11 tennis players who have completed the Channel Slam: Winning French Open & Wimbledon back-to-back ft. Novak Djokovic, Steffi Graf

Winning the French Open-Wimbledon double, also referred to as the 'Channel Slam', is considered to be one of the toughest feats to achieve in tennis.The chalk-and-cheese nature of the surfaces at Roland Garros and Wimbledon is probably what makes this feat so difficult to achieve and so special whenever it actually has been accomplished.Here, we take a look at the only 10 players in tennis' Open Era who have managed to win the 'Channel Slam' (slideshow arranged in chronological order of the first time each player accomplished the feat).

#11 Rod Laver's French Open- Wimbledon double (1969)

Rod Laver pictured at SW19

Rod Laver, the Australian tennis legend and arguably the greatest player to have ever played tennis, was the first player in the Open Era to win the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year.

Laver beat fellow Australian Ken Rosewall at the 1969 French Open final in straight sets before going on to beat another one of his countrymen, John Newcombe, in the SAW19 final to complete the rare double.

#10 Margaret Court (1970)

Margaret Court pictured at SW19

Considered one of the greatest ever to have played the sport, Margaret Court won the 'Channel Slam' in 1970.

1970 was indeed a special year for Court as she managed to win the Calendar Slam i.e all four Grand Slams in the same year.

Court's SW19 final against Billie-Jean King in 1970 was one for the ages as the absence of tie-breakers meant that the match stretched into overtime. Court went on to win the final 14-12, 11-9.

#9 Billie Jean King (1972)

Billie Jean King pictured at SW19

Billie Jean King, the American tennis legend, won the French Open and Wimbledon double in 1972.

King played Australian Evonne Goolagong in both the finals and in what was some amazing co-incidence, defeated her opponent 6-3, 6-3 in both the finals!

#8 Chris Evert (1974)

Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova pictured in Paris

Chris Evert, the former American World No.1 , won the 'Channel Slam' in 1974.

Evert, much like her contemporary Billie Jean King, played the same opponent in both the French Open and Wimbledon finals.

Evert beat Olga Morozova of the then Soviet Union in straight sets in both the finals.

#7 Bjorn Borg (1978, 1979, 1980)

Bjorn Borg pictured at the French Open

The Ice Man Bjorn Borg became only the second man to complete the French Open,Wimbledon double in 1978.

The Swede beat Guillermo Vilas in straight sets at the French Open final and went on to defeat American Jimmy Connors in straight sets as well at SW19.

Borg achieved the feat 3 times (1978, 1979 and 1980) which stands as a record in the men's game till date.

#6 Martina Navratilova (1982, 1984)

Martina Navratilova pictured at SW19

Martina Navratilova, winner of 18 Grand Slam singles titles, won the 'Channel Slam' for the first time in 1982.

Navratilova beat fellow American Andrea Jaeger at the French Open final before going on to defeat Chris Evert in a closely contested Wimbledon final.

Navratilova achieved the feat yet again in 1984.

#5 Steffi Graf (1988, 1993, 1995, 1996)

Steffi Graf pictured with her French Open trophy

It is hard to argue against Steffi Graf's credentials to be considered the greatest tennis player ever.

Graf, winner of 22 Grand Slam singles titles, won the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year for the first time in 1988.

Graf beat Soviet Union's natasha Zvereva 6-0, 6-0 in the French Open final( the only double bagel in a Grand Slam final in the Open Era to date) and went on to defeat a dominant Navratilova to clinch he Wimbledon title.

1988 was Graf's greatest season as she completed a Calendar Golden Slam i.e all four Grand slams and the Olympic singles gold medal.

Graf went on to win the 'Channel Slam' a further three times (1993, 1995 and 1996).

#4 Serena Williams (2002, 2015)

Serena Williams pictured at SW19

Serena Williams completed the French Open and Wimbledon double in 2002. She beat her elder sister Venus at both the finals enroute to completing the 'Serena Slam' i.e holding all 4 Grand Slams at the same time but not in a calendar year.

Williams repeated the Channel Slam feat more than a decade later, in 2015. She beat Lucie Safarova and Garbine Muguruza, respectively, at the time.

#3 Rafael Nadal (2008, 2010)

Rafael Nadal pictured at SW19

When Rafael Nadal beat Roger Federer at the historic Wimbledon final in 2008, he became the first man since Borg in 1980 to complete the 'Channel Slam'. Nadal had earlier won the French Open also by defeating Federer.

The Spaniard went on to achieve the feat once again in 2010, this time beating Robin Soderling and Tomas Berdych in Paris and London, respectively.

#2 Roger Federer (2009)

Roger Federer pictured at SW19

Swiss legend Roger Federer won the French Open in 2009 to complete his Career Grand Slam and then went on to defeat Andy Roddick in an epic Wimbledon final to complete the 'Channel Slam'.

#1 Novak Djokovic's Channel Slam (2021)

Novak Djokovic pictured at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships

Novak Djokovic is the latest addition to the list of players who have won the Channel Slam. The Serb had to wait five years after winning his maiden French Open title in 2016 for the stars to align.

He won his second title in Paris in 2021, beating 'King of Clay' Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals before edging out Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final. Just weeks later, he won his sixth title at SW19 by beating Matteo Berrettini in the title clash.

On Sunday, July 14, Carlos Alcaraz, who won the 2024 French Open, too, has a chance of joining the elite list.

The Spaniard is the defending champion at Wimbledon and will bid for a second title on the trot, facing a repeat opponent, Djokovic, in the title clash.