Tennis is one of the best-known sports nowadays and has been for quite some time. It’s exciting, thrilling, and a kind of an emotional rollercoaster that many people who enjoy suspense in sports come to know and love. A few of the most popular male tennis players and fan favorites are Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal. As for the female players, Serena and Venus Williams, Maria Sharapova, and Steffi Graf are some of the most well-known names in tennis history to date.
If you’re curious about how the tennis world works and want to know more about different titles, events, and tournaments that take place annually, you came to the right place! We’re here to provide you with all the info you could possibly need regarding the most well-known tennis tournaments in the world, but that’s not all! Other than explaining how these events work, and where and when they occur, we will also list the players who managed to win the Grand Slam titles and more! Buckle up, and get ready to find out all you need to know about tennis Grand Slams in the blink of an eye!
What Is a Tennis Grand Slam?
If you are a fan of tennis and you watch it often, you already know that there are certain terms, tournaments, and events that, perhaps, not everyone is familiar with. For example, Grand Slam tournaments. That is why we’re here to provide you with all the info you need to understand what a Grand Slam is, how it’s won, and why it’s important.
Grand Slam, as a term, was coined in 1933, and it refers to a tennis player winning all four of the major tournaments in one calendar year—Australian Open, French Open, US Open, and Wimbledon. These four tournaments take place every year and they are of the utmost significance for every tennis player under the sun.
The reason why these tournaments are as important as they are is that winning all four of them in a year earns them the so-called “Grand Slam Title”, also known as the “Calendar-year Grand Slam” or “Calendar Slam”. Winning this title is by no means easy, and it takes a lot of talent, practice, and hard work to do so. It is so difficult to win all four of these tournaments in the same year that the number of tennis players who had managed to do so comes down to only five. The fact that only five players have managed to claim this title speaks volumes about how rare and hard it is to accomplish this.
What Are the 4 Major Grand Slam Tournaments?
As we already mentioned, a Grand Slam title consists of winning four major tennis tournaments. We’ll break down each of these tournaments to help you understand them and how they work better.
1. Australian Open
The Australian Open is the first of the four major tennis tournaments, meaning that it takes place first and precedes the French Open, US Open, and Wimbledon. It takes place at the end of January every year, and it dates back to 1905 when it was held as the Australasian championships, but it has since grown to become one of the biggest and most well-known tennis tournaments to date. It occurs annually at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia.
Prior to the year 1988, the Australian Open matches used to be played on grass courts, but have since evolved to be played on three types of hardcourt surfaces. This tournament is one of the most attended Grand Slam events and the first to feature indoor play during rainy weather or extreme heat. The Australian Open is also known by its nickname “the happy slam”.
2. French Open
The French Open, also known as Roland-Garros, was named after the French aviator. It’s one of the four Grand Slam tournaments, and it’s held in May of every year. It takes place in Paris, France, and it is played on a clay court. The fact that this tournament is played on a clay court is what makes it stand out since it’s the only one of the four to be held on this surface.
Up until the year 1975, the French Open was the only one of the major tournaments not to be played on a grass court. The tournament was established in 1891, and it used to be exclusive to French tennis club members. After a while, it started expanding to involve other players as well and evolved into the tournament we all know today. The French Open is also known and thought of as the most physically demanding tournament worldwide.
3. Wimbledon
Wimbledon is a third of the four major Grand Slam tournaments, and also the oldest one. It was established in 1877, it is played on grass courts, and in 2019, two retractable roofs were set over the two main courts. As the oldest and the most prestigious tournament in the world, Wimbledon is the most well-known tennis event globally. It takes place in London, England, in early July every year.
This tournament is the only one of the four that is still played on a grass court. What is very interesting about this event is that it features a dress code—each competitor and royal patronage must wear all white. Since World War II, this tournament was canceled only once. That happened in 2020 due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
4. US Open
The US Open is the final Grand Slam tournament, and it consists of five primary championships, including:
- Men’s singles
- Women’s singles
- Men’s doubles
- Women’s doubles
- Mixed doubles
The tournament occurs on the last Monday in August, and it lasts for two weeks. It takes place in New York City, U.S., and it is played on hard surfaces.
It’s also known as one of the oldest championships around the globe, and it was originally called the U.S. National Championship. The first time this tournament was held was in 1881, although similar to the French Open, its doors were open only to certain club members. However, this changed by the end of the 1880s when the tournament became open to all amateur players.
Players Who Won the Most Grand Slam Titles
There is no shortage of talented and extremely dedicated tennis players, both male and female, who managed to claim a wide range of Grand Slam titles and become well-known in the tennis world. If you’re interested in finding out which male and female player managed to win most of the Grand Slam titles so far, we’re here to provide you with all the info!
Rafael Nadal is a Spanish tennis player born in 1986 who turned professional in 2001, and he is best known as a part of the Big Three (alongside Djokovic and Federer). So far, Nadal has managed to claim a total of 21 Grand Slam titles, which puts him on top of the list as the male player with most of these titles won. He is the youngest man in the Open Era to claim the career Grand Slam in 2010 when he defeated Djokovic in the US Open final, and the first one to win three Majors on three surfaces (grass surface, clay surface, and hard surface).
Serena Williams is, arguably, the most popular female tennis player of all time., born in 1981, and turned professional in 1995. Together with her sister Venus, she managed to win 14 Grand Slam Doubles titles. During her career thus far, Williams claimed a total of 23 Grand Slam titles, which makes her a female player with the most Grand Slam titles ever won. Williams owns the Open Era record for Grand Slam singles titles by a tennis player. She was also the world’s highest-paid female athlete back in 2016 and is currently regarded as the highest-earning female athlete of all time.
Wondering what other players apart from Nadal and Williams have claimed multiple Grand Slam titles? Take a look at the table below to see who were the players who grabbed the most of these:
| Male Players | Grand Slam Titles | Female Players | Grand Slam Titles |
| Rafael Nadal | 21 | Serena Williams | 23 |
| Roger Federer | 20 | Steffi Graf | 22 |
| Novak Djokovic | 20 | Martina Navratilova | 18 |
| Pete Sampras | 14 | Chris Evert | 18 |
| Roy Emerson | 12 | Margaret Court | 11 |
Grand Slams—Explained
To understand what the most recognizable achievements in the world of tennis are and get acquainted with the players who claimed them, we provide you with a detailed guide below. Once you read it, you’ll know everything there is about different Grand Slam titles and how they work.
Career Grand Slam
We’ll start with the most recognizable and prestigious accomplishment in the world of tennis—the Career Grand Slam. As we already mentioned, this is claimed by winning all four of the major Grand Slam tournaments, including the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open. Since we already explained how the Career Slam works and how one goes about winning it, we’ll proceed to listing the five tennis players who won it during their careers:
- Don Budge
- Maureen Connolly
- Rod Laver
- Margaret Court
- Steffi Graf
Non-Calendar Grand Slam
Let’s continue with the Non-Calendar Grand Slam title, which may not be as recognizable or prestigious as the Calendar Slam but is still very impressive and difficult to claim. What this title actually refers to are the players who manage to hold all four of the major Grand Slam titles, but not in the same calendar year. If you’re still not sure how it works, don’t worry! We’re here to explain. For example, let’s say that a player misses the first tournament of the year, but manages to win the other three, then comes back the next year and wins the first one (that he or she didn’t win the previous year). In such instances, the player claims the Non-Calendar Grand Slam. Many people believe and argue that this title holds the same weight and importance as the Calendar Slam.
You can take a look at the list below to see some of the players who have won the Non-Calendar Grand Slam:
- Novak Djokovic
- Martina Navratilova
- Steffi Graf
- Serena Williams
- Bob Bryan
- Mike Bryan
Golden Slam
The next one on our list is the Golden Slam, which is even more difficult to achieve than the Career Slam. The way you claim a Golden Slam is by winning the Career Slam, meaning all four of the major tournaments, and Olympic gold—all in the same calendar year. Since this is as difficult to claim as it is, only three people have managed to accomplish it—the first being Steffi Graf. She did it in 1988, and that is when the tennis community coined the term Golden Slam. Dylan Alcott and Diede de Groot managed to win it in 2024 as well, and that’s where the list of people who won the Golden Slam so far ends.
Super Slam
If you thought winning a Golden Slam is difficult, wait until you hear how hard it is to claim a Super Slam. To win a Super Slam, a player must win all four major tournaments, Olympic Gold, and the season-ending finals, all in the same calendar year. So far, only one player managed to achieve this—Diede de Groot. Steffi Graf won a Non-Calendar Super Slam as well in 1987, a year prior to winning the Golden Slam.
Three-Quarter Slam
Winning a Three-Quarter Slam is a bit easier to achieve than the Career Slam, but it is by no means a piece of cake. To win one of these titles, you must win three of the major tournaments in the same calendar year, as opposed to winning a Career Slam which requires you to win all four. There is a variety of players who managed to win the Three-Quarter Slam, including:
- Martina Navratilova
- Steffi Graf
- Serena Williams
- Rafael Nadal
Conclusion
Tennis’ Grand Slams have been and will likely remain the most recognizable accomplishments in the world of tennis for a long time. The fact that they are as difficult to accomplish as they are speaks volumes about the dedication these players possess when leaving their hearts and souls on the court, but it also makes tennis one of the most interesting and exciting sports to watch.
