Rodney George Laver is an Australian former tennis player. Laver was ranked the world number 1 professional player indisputably for five years from 1965 to 1969 and by some sources also in 1964 and 1970. He was also ranked as the number 1 amateur in 1961 and 1962. Laver won 198 singles titles which is the most won by a player in history.
Roy Stanley Emerson is an Australian former tennis player who won 12 Grand Slam singles titles and 16 Grand Slam doubles titles, for a total of 28 Grand Slam titles. All of his singles Grand Slam victories and 14 of his Grand Slam doubles victories were achieved before the open era began in 1968. He is the only male player to have completed a career Grand Slam in both singles and doubles, and the first of four male players to complete a double career Grand Slam in singles. His 28 major titles are the all-time record for a male player. He was ranked world No. 1 amateur in 1961 by Ned Potter, 1964 by Potter, Lance Tingay and an Ulrich Kaiser panel of 14 experts and 1965 by Tingay, Joseph McCauley, Sport za Rubezhom and an Ulrich Kaiser panel of 16 experts.
The 1969 French Open was a tennis tournament that was held at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris in France from May 26 through June 8, 1969. It was the 73rd edition of the French Open, the 39th to be open to foreign competitors, and the second Grand Slam of the year. Rod Laver won his second Grand Slam title of the year.
The 1968 French Open was a tennis tournament that took place on the outdoor clay courts at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France. The tournament was held from Monday 27 May until Sunday 9 June 1968. It was the 72nd edition of the French Open, the 38th to be open to foreign competitors, and the second major of the year.
The 1969 Australian Open was the first Australian Open and the final Grand Slam tournament to allow both amateur and professionals. The tournament was played in Brisbane on Milton's grass courts between a men's field of 48 and a women's field of 32. It was the 57th edition of the tournament, the 7th and last one held in Brisbane, and the first Grand Slam tournament of the year.
Rod Laver defeated Tony Roche in the final, 6–3, 6–4, 6–2 to win the gentlemen's singles tennis title at the 1968 Wimbledon Championships. It was his third Wimbledon singles title and seventh Grand Slam tournament singles title overall. It was the first edition of Wimbledon open to professional tennis players, a period in tennis history known as the Open Era.
Rod Laver defeated Roy Emerson 6–2, 6–4, 5–7, 6–4 in the final to win the men's singles tennis title at the 1962 U.S. National Championships, and in turn complete a Grand Slam by winning all four majors in the same year. Laver would not appear in a Grand Slam tournament again until the start of the Open Era in 1968, due to turning professional in 1963.
The 1960 U.S. National Championships was a tennis tournament that took place on outdoor grass courts at two locations in the United States. The men's and women's singles as well as the mixed doubles were played from September 2 through September 17 at the West Side Tennis Club, Forest Hills in New York City, while the men's and women's doubles were held at the Longwood Cricket Club in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts from August 21 through August 28, 1960. It was the 80th staging of the U.S. National Championships, and the fourth Grand Slam tennis event of 1960. Neale Fraser and Darlene Hard won the singles titles.
The 1961 U.S. National Championships was a tennis tournament that took place on the outdoor grass courts at the West Side Tennis Club, Forest Hills in New York City, United States. The tournament ran from September 1 until September 10, 1961. It was the 81st staging of the U.S. National Championships, and the fourth Grand Slam tennis event of 1961.
Roy Emerson won in the final 9–7, 6–4, 6–4 against Rod Laver.
National Tennis Leagues (NTL) was a tour for professional male tennis players established in 1967 by George MacCall. In 1970 it was sold to the World Championship Tennis (WCT), a competing professional tennis league run by Lamar Hunt.
The 1969 Stockholm Open also called the Stockholm Open Indoor Championships was a men's tennis tournament played on indoor hard courts at the Kungliga tennishallen in Stockholm, Sweden. The tournament was held from 24 November until 29 November 1969. Unseeded Nikola Pilić won the men's singles title. Billie Jean King won the women's singles title.
The 1970 Pepsi-Cola ILTF Grand Prix was a tennis circuit administered by the International Lawn Tennis Federation (ILTF) which served as a forerunner to the current Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) World Tour and the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Tour. It was the inaugural edition of the Grand Prix circuit and consisted of men's tournaments recognised by the ILTF. The creation of the Grand Prix circuit, on an experimental basis during its first year, was announced in April 1970 by the president of the ILTF, Ben Barnett. It was the brainchild of Jack Kramer, former tennis promoter and winner of the Wimbledon and US championships, and was aimed at countering the influence of commercial promoters, particularly Lamar Hunt and his World Championship Tennis circuit and George MacCall's National Tennis League.
Ken Rosewall and Fred Stolle defeated Roy Emerson and Rod Laver 6–3, 6–4, 6–3 in the final to win the men's doubles title at the 1968 French Open tennis tournament. John Newcombe and Tony Roche were the defending champions but chose not to defend their title.
The 1968 British Hard Court Championships was a combined men's and women's tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts at The West Hants Club in Bournemouth in England. It was the first tournament in the Open Era of tennis. The tournament was held from 22 April to 27 April 1968. Ken Rosewall and Virginia Wade won the first open singles titles while the men's team of Roy Emerson and Rod Laver and the women's team of Christine Truman Janes and Nell Truman won the first open doubles titles.
The 1968 Pacific Southwest Open was a combined men's and women's professional tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts at the Los Angeles Tennis Club in Los Angeles, California in the United States. It was the 42nd edition of the tournament, the first of the Open Era, and ran from September 14 through September 22, 1968. Rod Laver won the singles title and the $3,800 first prize.
The 1971 Embassy British Indoor Championships was a combined men's and women's Grand Prix tennis tournament played on indoor carpet courts. The event was categorized as a B Class tournament and was the 4th edition of the British Indoor Championships in the Open era. The tournament took place at the Wembley Arena in London in England and ran from 23 October through 30 October 1971.
The 1969 Italian Open was a combined men's and women's tennis tournament that was played on outdoor clay courts at the Foro Italico in Rome, Italy. It was the 26th edition of the tournament and the first that was open to amateur and professional players. The event was held from 21 April through 28 April 1969 and finished a day late. The singles titles were won by second-seeded John Newcombe and Julie Heldman, the first American female player to win the title in 13 years.
The 1969 Wills Open British Covered Court Championships was a combined men's and women's tennis tournament played on indoor carpet courts. It was the second edition of the British Indoor Championships in the Open era. The tournament took place at the Queens Club and Wembley Arena in London, England and ran from 17 November through 22 November 1969.
The 1973 Fidelity Tournament, also known as the Richmond WCT, was a men's professional tennis tournament that was part of the Group A of the 1973 World Championship Tennis circuit. It was held on indoor carpet courts at the Richmond Coliseum in Richmond, Virginia in the United States. It was the eighth edition of the tournament and was held from January 30 through February 4, 1973. First-seeded Rod Laver won his second consecutive singles title at the event and earned $10,000 first-prize money.
Roy Emerson 
Ann Jones 
Andrés Gimeno / 
Rosie Casals / 
