Video:Guide to All-Time Tennis Records
with Nick RichardsTennis has a long history of truly impressive records. This video from About.com reviews some of the most important records in tennis.See Transcript
Transcript:Guide to All-Time Tennis Records
Hi, I'm Nick, and today for About.com, I'm going to take a closer look at the all time tennis records.
Winning the Grand Slam
Tennis is a racket sport invented in the 19th century in England. Popular around the world, the four most well-known tennis tournaments are the Australian Open and the US Open, both played on hard courts; the French Open, played on red clay courts; and Wimbledon, played on grass courts. Winning all four of these events in a single year is called a Grand Slam. Rod Laver holds the record as the only player to win a calendar Grand Slam twice, in 1962 and 1969, arguably the greatest accomplishment in the game to date.
The Golden Slam
An Olympic victory makes this achievement even greater, known as a Golden Grand Slam. Steffi Graf, in 1988, was the only player ever to achieve this honor; however, Serena Williams completed a career Golden Slam in 2012 by winning a gold medal in singles while also winning her third gold medal in doubles. Rafael Nadal and Andre Agassi have also both won all five tournaments over the course of their careers.
Don Budge and the First Grand Slam
The first player to win a Grand Slam was Don Budge in 1938. Budge is the only male player to win six consecutive Grand Slam singles titles. Fred Perry won the first career Grand Slam – winning all four majors across the spans of an entire career – at the age of 26.
Roger Federer Has Most Grand Slam Titles
Roger Federer has the most Grand Slam singles titles with 17, while Pete Sampras comes in second with 14. In the women's events, Margaret Smith Court has the most singles titles with 24, while Steffi Graf follows in close behind with 22.
Career Titles Records
Federer and Sampras make the list of most career titles with 75 and 64 respectively, but the number 1 spot goes to Jimmy Connors with a staggering 109 titles. The same applies to the female events, with Graf and Smith Court lagging behind leader Martina Navratilova, who has 167 titles to her name. Including doubles titles, John McEnroe leads the way with 152, while Navratilova once again tops the women's charts with 344 titles to her name.
Now you know the history behind the game of tennis. For more information, visit sports.About.com.