Grand Slam Greatness: Remembering Tennis' Most Historic Achievements

Winning a grand slam title is the ultimate goal for tennis players. Over the years, only a few have achieved this feat. In recent decades, some players have won numerous grand slam titles setting records. As the 2024 season progresses, the competition for these records intensifies.

The four grand slam tournaments are the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open. Each tournament is played on a different surface such as clay, grass or hard courts. Wimbledon, established in 1877 is the oldest followed by the US Open, French Open and Australian Open.

Novak Djokovic and Margaret Court hold the record for the most grand slam singles titles. Djokovic surpassed Rafael Nadal record in 2023. Roger Federer retired in 2022 while Nadal future in tennis is uncertain. Serena Williams fell short in her recent grand slam finals.

The term ‘Grand Slam’ means winning all four tournaments in a single calendar year. Don Budge, Rod Laver and Maureen Connolly achieved this feat. A ‘Golden Slam’ involves winning Olympic gold in addition to the four grand slam events. Steffi Graf was the first to achieve this in 1988.