Cairo (4 man), Marseille (4 man).
- 1965 (17): Wembley London Pro, Adelaide, Cannes, Durban, Lake Tahoe, Capetown, Hobart (4 man), Los Angeles R.R., Melbourne, Nairobi, New York US Pro Indoor, Newport R.R., Oklahoma (4 man), Perth, Rhodesia, San Rafael, Belfast (4 man).
- 1966 (15): Boston US Pro, Wembley London Pro, Binghamton, Brisbane, Cannes (4 man), Capetown, Forest Hills R.R., Johannesburg, Melbourne, Perth, Nancy (4 man), Oporto, Milan (4 man), Abidjan (4 man), Dakar (4 man).
- 1967 (18): Wimbledon Pro, Boston US Pro, Wembley London Pro, Paris French Pro, Paris Indoor, Binghamton, Boston Garden, Johannesburg, Fort Worth, Marseille (4 man), Miami, New York US Pro Indoor, New York Madison Square Garden, Newport R.R., Oklahoma, Orlando, San Diego, San Juan.
[edit] Open era additional titles: 1968-1976 (35)
- 1968 (9): Boston US Pro, Paris French Pro, Buenos Aires, Corpus Christi, La Paz, London Indoor, London BBC 2 (4 man), New York Madison Square Garden, São Paulo.
- 1969 (13): South African Open, Boston US Pro, Wembley British Indoor, Anaheim, Baltimore, Binghamton, Fort Worth, Los Angeles, London BBC 2 (4man), Madrid, New York Madison Square Garden Invitational, Orlando, St. Louis.
- 1970 (7): South African Open, Wembley British Indoor, Fort Worth WCT, New York Champions Classic, Sydney, Vancouver WCT, Germany (Berlin, Bonn, and Saarbrücken) Round Robin (4 man).
- 1971 (2): New York Champions Classic, Hilton Head CBS Classic (4 man).
- 1973 (2): Hilton Head CBS Classic, Hilton Head World Invitational Tennis Classic (4 man).
- 1975 (1): Puerto Rico CBS Classic.
- 1976 (1): Detroit (probably 4 man).
[edit] Singles runner-ups during the open era (15)
[edit] Doubles titles during the open era (27)
[edit] Doubles runner-ups during the open era (14)
[edit] Notes
- ^ Bud Collins on msnbc (2006): http://msnbc.msn.com/id/14489546/
- ^ Alistair Campbell and others on Times Online (2004): http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,9910-1165988,00.html
- ^ Bruce Jenkins in San Francisco Chronicle (2006):http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/09/13/SPGGPL4KST1.DTL
- ^ David Miller in Daily Telegraph (2007):http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2007/01/15/stfede15.xml
- ^ Tony Trabert in Tennis Week (2004):www.sportsmediainc.net/tennisweek/index.cfm?func=showarticle&newsid=10503&bannerregion. Retrieved on 2007-05-29.
- ^ John Barrett and Peter Burwash (2004):http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Tennis/ATP/2004/08/01/565759.html
- ^ Ray Bowers on Tennis Server (2000):http://www.tennisserver.com/lines/lines_00_12_23.html
- ^ Raymond Lee: The greatest tennis player of all time on Tennis week, September 14, 2007:http://www.sportsmediainc.net/tennisweek/index.cfm?func=showarticle&newsid=17405&...
- ^ Deford, Frank; Ashe, Arthur. Arthur Ashe: Portrait in Motion. New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers, 198. ISBN 0-7867-0050-5.
- ^ Kramer considered the best player ever to have been either Don Budge (for consistent play) or Ellsworth Vines (at the height of his game). The next four best were, chronologically, Bill Tilden, Fred Perry, Bobby Riggs, and Pancho Gonzales. After these six came the "second echelon" of Laver, Lew Hoad, Ken Rosewall, Gottfried von Cramm, Ted Schroeder, Jack Crawford, Pancho Segura, Frank Sedgman, Tony Trabert, John Newcombe, Arthur Ashe, Stan Smith, Björn Borg, and Jimmy Connors. He felt unable to rank Henri Cochet and René Lacoste accurately but felt they were among the very best.
- ^ McCauley, Joe (2003). The History of Professional Tennis; Collins, Bud; Laver, Rodney George (1973). The Education of a Tennis Player. New York: Simon and Schuster. ISBN 067121533-7.
- ^ See McCauley, Joe (2003). The History of Professional Tennis, page 156.
- ^ McCauley, Joe (2003). The History of Professional Tennis, p. 121
- ^ McCauley, Joe (2003). The History of Professional Tennis, p. 137
- ^ Collins, Bud; Laver, Rodney George (1973). The Education of a Tennis Player. New York: Simon and Schuster, 308-10. ISBN 067121533-7.
- ^ Collins, Bud (1989). My Life With the Pros. New York: E.P. Dutton. ISBN 0-525-24659-2.
- ^ Collins, Bud (2003). Total Tennis: The Ultimate Tennis Encyclopedia. Kingston, NY: Sport Media Publishing, 673, 693, 749. ISBN 0973144343.
- ^ The Collins article: http://msnbc.msn.com/id/14489546/
- ^ Collins, Bud (2003). Total Tennis: The Ultimate Tennis Encyclopedia. Kingston, NY: Sport Media Publishing. ISBN 0973144343.
- ^ [1]
- ^ Paris, Jay. "Federer is Laver's Wimbledon favorite", North County Times, 2005-06-17. Retrieved on 2007-09-25.
[edit] Facts and Figures
- Rod Laver was so successful a tennis star that in 1970 Adidas made a signature shoe called the "Rod Laver". This shoe has become very popular among freestyle footbag players.
- Rod Laver was also the name of a rapcore band on Screaming Giant Records and Tooth and Nail Records.
- Was a childhood influence of John McEnroe according to McEnroe's autobiography "You Cannot Be Serious."
[edit] Sources
- Barrett, John Gilchrist; Maskell, Dan (1989). Oh, I say!. London: Fontana. ISBN 0-00-637434-4.
- Bellamy, Rex (1990). Love Thirty. Three Decades of Champions.
- Collins, Bud; Laver, Rodney George (1973). The Education of a Tennis Player. New York: Simon and Schuster. ISBN 067121533-7.
- Deford, Frank; Kramer, Jack (1979). The Game: My 40 Years in Tennis. New York: Putnam. ISBN 0-399-12336-9.
- Heldman, Julius. The Style of Rod Laver. In Phillips, Caryl (1999). The Right Set: A Tennis Anthology. New York: Vintage Books. ISBN 0-375-70646-1.
- Laver, Betty (2001). Rod Laver: The Red-headed Rocket from Rockhampton. Gladstone, Qld: Betty Laver. ISBN 095799320x.
- McCauley, Joe (2003). The History of Professional Tennis.
- Newcombe, John; Writer, Larry (2002). Newk - Life On and Off the Court.
- Sutter, Michel (1992). Vainqueurs-Winners 1946-1991 (forewords by Arthur Ashe and Mark Miles).
- Trengove, Alan (2003). Advantage Australia. Rod Laver and Margaret Court: Legends of the Grand Slam.
[edit] External links
- International Tennis Hall of Fame profile
- ATP profile
- Official Wimbledon website profile
- BBC profile
- Davis Cup record
Australian Open men's singles champions* |
|---|
* Open Era • (1969) Rod Laver • (1970) Arthur Ashe • (1971-72) Ken Rosewall • (1973) John Newcombe • (1974) Jimmy Connors • (1975) John Newcombe • (1976) Mark Edmondson • (1977 [Jan]) Roscoe Tanner • (1977 [Dec]) Vitas Gerulaitis • (1978-79) Guillermo Vilas • (1980) Brian Teacher • (1981-82) Johan Kriek • (1983-84) Mats Wilander • (1985) Stefan Edberg • (1986) No competition • (1987) Stefan Edberg • (1988) Mats Wilander • (1989-90) Ivan Lendl • (1991) Boris Becker (1992-93) Jim Courier • (1994) Pete Sampras • (1995) Andre Agassi • (1996) Boris Becker • (1997) Pete Sampras • (1998) Petr Korda • (1999) Yevgeny Kafelnikov • (2000-01) Andre Agassi • (2002) Thomas Johansson • (2003) Andre Agassi • (2004) Roger Federer • (2005) Marat Safin • (2006-07) Roger Federer |
French Open men's singles champions* |
|---|
* Open Era • (1968) Ken Rosewall • (1969) Rod Laver • (1970-71) Jan Kodeš • (1972) Andrés Gimeno • (1973) Ilie Năstase • (1974-75) Björn Borg • (1976) Adriano Panatta • (1977) Guillermo Vilas • (1976) Jimmy Connors • (1977) Guillermo Vilas • (1978-81) Björn Borg • (1982) Mats Wilander • (1983) Yannick Noah • (1984) Ivan Lendl • (1985) Mats Wilander • (1986-87) Ivan Lendl • (1988) Mats Wilander • (1989) Michael Chang • (1990) Andrés Gómez • (1991-92) Jim Courier • (1993-94) Sergi Bruguera • (1995) Thomas Muster • (1996) Yevgeny Kafelnikov • (1997) Gustavo Kuerten • (1998) Carlos Moyà • (1999) Andre Agassi • (2000-01) Gustavo Kuerten • (2002) Albert Costa • (2003) Juan Carlos Ferrero • (2004) Gastón Gaudio • (2005-07) Rafael Nadal |
