Grand Slam (tennis) facts for kids

The Grand Slam in tennis is a super cool achievement! It means a player wins all four of the biggest tennis tournaments in the same year. Imagine winning the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open all in a row, within one calendar year!

Sometimes, players win all four big tournaments but not in the same year. This is called a "non-calendar-year Grand Slam." If a player wins all four tournaments at any point during their whole career, it's known as a "Career Grand Slam."

The term "Grand Slam" also refers to the tournaments themselves. They are the four most important yearly professional tennis events in the world. They give out the most ranking points, the most prize money, and get the most attention from fans and media. Men's matches at these tournaments are also the longest, sometimes lasting five sets!

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) oversees these tournaments. The four Grand Slam tournaments are:

• The Australian Open in January.
• The French Open from late May to early June.
• Wimbledon in late June to early July.
• The US Open from late August to early September.

Each tournament lasts for two weeks. The Australian Open and US Open are played on hard courts. The French Open is played on clay courts. Wimbledon is played on grass courts. Wimbledon is the oldest tournament, starting in 1877!

History of the Grand Slam

Tennis became very popular, and people wanted to make the rules the same everywhere. So, in 1912, tennis groups from different countries met in Paris. They formed the International Lawn Tennis Federation (ILTF) in 1913.

The ILTF created three "World Championships":

• The World Grass Court Championships (at Wimbledon).
• The World Hard Court Championships (on clay courts).
• The World Covered Court Championships (indoors).

However, the United States didn't agree with how power was shared in the ILTF. They also didn't like the "World Championship" titles. By the 1920s, American and Australian tennis was growing fast. The ILTF agreed to drop the "World Championships" titles in 1923. Instead, the national championships of Britain, France, Australia, and the US became "Official Championships." By the 1930s, these four tournaments were the most important in tennis.

The term "Grand Slam" was first used in 1933 by sports writers. They used it to describe Jack Crawford's attempt to win all four major tournaments. The phrase comes from the card game contract bridge, where a "grand slam" means winning all possible tricks. The first player to win all four majors in a calendar year was Don Budge in 1938.

For a long time, only amateur players could play in the Grand Slam tournaments. This meant they couldn't earn money from playing tennis. But many top players secretly received payments, which was called 'shamateurism'. This system wasn't fair and caused problems.

Finally, in 1967, things changed. Wimbledon held a tournament that allowed professional players. It was a huge success! This led to the start of the Open Era in 1968. From then on, both amateur and professional players could compete in the same tournaments, including the Grand Slams.

Even after the Open Era began, some players skipped the Australian Open. This was because it was far away and close to Christmas. Also, some professional players had contracts that made them miss certain major events. For example, some Australian players couldn't play in the 1970 Australian Open because of money issues.

The Grand Slam hasn't always been possible every year. From 1940 to 1945, World War II stopped some tournaments. In 1986, there was no Australian Open. And in 2020, Wimbledon was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Grand Slam Tournaments

The Grand Slam of tennis includes these four big tournaments:

Australian Open

Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Park.

The Australian Open is the first Grand Slam tournament of the year. It happens every year in late January and early February. The first one was in 1905 in Melbourne, Australia, on grass courts.

For many years, it was hard to get top international players to come. This was because Australia is far from Europe and America, and the tournament was close to Christmas. But now, it's one of the biggest sports events in the Southern Hemisphere. More than 1 million people attended the 2024 tournament!

It's known as the "Happy Slam" and is very modern. It was the first Grand Slam to have indoor play and roofs that can close over the courts. It was also the first to use electronic line calling instead of human line judges.

French Open

Court Philippe Chatrier, Stade Roland Garros.

The French Open, also called Roland Garros, is the second Grand Slam of the year. It takes place every year in late May and early June in Paris, France. It's named after Roland Garros, a French pilot.

This is the only Grand Slam tournament played on red clay courts. Many people think it's the most physically demanding tennis tournament in the world. Playing on clay makes the ball bounce slower and higher, leading to longer rallies.

The French Open became an official major championship in 1925. In 2018, a record 480,575 fans watched the tournament.

Wimbledon

Centre Court, All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.

Wimbledon is the third Grand Slam tournament of the year. It's held every year in late June and early July in London, England. It started in 1877 and is the oldest tennis event in the world. Many people see it as the most important tennis tournament.

Wimbledon is famous for its old traditions. It's the only Grand Slam still played on grass courts, which is where tennis first began. Players must wear all-white clothes during matches. Players are also called "Gentlemen" and "Ladies." There's a tradition where players bow or curtsy to the Royal Box if members of the Royal Family are there.

The BBC has shown Wimbledon on TV in the UK since 1937. The 1967 tournament was one of the first to be shown in color TV in the UK.

US Open

Arthur Ashe Stadium, USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

The US Open is the fourth and final Grand Slam tournament of the year. It's played every year in late August and early September in New York City. The first tournament was in 1881 on grass courts. Since 1978, it has been played on hard courts at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

The US Open is the only Grand Slam tournament that has been played every single year since it started. In 1997, Arthur Ashe Stadium opened. It's the biggest tennis stadium in the world, named after Arthur Ashe, who won the first US Open where professional players were allowed.

This tournament has led the way in many changes. It was the first Grand Slam to use a tiebreak system in 1970. It was also the first to give equal prize money to men and women in 1975. They also added lights in 1975 so matches could be played at night. In 2006, they started using the Hawk-Eye computer system to review line calls.

What is a Grand Slam?

A Grand Slam (sometimes called a Calendar-year Grand Slam) means winning the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open in the same year. Margaret Court is the only player to win a Grand Slam in two different types of play: singles and mixed doubles (she did it twice!). Wheelchair players Diede de Groot and Dylan Alcott have also achieved this in their singles and doubles categories.

Here are some players who have achieved a Grand Slam:

• 

  Don Budge, men's singles in 1938.

• 

  Maureen Connolly, women's singles in 1953.

• 

  Rod Laver, men's singles in 1962 and 1969.

• 

  Margaret Court, women's singles in 1970.

• 

  Steffi Graf, women's singles in 1988.

List of Grand Slam and related tennis records

Current Champions

This section shows the current champions for each Grand Slam tournament. The number in parentheses shows how many titles they have won at that specific Grand Slam and overall.

Event		Australian Open	French Open	Wimbledon	US Open
		2025	2024	2024	2024
Singles	Men	Jannik Sinner (2/3)	Carlos Alcaraz*	Carlos Alcaraz*	Jannik Sinner*
	Women	Madison Keys (1/1)	Iga Świątek*	Barbora Krejčíková*	Aryna Sabalenka*
Doubles	Men	Harri Heliövaara (1/2) Henry Patten (1/2)	Marcelo Arévalo* Mate Pavić	Harri Heliövaara* Henry Patten	Max Purcell* Jordan Thompson
	Women	Kateřina Siniaková (3/10) Taylor Townsend (1/2)	Coco Gauff* Kateřina Siniaková	Kateřina Siniaková* Taylor Townsend	Lyudmyla Kichenok* Jeļena Ostapenko
	Mixed	Olivia Gadecki (1/1) John Peers (1/2)	Laura Siegemund* Édouard Roger-Vasselin	Hsieh Su-wei* Jan Zieliński	Sara Errani* Andrea Vavassori
Wheelchair singles	Men	Alfie Hewett (2/10)	Tokito Oda*	Alfie Hewett*	Alfie Hewett*
	Women	Yui Kamiji (3/9)	Diede de Groot*	Diede de Groot*	Diede de Groot*
	Quad	Sam Schröder (4/7)	Guy Sasson*	Niels Vink*	Sam Schröder*
Wheelchair doubles	Men	Alfie Hewett (6/22) Gordon Reid (7/26)	Alfie Hewett* Gordon Reid	Alfie Hewett* Gordon Reid	Stéphane Houdet* Takashi Sanada
	Women	Li Xiaohui (1/1) Wang Ziying (1/1)	Diede de Groot* Aniek van Koot	Yui Kamiji* Kgothatso Montjane	Yui Kamiji* Kgothatso Montjane
	Quad	Andy Lapthorne (8/16) Sam Schröder (2/11)	Sam Schröder* Niels Vink	Sam Schröder* Niels Vink	Sam Schröder* Niels Vink
Junior singles	Boys	Henry Bernet (1/1)	Kaylan Bigun*	Nicolai Budkov Kjær*	Rafael Jódar*
	Girls	Wakana Sonobe (1/1)	Tereza Valentová*	Renáta Jamrichová*	Mika Stojsavljevic*
Junior doubles	Boys	Maxwell Exsted (2/2) Jan Kumstát (1/1)	Nicolai Budkov Kjær* Joel Schwärzler	Alexander Razeghi* Max Schönhaus	Maxim Mrva* Rei Sakamoto
	Girls	Annika Penickova (1/1) Kristina Penickova (1/1)	Renáta Jamrichová* Tereza Valentová	Tyra Caterina Grant* Iva Jovic	Malak El Allami* Emily Sartz-Lunde

Former Champions by Type of Play

Singles Finals

• Men
• Women

Other Tennis Achievements

Non-calendar-year Grand Slam

Sometimes, a player wins all four major tournaments in a row, but it happens across two different calendar years. This is called a "non-calendar-year Grand Slam." For example, if a player wins the US Open in September 2023, then the Australian Open, French Open, and Wimbledon in 2024.

In 1982, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) started offering a $1 million bonus for players who held all four major titles at the same time. Martina Navratilova was the first player to get this bonus in 1984.

Only eight singles players have achieved this feat, including those who also completed a calendar-year Grand Slam. Three men (Don Budge, Rod Laver, Novak Djokovic) and five women (Maureen Connolly, Margaret Court, Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf, Serena Williams) have done it.

Here are some players who achieved a non-calendar-year Grand Slam without also completing a calendar-year Grand Slam in the same streak:

• 

  Martina Navratilova completed the feat in singles in 1984.

• 

  Steffi Graf completed the feat in singles in 1994.

• 

  Serena Williams completed the feat in singles in 2003, 2015.

• 

  Novak Djokovic completed the feat in singles in 2016.

List of Grand Slam and related tennis records

Career Grand Slam

A "Career Grand Slam" means a player has won all four major championships at some point during their career. They don't have to win them in the same year.

• Men's Singles: Eight men have achieved a Career Grand Slam: Fred Perry, Don Budge, Roy Emerson, Rod Laver, Andre Agassi, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic.
• Women's Singles: Ten women have achieved a Career Grand Slam: Maureen Connolly, Doris Hart, Shirley Fry Irvin, Margaret Court, Billie Jean King, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf, Serena Williams, and Maria Sharapova.

Some players have even won the Career Grand Slam more than once!

Boxed Set

A "Boxed Set" is a very rare achievement. It means a player has won every possible major title in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles throughout their career. Only three players have ever done this, all women: Doris Hart, Margaret Court, and Martina Navratilova.

Golden Slam

A "Golden Slam" means winning all four major tournaments and an Olympic or Paralympic gold medal in the same calendar year. This is even harder to do!

Steffi Graf was the first and only singles player to achieve this in 1988. Wheelchair players Diede de Groot and Dylan Alcott have also done it in their singles categories.

• Non-calendar-year Golden Slam: Winning all four majors and an Olympic/Paralympic gold medal consecutively across two calendar years.
• Career Golden Slam: Winning all four majors and an Olympic/Paralympic gold medal at any point in a player's career.

Other Special Achievements

• Super Slam: This is the Golden Slam plus winning the year-end championship (like the ATP Finals or WTA Finals) in the same calendar year. Diede de Groot is the only player to do this, in women's wheelchair singles in 2021.
• Three-Quarter Slam: This means winning three out of the four major tournaments in a calendar year, just missing the Grand Slam by one title.
• Surface Slam: This means winning a major title on each of the three main court surfaces (clay, grass, and hard courts) in the same calendar year. This has been possible since 1978.
• Channel Slam: This is when a player wins both the French Open and Wimbledon in the same calendar year. It's called "Channel Slam" because the English Channel separates France (French Open) and the UK (Wimbledon). These tournaments are played on very different surfaces (clay and grass) and are only a few weeks apart, making it a tough challenge!

Pro Slam

Before 1968, only amateur players could play in the Grand Slam tournaments. Many top male players became "professionals" to earn money. They played in their own separate tournaments. From 1927 to 1967, the three biggest professional tournaments were:

• The U.S. Pro Tennis Championships
• The French Pro Championship
• The Wembley Championships

If a player won all three of these in a calendar year, it was later called a "Professional Grand Slam" or "Pro Slam." Ken Rosewall (1963) and Rod Laver (1967) achieved this.

See also

In Spanish: Grand Slam (tenis) para niños

• List of Grand Slam–related tennis records
• Lists of tennis records and statistics
• Grand Slam (golf)