Ken Rosewall

Ken Robert Rosewall ( born November 2, 1934 in Sydney ) is an Australian former tennis player.

He was born into a family of tennis players, which had its own tennis courts. As a born left-handed, his father taught him to play with the right hand. Maybe because of this unorthodox training he developed a strong and highly effective backhand, but on the other hand had a relatively weak impact. He was fast and persistent and equipped with a powerful volley. His backhand slice was his strongest blow, and his backhand was that of Don Budge of the strongest backhand strokes at all.

Rosewall was just 18 years old when he won the Australian and French championships. In 1953 he had the chance to win with Lew Hoad to the Grand Slam in doubles, but at the final Grand Slam tournament, the U.S. Open, she failed in the quarterfinals. The two players were named some time "The Gold -dust Twins". Rosewall joined in 1956 after his surprising victory over Lew Hoad in Forest Hills to the professional tennis players, after winning with Hoad the Grand Slam in doubles. In a series of games against the best players in professional tennis, Pancho Gonzales, he was defeated by 51:26.

In 1963, when Gonzales wanted to retire from tennis and Rod Laver was not at the peak of his abilities, Rosewall was clearly the best tennis players in the world. During his magnificent career, he remained free of injury, which enabled him, with 43 ​​years still to win tournaments and to be ranked among the top 15 in the world. At Wimbledon him the great triumph was denied; he was only four times in the final. All other Grand Slam tournaments he won at least once.

By winning the French Open in 1968, he was named the first winner of a Grand Slam tournament of the Open Era.

In 1980 he was inducted into the Hall of Fame of tennis.

Grand Slam victories

• Australian Championship: Single - 1953, 1955, 1971, 1972
• Double - 1953, 1956, 1972

• French Championship: Single - 1953 1968
• Double - 1953, 1956

• Wimbledon Double - 1953, 1956

• U.S. Open Single - 1956, 1970
• Double - 1956, 1969