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What is a 'Grand Slam' in tennis? The term is actually misused often. Here's what to know.

clare mulroy, usa today
·4 min read
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Correction: A previous version of this story misstated the Australian Open women's singles champion.

Tennis season is well underway. Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic and Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka took the men's and women’s singles championship titles at the Australian Open in January. Djokovic’s 22 major championship titles mean he’s now tied with Rafael Nadal for the most in the history of men's tennis.

But Djokovic has *not* won a Grand Slam. He came close to a Grand Slam in 2021 but lost to Daniil Medvedev in the U.S. Open after winning the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the French Open earlier that year.

Here's what to know about the term 'Grand Slam' when it comes to professional tennis:

What is a Grand Slam in tennis?

A tennis player achieves the "Grand Slam" only after he or she wins all four major championships in the same calendar season. The four major championships include the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.

The term “Grand Slam” is often colloquially used to describe the four major tournaments themselves or winning all four over the course of several years. That phrasing is technically incorrect – a Grand Slam is four major titles in a single season. "Grand Slam titles" could refer to winning one of the four championships, but winning a "Grand Slam" is all four wins in one year.

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Novak Djokovic of Serbia poses with the trophy after beating Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece in the men's final of the Australian Open.
Novak Djokovic of Serbia poses with the trophy after beating Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece in the men's final of the Australian Open.

Who has won a tennis Grand Slam?

Only five singles players have won a Grand Slam, or all four major championships in one calendar season. The first player to win a Grand Slam was American tennis player Don Budge in 1938.

Singles players that have won a Grand Slam:

  • Don Budge, U.S. (1938)

  • Maureen Connolly, U.S. (1953)

  • Rod Laver, Australia (1962 and 1969)

  • Margaret Smith Court, Australia (1970)

  • Steffi Graf, Germany (1988)

Doubles partners that have won a Grand Slam:

  • Frank Sedgman and Ken McGregor, Australia (1951)

  • Maria Bueno, Brazil (played with both Dalene Hard and Christine Truman in 1960)

  • Martina Navratilova and Pam Shriver, U.S. (1984)

  • Martina Navratilova, Switzerland (played with both Mirjana Lucic and Jana Novotná in 1998)

These players have won a Grand Slam in mixed doubles:

Five players have come close to a Grand Slam. Serena Williams, Djokovic and Australian players Lew Hoad and Jack Crawford all won the first three majors but lost in the U.S. Open, the final major of the season. Crawford came within one set of a Grand Slam in 1933, and would’ve been the first player to win the Grand Slam if he had succeeded.

Who has won a career Grand Slam in tennis?

A career Grand Slam refers to a tennis player who has won all four of the major championships during their career but not necessarily in a single calendar year.

The following men’s singles players have achieved a career Grand Slam:

  • Fred Perry, England

  • Don Budge, U.S.

  • Rod Laver, Australia

  • Roy Emerson, Australia

  • Andre Agassi, U.S.

  • Roger Federer, Switzerland

  • Rafael Nadal, Spain

  • Novak Djokovic, Serbia

These women’s singles players have achieved a career Grand Slam:

  • Maureen Connolly Brinker, U.S.

  • Doris Hart, U.S.

  • Shirly Fry Irvin, U.S.

  • Margaret Smith Court, Australia

  • Billie Jean King, U.S.

  • Chris Evert, U.S.

  • Martina Navratilova, U.S.

  • Steffi Graf, Germany

  • Serena Williams, U.S.

  • Maria Sharapova, Russia

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How much do tennis players win in a Grand Slam?

Here are the prize estimates for each of the major competitions:

  • U.S. Open singles champion: $2.6 million (2022)

  • U.S. Open doubles team: $688,000 (2022)

  • Australian Open singles champion: $2.98 million (2023)

  • Australian Open doubles team: $695,000 (2023)

  • Wimbledon singles champions: $1.7 million (2021)

  • Wimbledon doubles team: $480,000 (2021)

  • French Open singles champions: $2.2 million (2022)

  • French Open doubles team: about $623,000 (2022)

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What is a tennis Grand Slam? Explaining the often-misused tennis term.