What is a Career Grand Slam in tennis and how many players have won it?

Throughout the history of tennis, there have been remarkable milestones reached by the players, both men and women. Only a handful of players achieved the Grand Slam, that is winning all four majors in a calendar year.

Eight men and 10 women have achieved the Career Grand Slam, which players accomplish after winning all four majors in their careers. England’s Fred Perry became the first player to pull this off in the 1935 French Open and about two decades later, Maureen Connolly Brinker did the same in women’s tennis.

But since the start of the Open Era, which began in 1968 after the Australian Open and before the French Open, only four men and six women completed the feat. Below is a list of all players who have lifted all four Grand Slam titles and the year when they completed the Career Grand Slam.

List of all men’s singles players to complete Career Grand Slam

List of all women’s singles players to complete Career Grand Slam

In the lists above only Graf, Williams, Agassi, Djokovic, and Nadal completed the Career Golden Slam (all four majors plus the gold medal in the Olympics). Graf is the only player in the history of tennis to have won all four majors and the gold medal in singles in the same calendar year (1988) and also is the only player to win the four majors at least four times.

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Career Grand Salm in men’s singles in Open Era

Andre Agassi

Before Andre Agassi, Rod Laver in 1969, reached the Career Grand Slam milestone for the second time (first in 1962). It was the first time a player achieved it since the start of the Open Era. Then for 30 years, no player in men’s singles was able to get there.

Agassi, who turned pro in 1986 and won his first major title at 1992 Wimbledon joined Laver in the list when he beat Andriy Medvedev in the Roland Garros final in 1999.

Roger Federer

A year before Agassi achieved the Career Grand Slam, Roger Federer emerged on the scene and five years later, he won his first major at the 2003 Wimbledon. The tennis world was confident that they were watching the then-next big thing in tennis, for the Swiss maestro took home three Grand Slam titles the next year, failing just at the French Open.

He had reached the French Open final multiple times before but thrice he was beaten by Rafael Nadal on the trot (in 2006, 2007, and 2008). Nadal however suffered a shocking defeat in the fourth round of the 2009 French Open to Robin Soderling. Federer had a successful campaign that year as he beat Soderling to win his first and only French Open title and in doing so, he completed the Career Grand Slam.

Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal was a force to be reckoned with in the French Open but at Wimbledon, for two consecutive times, Federer defeated him in the final (in 2006 and 2007). The King of Clay then ended the streak when he finally grabbed the coveted title at SW19 with a five-set win over Federer in 2008.

The next year Nadal won the Australian Open and joined the elite list when he lifted the US Open in 2011. Nadal has accomplished the Career Grand Slam twice.

Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic is the most successful player in men’s tennis with 24 Grand Slam titles and thrice he achieved the Career Grand Slam, the most in men’s singles. He waited for 13 years to bag all four majors, for he lifted the French Open in 2016.

In 2024, after winning the gold medal in the Paris Olympics, the Serb accomplished the Career Golden Slam in his career.

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Career Grand Slam in women’s singles in Open Era

Chris Evert

Although Margaret Court and Billie Jean King won the majors before the Open Era and completed the Career Grand Slam after the Open Era, it’s Chris Evert who became the first woman to clinch all her majors post the Open Era.

After turning pro in 1972, Evert became a Grand Slam champion at the 1974 French Open. Evert then waited for eight years to win all four majors when she emerged victorious in the Australian Open final. Another win in Melbourne in 1984 meant that Evert achieved the Career Grand Slam once again.

Martina Navratilova

Martina Navratilova has the Open Era record of winning most singles titles (167) in the history of tennis (both men and women). The 18-time singles champion won Wimbledon in 1978, her first Grand Slam title, and in the next three years, she won the rest and joined rival Evert on the list when she grabbed the US Open in 1983.

The next year, Navratilova’s name was set down again on the list when she defended her US Open crown. Navratilova has also achieved the Career Grand Slam in doubles seven times.

Steffi Graf

Steffi Graf is second on the list with most Grand Slam titles in the Open Era, winning 22 of them. She accomplished the Career Grand Slam in 1988 when she won the US Open.

That year, she completed the Golden Slam, for she not only clinched all the majors, she won the gold medal at the Olympics in Seoul as well.

Serena Williams

Serena Williams has won most Grand Slam titles in women’s singles in the Open Era (23). Williams lifted her first Grand Slam title in the 1999 US Open.

She accomplished the Career Grand Slam in 2003 after winning the Australian Open, reaching the milestone four more times (twice in doubles).

Maria Sharapova

Maria Sharapova has won five Grand Slam trophies and achieved the Career Grand Slam at the 2012 French Open. Although Williams reached the milestone twice since Sharapova, no other player has been able to achieve the same yet.

All the above-mentioned women’s singles players have retired from tennis and the tennis community’s focus has shifted toward three talented youngsters Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, and Coco Gauff. It will be interesting to see who among these players joins the list next.

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