Who is Roy Emerson?
Roy Emerson is an Australian tennis champion who won 12 Grand Slam singles titles, a men's record that stood until Pete Sampras broke it in 2000. He also won 16 Grand Slam doubles titles.
Emerson was born in Blackbutt, Queensland, in 1936. He grew up on a dairy farm, where milking cows was said to have strengthened his wrists and forearms.
He was known for his fitness, speed and serve-and-volley game. Emerson won all of his Grand Slam singles titles as an amateur, between 1961 and 1967.
Record holder
Emerson won the Australian Championships six times, including five in a row from 1963 to 1967. He also won Wimbledon in 1964 and 1965, the French Championships twice and the US Championships twice.
He is one of the few players to complete a career Grand Slam in both singles and doubles. He also helped Australia win the Davis Cup eight times.
Emerson's 12 major singles titles remained the men's record for more than 30 years. He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1982.
Did You Know?
Emerson's son, Antony Emerson, also played professional tennis.