The year 1969 was the second year of the Open Era of Tennis which means this was the year that Tennis players from all around the world had started competing at all the four Grand Slams. This was the year where the Open Era properly started. And this year was dominated by one man who had a calendar slam as he won all the 4 Slams that year. It will forever be the Rod Laver year in Tennis. The Laver Cup is played in his honor where it is Team World vs Team Europe.
Let’s look at each of the Four Grand Slam wins of 1969 for Rod Laver
1969 Australian Open
The arena in which the Grand Slam finals are held every year at the Australian Open is named the Rod Laver arena. In 1969, Rod Laver had a tough semi final match against Tony Roche. This match was 5 sets long as it was 7-5, 22-20, 9-11, 1-6 and 6-3 In the 5 sets In this match. Rod Laver had one of his toughest matches. In the final, he was facing Andreas Gimeno of Spain. Rod Laver won this match in 3 sets. He won by 6-3, 6-4 and 7-4 and he was crowned the champion.
1969 French Open
The second Grand Slam of the year was also dominated by Rod Laver. He beat Andreas Gimeno In the first round of the French Open in four sets. He won the match by 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 and 6-3. He beat Tom Okker of Netherlands In yet another 4 sets match. He won by 4-6, 6-0,6-2 and 6-4. Then in the final he beat Ken Roewall in 3 sets by 6-4, 6-3 and 6-4. Rod Laver had completed the half set for the year
1969 Wimbledon Championships
In the semi final of the 1969 Semi final he beat Arthur Ashe , the player after whom the stadium is named where the US Open is played. Rod Laver beat Arthur Ashe In 4 sets. He won the match 2-6,6-2, 9-7 and 6-0. Rod Laver had a habit of winning the next 3 sets even when he lost the first set. In the final of the Wimbledon Championships he beat John Newcombe in four sets. He beat him 6-4,5-7, 6-4 and 6-4. This was the 3rd Grand Slam for Rod Laver in 1969 and only 1 was remaining to complete the set.
1969 US Open
Rod Laver beat Roy Emerson in the first round of the US Open. He beat him 4-6, 8-6,13-11,6-4. This was a tight contest. Then in the semi final he beat the local hero Arthur Ashe in 3 gripping sets. He won by 8-6, 6-3 and 14-12. In the final he beat Tony Roche in a four sets thriller. He won the match by 7-9, 6-1, 6-2 and 6-2. Rod Laver had created history as he became the first man in the Open Era of Tennis to win all four Grand Slams in a single year. He beat four different opponents in the four finals. With this Rod Laver had become an icon not just for Australian tennis across the world.
During the final of the US Open the weather was not perfect so the final had to be shifted to a Tuesday. Then the wife of Rod Laver, Mary was in labour and she was about to give birth to their first child. However Mary told Rod Laver to focus and after winning the US Open he checked in on his wife. She gave birth three weeks later and it was the best year professionally and personally for Rod Laver as he became a father. Rod Laver is the only male Tennis player In history to win the Calendar Slam. He did it twice, once before the open era in the year 1962 and then in the open era in the year 1962. Roger Federer in 2004, 2006 and 2007, Rafael Nadal in 2010 and Novak Djokovic in the years 2011, 2015 and 2021 have come close.
