Grand Slam title

A Grand Slam title is a tennis championship won at one of the four tournaments that make up the tennis Grand Slam.

Related Topics:
Tennis - Grand Slam

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These tournaments, the Australian Open, the French Open, the Wimbledon, and the US Open, (often referred to as the "Grand Slams") are widely considered to be the four most prestigious events in the tennis world. They can therefore be considered a scale for measuring the strength of a singles player or doubles team. Tallying a player's titles can serve as a measurement of his or her strength, relative to his or her contemporaries. The all-time list of winners thus gives an indication of the best players in tennis history. If a player manages to win all four tournaments in the same year, he or she is said to have achieved "The Grand Slam". This is considered to be one of the most significant achievements possible in tennis.

Related Topics:
Australian Open - French Open - Wimbledon - US Open

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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". Kieran singled out these four titles as being the biggest in tennis because, at the time, they were the main international championships held in the only four countries who had won the Davis Cup. (Crawford failed at the last hurdle in his attempt to achieve the Grand Slam in 1933 when he lost in the US Championships final to Fred Perry. In 1938, Donald Budge became the first person to achieve the Grand Slam.) Since then, the term "Grand Slam" has also been used to describe the four major tennis titles. The terms has also become used in other sports for similar purposes, notably golf.

Related Topics:
1933 - Davis Cup - 1938 - Donald Budge - Golf

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Currently the records for winning the most Grand Slam singles title are held by Pete Sampras for men, who won 14, and Margaret Smith Court for women, who won 24. In doubles play, the record numbers of titles are 17 by John Newcombe and 31 by Martina Navratilova. Combining both singles and doubles titles, the records are 28 by Roy Emerson and 62 by Margaret Smith Court.

Related Topics:
Pete Sampras - Margaret Smith Court - John Newcombe - Martina Navratilova - Roy Emerson

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Currently the Grand Slam events are the only events on the professional tours which include a mixed doubles competition, alongside the men's doubles, women's doubles and singles events.

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Main draw play at each Grand Slam tournament lasts for a full two weeks, with 128 players participating in the first round of the singles competitions.

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