“I maintained my calm and kept my percentages up. He had to keep doing what he was doing to beat me. That was one of the best moments, at Wimbledon.”
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Rodney George Laver is an Australian former professional tennis player. Laver was ranked as the world number 1 professional player indisputably for five years from 1965 to 1969, and by some sources also in 1964 and 1970. He was also ranked as the number 1 amateur in 1961 and 1962. Laver won 200 singles titles across his amateur and professional careers, the most won by any tennis player.
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sports · Australian tennis player (born 1938) · tennis player · also Rod Laver, Rodney George Laver, Laver
Born 9 August 1938 · Q105550
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“I maintained my calm and kept my percentages up. He had to keep doing what he was doing to beat me. That was one of the best moments, at Wimbledon.”
“The grass was a tricky surface, but I was comfortable on it. You learned to serve and volley. You didn”
“You had to play a lot of matches.”
“That was a long, hard match. I have to say I played well in that event.”
“I played some of my best tennis, not making errors. To win in straight sets was a little bit of a surprise.”
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With the recreational precinct on the low bank being named Rod Laver Plaza
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Awarded Companion of the Order of Australia (2016).
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Was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia
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Was inducted into the Queensland Sport Hall of Fame
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As part of the Q150 celebrations, Laver was named one of the Q150 Icons of Queensland
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Where historian Raymond Lee analyzed the all-time best players
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Had Laver was voted "The Male Tennis Player of the Century"
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The centre court at Melbourne Park, which today hosts the Australian Open, was named the Rod Laver Arena in his honour
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Awarded Philippe Chatrier Award (1998).
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Laver received the Philippe Chatrier Award (the ITF's highest accolade) for his contributions to tennis and in 2000, Centre Court at the National Tennis Centre in Melbourne was renamed Rod Laver Arena
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Awarded Australian Tennis Hall of Fame (1993).
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Upon their induction into the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame
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Wrote, "I remain unconvinced that there ever was a better player than Rod Laver"
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The US magazine Inside Tennis polled 37 experts, and Laver was ranked first on their list
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And upgraded to a Legend of Australian Sport in 2002
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Laver's cousin was killed in the crash of Delta Air Lines Flight 191; the latter's son survived the crash
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Fred Perry ranked Laver No
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Laver set a record for WCT tournaments by winning four titles and 23 consecutive matches but in 1976, he semi-retired from the main tour, playing only a few selected events
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Laver won six titles from 13 tournaments and ended the year as World No
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Laver won seven titles and successfully participated in the semifinals and final of the Davis Cup, where he won all six of his rubbers for Australia
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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
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Laver cut back his tournament schedule, partly because of back and knee injuries and his tennis camp businesses, but he still won five titles that year
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Won the ATP Italian Open with ATP Mens (1971).
And 1972, Laver finished as the points leader of the WCT tournament series but lost the playoff finals at Dallas to Rosewall
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Laver won seven titles, including the Italian Open in Rome on clay over Jan Kodeš, the reigning French Open champion
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Won the ATP Canadian Open with ATP Mens (1970).
Laver won 15 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)
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Won the Australian Open with ATP Mens (1969).
Awarded BBC World Sport Star of the Year (1969).
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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 US Open final
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Laver was awarded the ABC Sportsman of the Year Award and the BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year
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Professional players were once again allowed to compete in Grand Slam events
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Emerson joined the pro tour, and had many new battles with Laver
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Beating the best amateur, American Arthur Ashe, in a semifinal and fellow-Australian Tony Roche in the final, both in straight sets
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Laver won five more major championships, bringing his final total to 11 and comprising his second Grand Slam; the only male singles player to win two Grand Slams and the only male singles player to do so in the Open Era
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Laver won 19 titles, including the Wimbledon Pro (beating Rosewall in straight sets in the final), the US Pro Championships (beating Gimeno in the final), the Wembley Pro Championships (beating Rosewall in the final), an
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Was the only professional event ever staged on Wimbledon's Centre Court before the Open Era began
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Laver married Mary Benson in San Rafael, California
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Laver won 16 events, including the US Pro Championships (beating Rosewall in a five-set final), the Wembley Pro Championship (beating Rosewall easily in the final), and eight other important tournaments
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Laver and Rosewall both won seven important titles (in minor tournaments Laver won four and Rosewall won three), but Laver won 17 of 24 matches against Rosewall and captured the two most prestigious titles, the US Pro Ch
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In all rankings from 1965 to 1969, and in some rankings in 1970
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And after winning at Wembley, Laver said "I've still plenty of ambitions left and would like to be the world's No
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And as a consequence was banned from competing in the amateur Grand Slams until the start of the Open Era at the 1968 French Open
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Won the Australian Open with ATP Mens (1962).
Laver became the first male player since Don Budge in 1938 to win all four Grand Slam singles titles in the same year
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Laver in 1969 played in events open to all the best professional and amateur players of the world
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And 1969; the latter remains the only time a man has done so in the Open Era
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Beating Chuck McKinley in straight sets in the final, which lasted just 53 minutes (one of the shortest men's singles Wimbledon finals on record)
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By Lance Tingay and in 1962 by Tingay and Ned Potter
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Won the Australian Open with ATP Mens (1960).
Where he defeated fellow Australian Neale Fraser in a five-set final after coming back from two sets down and saving a Fraser championship point in the fourth set
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Played for Australia Davis Cup team (1959–1973).
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When he reached all three finals at Wimbledon, winning the mixed doubles title with Darlene Hard
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And dominated the amateur circuit until 1962, before Laver turned pro
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Born 1938-08-09.
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