Two Australians, one white ball and a wooden frame. The rivalry that defined the 1960s, and the racket behind the last calendar Grand Slam.
Before there was Borg and McEnroe, there was Laver and Rosewall. For most of the 1960s they were the two best players in the world, and for a long stretch they could not meet in a Grand Slam at all.
The Rivalry Nobody Could See
Both men turned professional, and professionals were barred from the Grand Slam tournaments until 1968. So the rivalry played out on the pro tour, including the French Pro Championship on indoor wood. Rosewall beat Laver in that final four years running, from 1963 to 1966.
When the Open Era finally began, the first Slam open to pros was the 1968 French Open. The final was Rosewall against Laver, and Rosewall won 6–3, 6–1, 2–6, 6–2. A year later, the same two met in the same final, and Laver won 6–4, 6–3, 6–4.
The Racket
Laver has said it himself: he won both of his calendar-year Grand Slams, in 1962 and 1969, using Dunlop Maxply rackets. The Maxply family is one of the most famous in tennis history, and you can read about its best-known model in our Dunlop Maxply Fort guide.
Decades later, Laver recalled that he had just three frames that served him for years, while today’s players are handed new frames every few months. There is also a Dunlop Rod Laver signature model for collectors who want a piece of the name.
The Strings and the Ball
In the wood era, natural gut was the standard string for serious players, and it never really left.
And the ball was white. The ITF did not approve yellow until 1972, and Wimbledon held out until 1986. That was simply what tennis looked like.
1969: The Four Finals
Australian Open: Laver beat Andrés Gimeno 6–3, 6–4, 7–5.
French Open: Laver beat Ken Rosewall 6–4, 6–3, 6–4.
Wimbledon: Laver beat John Newcombe 6–4, 5–7, 6–4, 6–4.
US Open: Laver beat Tony Roche 7–9, 6–1, 6–2, 6–2.
The Wimbledon final was closer than the score suggests: Newcombe led 4–1 in the third set with the match level at a set apiece. The US Open completed the Grand Slam. It was Laver’s 11th and last major, and it remains the only calendar Grand Slam by a man in the Open Era.
The Verdict
Rosewall won the first Open Era Slam. Laver won the last chapter, the four-Slam sweep of 1969.
On the record: Rosewall took the first, Laver the last.
On the wood: Laver’s Maxply went the distance.
Want to play the game the way they saw it? Join the waiting list for The White Ball, or get the free collector’s guide to start your own racket collection.
— The Editor, Court Privée
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