If you are a dyed-in-the-wool tennis fan, chances are that you have been keeping tabs on the updates of this popular sport. And likely, you never fail to know each and every bit of tennis trivia by heart – and that includes, of course, the winners of the Grand Slam.
The “Grand Slam” in tennis refers to the four most important tennis tournaments – Wimbledon, the U.S. Open, the French Open, and the Australian Open.
Distinguishing among different “Grand Slam” victories
- Winning all four major tournaments in a row and in the same calendar year is called a “Calendar Year Grand Slam.”
- Winning all four major tournaments in a row, but not in the same calendar year, is called a “non-calendar year Grand Slam.”
- Winning all four major tournaments at any point of a tennis player’s career is referred to as a “Career Grand Slam.”
- The rarest feat – winning an Olympic gold medal in addition to winning all the four major tournaments consecutively in a single calendar year is referred to as the “Golden Grand Slam,” or more popularly, “Golden Slam.”
It is interesting to note that there are a number of players who have failed to achieve the Career Grand Slam, despite having won several titles in any of these four major tournaments. Notable examples include Ivan Lendl (who failed to win Wimbledon), Björn Borg (who failed to win the US Open and Australian Open), and Pete Sampras (who failed to win the French Open).
If you are casual or new tennis fans, you may not have heard of the name Don Budge, but he’s worth mentioning here. The late American tennis legend earned the distinction of being the first tennis player ever – of any race, nationality, and gender – to win all four major tournaments in a single calendar year, in 1938. Thus, Budge swept the first “Grand Slam” in the tennis world. He is also the only male player in tennis history to have won six Grand Slam singles titles in a row, from Wimbledon in 1937 to U.S. Open in 1938.
Today, we see the likes of Grand Slam winners, such as Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and other stars dominating the sport.
The following list the male tennis players who have won the most number of Grand Slam tournament singles titles (as of February 2021):
1. Roger Federer (Switzerland)
Born: August 8, 1981, in Basel, Switzerland
Role: Right-handed (one-handed backhand)
Grand Slam titles: 20
With 20 Grand Slam titles and numerous other awards and records under his belt, Roger Federer has been considered an almost-perfect ambassador of tennis. Federer is known for his all-court versatility and perceived smoothness on the court, making him popular among tennis fans. However, he is at his strongest in the grass and hard-court surfaces, and you can see the evidence: he won eight titles at Wimbledon (grass) and six in the Australian Open (hard). Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic are hailed as the “Big Three” of tennis.
As of this writing, Federer is ranked No. 6 in the world by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). So far, Federer holds 20 Grand Slam men’s singles titles, a record he shares with Nadal:
- Wimbledon (8)
- Australian Open (6)
- U.S. Open (5)
- French Open (1)
2. Rafael Nadal (Spain)
Born: June 3, 1986, in Mallorca, Spain
Role: Left-handed (two-handed backhand), born right-handed
Grand Slam singles titles: 20
Rafael Nadal is a Spanish tennis star who earns the moniker “King of Clay” due to his dominance in clay court surfaces. Proof: he has won 13 titles at the French Open (known for its clay surface), as well as 60 of his 86 ATP singles titles coming on this particular surface.
Nadal, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic are collectively called the “Big Three” of tennis. As of this writing, Nadal is ranked No. 2 in the world by the ATP.
Nadal’s skillful antics and gung-ho style of playing have captured the hearts and minds of tennis lovers everywhere. He has 20 Grand Slam titles, a record he shares with Roger Federer:
- French Open (13)
- U.S. Open (4)
- Wimbledon (2)
- Australian Open (1)
3. Novak Djokovic (Serbia)
Born: May 22, 1987, in Belgrade, Serbia (then Yugoslavia)
Role: Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Grand Slam singles titles: 18
One of the greatest tennis players in the 21st century, Novak Djokovic is currently ranked No. 1 in the world by the ATP, and he has been No. 1 for a record of 311 weeks at a stretch. He, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are collectively known as the “Big Three” in today’s tennis.
Djokovic’s consistent but powerful playing style – as well as his notable comedic impressions of contemporary tennis players – have earned him much admiration and media attention. He is at most dominant in hard court surfaces.
The Serbian tennis champ has an enviable achievement of winning 18 Grand Slam singles:
- Australian Open (9)
- Wimbledon (5)
- US Open (3)
- French Open (1)
4. Pete Sampras (USA)
Born: August 12, 1971, in California, USA
Role: Right-handed (one-handed backhand)
Grand Slam singles titles: 14
During his heyday on the court, Pete Sampras won 14 Grand Slam tournament titles, a record among male tennis players until 2009 when Roger Federer broke it. He failed to win the French Open, though, with his best finish being an appearance in the semifinal round in 1996.
The now-retired tennis star attained domination in professional tennis during the 1990s, which placed him alongside his boyhood hero, Rod Laver, as one of the greatest players of all time.
Sampras’ 14 Grand Slam tournament titles include:
- Wimbledon (7)
- U.S. Open (5)
- Australian Open (2)
5. Roy Emerson (Australia)
Born: November 3, 1936, in Queensland, Australia
Role: Right-handed (one-handed backhand)
Grand Slam singles titles: 12
So far, former tennis star Roy Emerson is the only player to have achieved a career Grand Slam (winning at all four major tournaments) in both singles and doubles: 12 Grand Slam singles titles and 16 Grand Slam doubles titles.
The Australian was ranked No. 1 in the world in 1964, 1965, and 1967. Also, Emerson became the first player to win 12 majors, a record that had been maintained until 2000 when it was broken by Pete Sampras. Emerson’s 12 Grand Slam singles titles include:
- Australian Open (6)
- French Open (2)
- Wimbledon (2)
- US Open (2)
6. Rod Laver (Australia)
Born: August 9, 1938, in Queensland, Australia
Role: Left-handed (one-handed backhand)
Grand Slam singles titles: 11
Rod Laver is an Australian retired tennis player, regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of all time.
He won 200 singles titles – the most in tennis history that have not been surpassed since. During the peak of his career, Laver was consistently placed at No. 1 in the world from 1964 to 1970. He further proved his mettle, in the pre- and post-Open Era, in the world of tennis.
Laver won his first Grand Slam in 1962, while he was still an amateur. But when he turned professional a year later, he was banned from playing those tournaments. But with the advent of the Open Era in 1968, the pros were once again allowed to compete in Grand Slam tournaments. A year later, he won his second Grand Slam.
Laver’s 11 Grand Slam singles titles include:
- Wimbledon (4)
- Australian Open (3)
- U.S. Open (2)
- French Open (2)
7. Björn Borg (Sweden)
Born: June 6, 1956, in Stockholm, Sweden
Role: Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Grand Slam singles titles: 11
Björn Borg is a Swedish retired tennis player. During the peak of his career, he was ranked No. 1 by the ATP in six stretches from 1977 to 1981, in a total of 109 weeks. He became the first player in the Open Era to win 11 Grand Slam singles titles, although he failed to win the US Open in his four finals appearances and was not able to make past three rounds in the Australian Open.
Out of his 11 Grand Slam singles titles, he won six from the French Open, the first player in the history of tennis to do so.
Borg became a teenage sensation at the start of his tennis career. His unprecedented stardom helped propel the rising popularity of tennis during his heyday.
- French Open (6)
- Wimbledon (5)
8. Bill Tilden (USA)
Born: February 10, 1893, in Pennsylvania, USA
Died: June 5, 1953, in California, USA
Role: Right-handed (one-handed backhand)
Grand Slam singles titles: 10
Bill “Big Bill” Tilden became a court sensation during the first half of the 1920s. He was an amateur player from 1912 to 1930, and during this period, he won 138 out of 192 tournaments. When he turned professional in 1931, Tilden toured with other professionals for the next 15 years.
He was the first player to win ten major titles in the 1920s, demonstrating his domination in the sport during that era. His ten Grand Slam singles titles include:
- U.S. Open (7)
- Wimbledon (3)