what does it mean to win a grand slam in tennis?

Question

i thought it was just if you won either the french, us, australian or wimbledon, but now im not sure. is it when you win all of them in one year?

Answer 1

Part of the confusion comes from the ignorant TV announcers who claim that a player "won a Grand Slam" just because they won ONE of the four events. That's just plain wrong. I suppose you could say that they won a "Grand Slam event," but it would be much less confusing to simply say that they won a "major."

So yes, you have to win all four majors in a calendar year to win a "Grand Slam." The last men's player to do this was Rod Laver in 1969. The last women's player was Steffi Graf in 1988.

There is also the "Career Grand Slam," which means winning all four majors at some point in your career. Only one men's player has done that since the 1960s, and that's Andre Agassi. Federer will be going for that goal tomorrow.

Answer 2

I think you're getting confused between the two. The Grand Slam or you usually call it "The Career Grand Slam" means winning every single grand slam event. Aussie Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open. When a tennis player wins all four grand slam events, they are said to have achieved The Grand Slam or the Career Grand Slam. For example, Maria Sharapova won Wimbledon in 2004, US Open in 2006, and Aussie Open in 2008, if she wins the French Open, she'll have completed the Career Grand Slam which I really hope she can:) Anyway, winning all 4 grand slam events can be very difficult and only 6 men and 9 women have done this in the history of tennis. Most of which were before the open era.

Answer 3

You're exactly right. Winning the "grand slam" in tennis means you're the champion of the U.S. Open, the French Open, the Australian Open, and Wimbledon in the same calendar year.

Like a horse winning the Triple Crown, it's a rare feat. The great Rod Laver was the last man to win the Grand Slam. He did so in 1969. Steffi Graff won the woman's grand slam in 1988. According to Wikipedia, she also won an Olympic gold medal that same year. Not a bad year, eh?

Wikipedia explains that technically, a "grand slam" means you won the four tournaments in the same calendar year. But there is also something called a non-calendar year grand slam. This means the person (or, in the case of a doubles team, persons) wins the four tournaments back to back to back to back, though not in the same year.

There's also a "career grand slam." Accomplishing this means you've won the four events at some point during your career.

I'm exhausted just thinking about it. Who's up for some ping pong?

Answer 4

there are four majors in tennis the first is the Australian Open
the second is the French Open the third is Wimbledon and the fourth is the U.S. Open if a player wins all four of these it is considered the grand slam Rodger Federer needs to win the french this weekend to complete the career grand slam meaning he has won each of these at least once in his career.

Answer 5

i would say amen to ask mike's answer. technically, it is winning all four grand slam titles in a year. don budge and rod laver was able to do that feat. steffi graf, margaret smith court was able to accomplish that too. but since the advent of the "tiger slam", players winning all majors simultaneously without it being in a single calendar year were also honored. that is when serena williams enters the picture (serena slam of 2002-2003). there is also a career grand slam winning all four majors at least once in a career. andre agassi, chris evert lloyd, martina navratilova, roy emerson, and if i'm not mistaken jimmy connors enter the picture. there were others who almost made it and among active players, justine henin, roger federer and martina hingis are the only ones who needs who are almost successful in accomplishing career grand slams.

Answer 6

The grand slam is when a player wins all four majors at least once in their career. This is very hard to accomplish since all 4 surfaces are very different. A calendar grand slam is when they win all 4 majors in one year. ... which is also very hard to do. Andre Agassi was the last man to win the grand slam. Not sure who the woman was.

Answer 7

The grand slams are the ones you listed, techincally now to win "The Grand Slam", you need to win all four in the same calendar year...which I believe has been done once by Rod Laver, but I could be wrong about that one!

Answer 8

it is when u win all four of the tournaments. they are called the grand slam tournaments because of this

Answer 9

Ask Steffi.