5 greatest Australian tennis players of all time

#3 Ken Rosewall

Rosewall was the first player in the Open Era to win a Grand Slam without dropping a set

Rosewall, like a few of his contemporaries, had success before the Open Era and during. The 12-time Grand Slam singles winner, for whom 6 of those titles came in the Open Era, set an Open Era record at the 1971 Australian Open, a title he won after defeating defending champion and American tennis legend Arthur Ashe.

The Australian went through the entire tournament without dropping a single set – the first time this had been done in the Open Era. Currently, Swiss Maestro Roger Federer, who is regarded as the greatest to have played the game, stands tied with Rosewall’s record.

1934-born Rosewall is the oldest singles champion at the Australian Open (winning in 1972), the US Open (in 1970) and separately, the oldest ever player in a Grand Slam final at the 1974 US Open, where he was beaten in straight sets by American Jimmy Connors.

No one has yet broken those records – although if any player is in line to break them, it is likely Roger Federer himself.