4 men who won Wimbledon and French Open in the same year
French Open and Wimbledon are two of the four Grand Slams played every year - the other two being the Australian Open and the U.S. Open. With just two months separating these contrasting surface seasons, players have to adapt.
While clay is considered relatively slow - assisting baseliners, the grass is fast hence it assists serve and volley style of play. A player hits more aces in a grass court match than in an entire clay court tournament.
These different characteristics arise due to the difference in bounce. A tennis ball bounces a lot higher on a clay court, but it stays relatively low on grass. Thus to put it in a simple phrase - Clay courts and grass courts possess contrasting characteristics. This is the reason why winning on both these surfaces in succession is considered special. It is considered the hardest thing to do in tennis.
French Open is played on clay whereas Wimbledon is carried out on grass. Many men have won these competitions but winning both of them in the same year is a very hard task. Only 4 men in history have accomplished this feat.
#1 Rod Laver, Australia
The legendary Australian who many consider as one of the greatest players of all time managed to win both Wimbledon and French Open in 1969.
Rod Laver, to this date, remains the only player in the open era to achieve a calendar grand slam – winning all four grand slams in the same year.
He did it in 1969, and thus became the first man to win both French Open and Wimbledon in the same year. Laver managed to win 11 grand slams throughout his career.
Laver's 200 singles titles top the list for most singles titles won by a male player. Laver managed to excel on all surfaces in an age where players specialized in one.
The venue for Australian Open, Centre court was named after Rod Laver to appreciate his genius. Rod Laver Arena has been the name of the venue hosting Australian open since 2000. This portrays Laver's legacy.