FILE: TENNIS - Rafa Nadal seals his place among the tennis greats, beating Novak Djokovic to win the U.S. Open and complete his collection of grand slam titles
Record ID:
722530
FILE: TENNIS - Rafa Nadal seals his place among the tennis greats, beating Novak Djokovic to win the U.S. Open and complete his collection of grand slam titles
- Title: FILE: TENNIS - Rafa Nadal seals his place among the tennis greats, beating Novak Djokovic to win the U.S. Open and complete his collection of grand slam titles
- Date: 15th September 2010
- Summary: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (SEPTEMBER 13, 2010) (REUTERS) RAFAEL NADAL ARRIVING FOR PRESS CONFERENCE AFTER BEATING NOVAK DJOKOVIC IN U.S. OPEN FINAL CLOSE UP U.S. OPEN MEN'S TROPHY
- Embargoed: 30th September 2010 13:00
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- Topics: Space
- Reuters ID: LVABR1819VK5C2SL4CXGI1255PAK
- Story Text: Rafael Nadal beat Novak Djokovic to win the U.S. Open on Monday to become the seventh man to have won all grand slam titles and the first since Rod Laver in 1969 to win the French Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open in the same year.
The Spaniard now has the chance to hold all four concurrently if he can add the Australian Open in January.
Roger Federer completed his collection of "grand slam" trophies by winning the elusive French Open title in 2009.
The other previous career winners are Fred Perry of Great Britain, Don Budge and Andre Agassi of the United States and Rod Laver and Roy Emerson of Australia.
Budge, in 1938, and Laver are the only men to have won all four titles in one calendar year, with Laver doing it twice - 1962 and 1969.
Perry completed his career slam in 1935, Emerson in 1964 and Agassi in 1999.
Federer won his first major, Wimbledon, in 2003 but had six years to take the French, having been runner up to Nadal in 2006, 2007 and 2008.
His win against Robin Soderling at Roland Garros in the 2009 final came after the the Sweden had beaten Nadal in the quarter finals.
On three occasions Federer won three of the events in a year but failed to win the fourth, in 2004, 2006 and 2007.
The four majors feature three different surfaces: the Australian and U.S. tournaments are on hard court, Wimbledon on grass and Roland Garros on clay.
With nine grand slam titles in total -- five French Opens, two Wimbledon, one Australian Open and now one U.S. Open, Nadal climbed to seventh place on the all-time list and Federer's record of 16 could be within his reach if he stays healthy.
The "Magnificent Seven" men to have won all four grand slam singles titles after Rafa Nadal joined the list by winning the U.S. Open on Monday: FRED PERRY (Britain) (8 titles) - Australian Open: 1934; French Open: 1935; Wimbledon: 1934, 1935, 1936; U.S. Open: 1933, 1934, 1936 DON BUDGE (U.S.) (6 titles) - Australian Open: 1938; French Open: 1938; Wimbledon: 1937, 1938; U.S. Open: 1937, 1938 ROD LAVER (Australia) (11 titles) - Australian Open: 1960, 1962, 1969; French Open: 1962, 1969; Wimbledon: 1961, 1962, 1968, 1969; U.S. Open: 1962, 1969 ROY EMERSON (Australia) (12 titles) - Australian Open: 1961, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967; French Open: 1963, 1967; Wimbledon: 1964, 1965; U.S. Open: 1961, 1964 ANDRE AGASSI (U.S.) (8 titles) - Australian Open: 1995, 2000, 2001, 2003; French Open: 1999; Wimbledon: 1992; U.S. Open: 1994, 1999 ROGER FEDERER (Switzerland) (16 titles) - Australian Open: 2004, 2006, 2007, 2010; French Open: 2009; Wimbledon: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009; U.S. Open: 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 RAFA NADAL (Spain) (9 titles) - Australian Open: 2009; French Open: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010; Wimbledon: 2008, 2010; U.S. Open: 2010 - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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