"If Djokovic, Federer & Nadal couldn't manage it, don't see anyone" - Fans debate the possibility of seeing the Calendar Slam achievement in future
Fans of the tennis world recently engaged in a discussion on social media on whether an active player could achieve the unique feat of winning a Calendar Slam. The last time the feat was achieved was by Steffi Graf in the 1988 season.
Winning a Calendar Slam is a huge challenge for any tennis player. It involves winning all four Majors in the year, playing across different surfaces with a sustained level of physical fitness, and overcoming mental fatigue by the time the US Open is played in the latter half of the season.
The mere fact that the feat has been achieved only thrice since the Open Era began in 1968, highlights the complexities and challenges involved for the player to achieve it. The three players who have achieved a Calendar Slam in the Open Era are Rod Laver (1969), Margaret Court (1970), and Steffi Graf in 1988.
Recently, a fan asked the question on Reddit, leading to speculation if a player could win the coveted Calendar Slam.
"Do you think that we will see this extremely rare feat being achieved in our lifetime?" the fan posted.
It was a common consensus among fans that if the likes of the Big Three including Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic could not achieve it, the possibility of a player winning a Calendar Slam in the future was slim.
"If Novak roger and Rafa couldn’t manage it I don’t see anyone managing it in the future," one fan replied.
Another fan stated that it was a technical challenge for players to win the Wimbledon and French Open consecutively as the tournaments are held close to each other. This gives the player less time to adjust their playing styles on different surfaces of clay and grass:
"The French Open -> Wimbledon duo is really, really hard"
Fans also pointed out that to achieve a Calendar Slam, the player must be on the side of youth and be incredibly talented. Achieving a Calendar Slam in the latter stages of one's career is difficult even for players like Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams:
"By the time you're older, its sooo much pressure, that it really is too much. Novak and Serena are great examples."
Other fan reactions include:
Djokovic was close to a Calendar Slam in 2023
Novak Djokovic has often been open about his ambitions including winning a Calendar Slam. Djokovic also seriously desires to win a gold medal for his country at the Olympics, securing a Golden Slam for the year. However, those ambitions fell flat in 2024, when the Serb lost to Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals of the Australian Open.
However, Djokovic was just one match away from winning a Calendar Slam in the 2023 season. The Serbian made it to the finals of every Major of the year but lost to Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon summit clash after a scintillating five-set final that lasted nearly five hours.
Djokovic was also close to securing a Calendar Slam in 2021. He fell one match short when he lost the US Open final to Daniil Medvedev.