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Encyclopedia > Grand Slam in tennis
Grand Slams

A Grand Slam is a term in tennis used to denote winning all four of the following championship titles in the same year:

These tournaments are therefore also known as the Grand Slam tournaments, and rank as the most important tennis tournaments of the year in the public mind as well as in terms of the ranking points and prizemoney awarded for performances in them.

Contents

History

The term Grand Slam was first used in 1933, by the American journalist John Kieran. In describing the attempt that year by Jack Crawford to win all four titles, he compared it with "a countered and vulnerable grand slam in bridge". However, in the finals of the U.S. Championships, Crawford was unable to defeat Fred Perry. It wasn't until 1938 that Donald Budge became the first person to win the Grand Slam.


The expression, used to describe the winning of the tennis major events, was later incorporated by other sports, to describe a similar accomplishment. The main example being golf, where the Grand Slam represents winning the four majors in the same calendar year.


Winners

True Grand Slam

The winners of the Grand Slam (all four tournaments in the same calendar year) are:

Of these, Steffi Graf was the only one to win each title on a different surface: Carpet, clay, grass, and hardcourt.


Four consecutive Grand Slam titles

Though the term was originally restricted to the winning of all four tournaments in the same calendar year, it is now sometimes used for holding all four titles consecutively, regardless of the calendar. Serena Williams, when attempting to win four consecutive Grand Slam tournaments, though not within one calendar year, described such a feat as a "Serena Slam." She did indeed succeed in winning this honour she named after herself.


Winners of all four Grand Slam tournaments consecutively, but not in a single calendar year, include:

Career Grand Slam

Winning all four Grand Slam tournaments non-consecutively, is described as a "career Grand Slam."


Players who won all four Grand Slam tournaments but not did not do so within the same year, include:

Of these, Andre Agassi was the only one to win each title on a different surface: Carpet, clay, grass, and hardcourt.


Golden Slam

The Golden Slam, or Golden Grand Slam, is winning all four Grand Slam tournaments, as well as the Gold medal in tennis at the Summer Olympics, in the same calendar year. The opportunities to do so have been rare, not just because the Summer Olympics are held only once every four years, but also because in between the games of 1924 and 1988, tennis was not a medal sport at the Games.


So far this feat has been achieved only once:


  Results from FactBites:
 
FOX Sports on MSN - TENNIS - (871 words)
"For such a small country, having two Grand Slam champions in half a year is an incredible achievement," Djokovic said Saturday.
That ended a stretch of 11 Grand Slam tournaments won by either Federer or Nadal.
The competition between the women is obvious: Ivanovic has a 6-1 record against Jankovic, who is 0-4 in Grand Slam semifinals.
Smashtennis | Grand Slam Quiz | Welkom (292 words)
Van 14 februari tot en met 20 november 2006 loopt de spectaculaire Smashtennis Grand Slam Quiz waarbij je kunt voorspellen wie de aangegeven mannen- en vrouwentoernooien (ATP, WTA en ITF) wint en de finale haalt.
Achttien weken heb je de kans je kennis van tennis te testen en aantrekkelijke weekprijzen te winnen.
Schrijf jezelf daarom gratis in voor de Smashtennis Grand Slam Quiz en kijk van welke twee toernooien je de winnaars en finalisten dient te voorspellen.
  More results at FactBites »


 

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