4 Grand Slam trophies named after tennis legends
The 4 Grand Slams are the most coveted tennis tournaments in the world offering huge prize money to the competitors. As of 2018, a first-round loser at the US Open walks away with a cool $50,000 in prize money. The winner of the 4 Grand Slams in Chronological Order from the Australian Open to the US Open take home $3.2 million, $2.29 million, $2.9 million and $3.7 million respectively. The total prize money up for grabs crossed the $50 million mark for the first time ever at the 2018 US Open.
It's not just the prize money which drives the players to train hard and compete at the highest level. The ranking points, the title of being labeled a Grand Slam winner and the trophy itself - all play a significant role in being the drivers of motivation among tennis players.
Some Grand Slams notably the Australian Open and the French Open have named the Singles' trophies offered to the winners every year in honor of great champions from the past belonging to the host country. We take a look at 4 Grand Slam titles that are named after legends of yesteryears :
# Suzanne Lenglen Trophy
The only tennis athlete to have a stadium and a trophy named after her is French tennis great Suzanne Lenglen.
The Suzanne Lenglen trophy is awarded to the winner of the Women's Singles competition of the French Open. It was presented for the first time in 1979. A works of art, this trophy was designed by Mellerio dits Meller, famous Parisian jewelers since the 17th century.
The trophy's namesake, Suzanne Lenglen was tennis' first woman superstar. She won 6 French Open trophies - 2 each in Singles, Doubles and Mixed Doubles.
Nicknamed the Goddess, the Frenchwoman on 181 consecutive matches to establish a win-loss record of 341-7 (98%) - a feat which is unimaginable in today's game.