Frank Sedgman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Frank Sedgman
AO

Full name	Francis Arthur Sedgman
Country (sports)	Australia
Born	(1927-10-29) 29 October 1927 (age 97) Mont Albert, Victoria, Australia
Turned pro	1953 (amateur tour from 1945)
Retired	1976
Plays	Right-handed (one-handed backhand)
Int. Tennis HoF	1979 (member page)
Singles
Career record	863–516 (62.5%)
Career titles	49
Highest ranking	No. 1 (1950, Harry Hopman, Ned Potter.)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	W (1949, 1950)
French Open	F (1952)
Wimbledon	W (1952)
US Open	W (1951, 1952)
Other tournaments
Professional majors
US Pro	F (1954, 1961)
Wembley Pro	W (1953, 1958)
French Pro	W (1953)
Other pro events
TOC	F (1957AU, 1957FH, 1958AU)
Doubles
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	W (1951, 1952)
French Open	W (1951, 1952)
Wimbledon	W (1948, 1951, 1952)
US Open	W (1950, 1951)
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
Australian Open	W (1949, 1950)
French Open	W (1951, 1952)
Wimbledon	W (1951, 1952)
US Open	W (1951, 1952)

Francis Arthur Sedgman AO (born 29 October 1927) is a famous Australian tennis player. He was once ranked the world No. 1 player. During his long career, which lasted for about 30 years, Sedgman won five major Grand Slam singles titles. He also won nine Grand Slam doubles tournaments.

Frank Sedgman is one of only five tennis players ever to win multiple "Career Grand Slams" in two different types of tennis (like singles and doubles). The others are Margaret Court, Roy Emerson, Martina Navratilova, and Serena Williams. In 1951, he and his partner Ken McGregor achieved a very rare feat: they won all four Grand Slam tournaments in men's doubles in the same year! This is called a "Grand Slam."

Sedgman became a professional player in 1953. He won the Wembley World Professional Indoor singles title twice, in 1953 and 1958. He also won other big professional tournaments. Experts like Harry Hopman and Lance Tingay ranked him as the world's No. 1 amateur player in the early 1950s.

Playing Career

Amateur Years

Frank Sedgman playing tennis.

Frank Sedgman was a right-handed player who was 180 cm (about 5 feet 11 inches) tall. He was known for his "serve-and-volley" style, which means he would serve the ball and then quickly run to the net to hit the next shot. This style was made popular by another famous player, Jack Kramer. Sedgman was especially good at hitting volleys and moving fast around the net.

He led the Australian Davis Cup team to victory three times in a row, from 1950 to 1952. Between 1948 and 1952, Sedgman won an amazing 22 Grand Slam titles across singles, doubles, and mixed doubles.

One of his most incredible achievements was with his doubles partner, Ken McGregor. They are the only men's doubles team to ever win all four Grand Slam tournaments in a single year, which they did in 1951. The next year, they almost did it again, winning the first three Grand Slams. But at the U.S. Championships, they were beaten by Mervyn Rose and Vic Seixas.

Early Matches (1945-1948)

Frank Sedgman started playing in men's tournaments in 1945, even though he was still a junior player. Harry Hopman, a famous coach, saw his talent early on and called him a "potential champion." Hopman noted that Sedgman worked hard to improve his fitness.

In 1946, Sedgman played in his first Australian Championships. He won his first match but lost in the next round. In 1947, he won the Victorian Hardcourt Championships. By 1948, he was reaching the quarterfinals of major tournaments like the Australian Championships and Wimbledon. He also won the West Australian Championships.

Becoming a Champion (1949-1952)

In January 1949, Sedgman won his first Grand Slam singles title at the Australian Championships. He beat the defending champion and a former champion on his way to victory. He showed "flawless attacking tennis" in the final.

In 1950, Sedgman won his second Australian Championships singles title. He was ranked as the world's No. 1 amateur player by several experts. He reached the final of Wimbledon that year but lost.

The year 1951 was fantastic for Sedgman. He won the U.S. Championships singles title. More importantly, he and Ken McGregor made history by winning the men's doubles Grand Slam, taking all four major titles: Australian, French, Wimbledon, and U.S. Championships.

In 1952, Sedgman continued his success. He won his first Wimbledon singles title, which he said was a huge goal for him as an amateur player. He also won the U.S. Championships singles title again. By the end of 1952, he was ranked the world's No. 1 amateur player by many experts. After this amazing year, Sedgman decided to become a professional tennis player.

Professional Career

Facing the Best (1953-1957)

When Sedgman turned professional in 1953, he played against other top pros like Jack Kramer in a special tour. Kramer won most of their matches, but Sedgman showed he could compete with the best. Sedgman won the Wembley tournament in London, beating legends like Don Budge and Pancho Gonzales. He also won a tournament in Paris. For 1953, Tennis de France magazine ranked Sedgman as the world's No. 1 professional tennis player.

In 1954, Sedgman was runner-up to Pancho Gonzales in the U.S. Pro Championship. He also won a tour in Asia and the Australian professional championships. He had to take time off in 1955 for an operation. By 1957, he was back in top form, reaching the finals of big professional tournaments.

More Wins (1958-1965)

In February 1958, Sedgman won the Ampol Masters Pro in Sydney, beating both Gonzales and Tony Trabert in tough five-set matches. He also won his second Wembley title that year. Jack Kramer, a famous player and promoter, ranked Sedgman as the world's No. 2 professional player in 1958.

Sedgman continued to win in 1959, including the Melbourne event and the Grand Prix de Europe tour. He was still ranked among the top professional players. By the 1960s, his career started to slow down, but he still reached the finals of some tournaments. He retired from the main professional tour at the end of 1965.

Open Era Return

In 1968, tennis changed, allowing both amateur and professional players to compete in the same tournaments. This was called the "Open Era." Sedgman returned to play in Grand Slam events. He played in the Australian Open in 1970 and Wimbledon in 1971. He continued to play professionally until his final retirement in 1976. His last appearance at the Australian Championships was 30 years after his first, which is a record!

Beyond the Court

Sedgman also worked as a tennis commentator on Australian TV from 1960 to 1976. He helped promote the Australian Open in the early 1970s, making sure it was shown on television for more people to watch.

Honours and Awards

Frank Sedgman has received many honors for his amazing tennis career:

• In 1979, he was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island. This means he is recognized as one of the greatest tennis players of all time.
• He was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 1979.
• In 1985, he was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.
• He received an Australian Sports Medal in 2000.
• In 2019, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for his "distinguished service to tennis as a player... and as a role model for young sportspersons."

Jack Kramer, a famous tennis promoter, included Sedgman in his list of the 21 greatest players ever.

Major Finals

Grand Slam Tournaments

Singles: 8 (5 titles, 3 runner-ups)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Opponent	Score
Win	1949	Australian Championships	Grass	John Bromwich	6–3, 6–2, 6–2
Win	1950	Australian Championships	Grass	Ken McGregor	6–3, 6–4, 4–6, 6–1
Loss	1950	Wimbledon Championships	Grass	Budge Patty	1–6, 10–8, 2–6, 3–6
Win	1951	US Championships	Grass	Vic Seixas	6–4, 6–1, 6–1
Loss	1952	Australian Championships	Grass	Ken McGregor	5–7, 10–12, 6–2, 2–6
Loss	1952	French Championships	Clay	Jaroslav Drobný	2–6, 0–6, 6–3, 4–6
Win	1952	Wimbledon Championships	Grass	Jaroslav Drobný	4–6, 6–2, 6–3, 6–2
Win	1952	US Championships	Grass	Gardnar Mulloy	6–1, 6–2, 6–3

Doubles: 14 (9 titles, 5 runner-ups)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Loss	1947	Australian Championships	Grass	George Worthington	John Bromwich Adrian Quist	1–6, 3–6, 1–6
Loss	1948	Australian Championships	Grass	Colin Long	John Bromwich Adrian Quist	6–1, 8–6, 7–9, 3–6, 6–8
Loss	1948	French Championships	Clay	Harry Hopman	Lennart Bergelin Jaroslav Drobný	6–8, 1–6, 10–12
Win	1948	Wimbledon	Grass	John Bromwich	Tom Brown Gardnar Mulloy	5–7, 7–5, 7–5, 9–7
Loss	1949	U.S. Championships	Grass	George Worthington	John Bromwich Bill Sidwell	4–6, 0–6, 1–6
Win	1950	U.S. Championships	Grass	John Bromwich	Gardnar Mulloy Bill Talbert	7–5, 8–6, 3–6, 6–1
Win	1951	Australian Championships	Grass	Ken McGregor	John Bromwich Adrian Quist	11–9, 2–6, 6–3, 4–6, 6–3
Win	1951	French Championships	Clay	Ken McGregor	Gardnar Mulloy Dick Savitt	6–2, 2–6, 9–7, 7–5
Win	1951	Wimbledon	Grass	Ken McGregor	Jaroslav Drobný Eric Sturgess	3–6, 6–2, 6–3, 3–6, 6–3
Win	1951	U.S. Championships	Grass	Ken McGregor	Don Candy Mervyn Rose	10–8, 6–4, 4–6, 7–5
Win	1952	Australian Championships	Grass	Ken McGregor	Don Candy Mervyn Rose	6–4, 7–5, 6–3
Win	1952	French Championships	Clay	Ken McGregor	Gardnar Mulloy Dick Savitt	6–3, 6–4, 6–4
Winner	1952	Wimbledon	Grass	Ken McGregor	Vic Seixas Eric Sturgess	6–3, 7–5, 6–4
Loss	1952	U.S. Championships	Grass	Ken McGregor	Mervyn Rose Vic Seixas	6–3, 8–10, 8–10, 8–6, 6–8

Mixed Doubles: 11 (8 titles, 3 runner-ups)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Loss	1948	French Championships	Clay	Doris Hart	Patricia Canning Todd Jaroslav Drobný	3–6, 6–3, 3–6
Loss	1948	Wimbledon	Grass	Doris Hart	Louise Brough John Bromwich	2–6, 6–3, 3–6
Win	1949	Australian Championships	Grass	Doris Hart	Joyce Fitch John Bromwich	6–1, 5–7, 12–10
Win	1950	Australian Championships	Grass	Doris Hart	Joyce Fitch Eric Sturgess	8–6, 6–4
Loss	1950	U.S. Championships	Grass	Doris Hart	Margaret Osborne duPont Ken McGregor	4–6, 6–3, 3–6
Win	1951	French Championships	Clay	Doris Hart	Thelma Coyne Long Mervyn Rose	7–5, 6–2
Win	1951	Wimbledon	Grass	Doris Hart	Nancye Wynne Bolton Mervyn Rose	7–5, 6–2
Win	1951	U.S. Championships	Grass	Doris Hart	Shirley Fry Mervyn Rose	6–3, 6–2
Win	1952	Wimbledon	Grass	Doris Hart	Thelma Coyne Long Enrique Morea	4–6, 6–3, 6–4
Win	1952	French Championships	Clay	Doris Hart	Shirley Fry Eric Sturgess	6–8, 6–3, 6–3
Win	1952	U.S. Championships	Grass	Doris Hart	Thelma Coyne Long Lew Hoad	6–3, 7–5

Pro Slam Tournaments

Singles: 7 (3 titles, 4 runner-ups)

Result	Year	Championship	Opponent	Score
Win	1953	Wembley Pro	Pancho Gonzales	6–1, 6–2, 6–2
Win	1953	French Pro Championship	Pancho Gonzales
Loss	1954	US Pro Championship	Pancho Gonzales	3–6, 7–9, 6–3, 2–6
Loss	1956	Wembley Pro	Pancho Gonzales	6–4, 9–11, 9–11, 7–9
Win	1958	Wembley Pro	Tony Trabert	6–4, 6–3, 6–4
Loss	1959	French Pro Championship	Tony Trabert	4–6, 4–6, 4–6
Loss	1961	US Pro Championship	Pancho Gonzales	3–6, 5–7

Singles Performance Timeline

Frank Sedgman joined the professional tennis circuit in 1953. Because of this, he was not allowed to play in the amateur Grand Slam events until the "Open Era" began in 1968.

The results of the Pro Tours are not listed here.

See also

In Spanish: Frank Sedgman para niños

• List of male tennis players
• Overall tennis records – Men's singles
• Tennis records of the Open Era – men's singles