This biography is from “The Anthology of Australian Tennis Players”. You can buy the book here

ROD LAVER

Rod Laver is the only player in the history of competitive tennis to twice win the calendar Grand Slam. He may have made it a third but for turning professional, as we he all three Pro titles in 1967. Laver was born in Rockhampton in 1938. The son of a butcher, Laver was the Australian and US Juniors’ Champion in 1957, a year after making his seniors’ debut at all four Grand Slam tournaments. In 1959, the unseeded Laver made the final at Wimbledon for the first time. He went down in straight sets to the top seed, Alex Olmedo of the USA. Laver was also a member of Australia’s 115 victorious Davis Cup team in 1959; the first of four years in a row. Laver broke through for his first Grand Slam singles title at the Australian Championships in 1960. After dropping the first two sets to the top seeded Neale Fraser, Laver fought back to win the next three. The fourth and fifth sets went to 8-6. Laver made the final at Wimbledon and the US Championships that year, but was beaten both times by Fraser. In 1961, Laver was the top seed at the Australian Championships, but surrendered his title to Roy Emerson in the final. Later that year, Laver defeated American Chuck McKinley to win the title at Wimbledon for the first time. Laver also made the final at the US Championships, but went down to Roy Emerson in straight sets. Laver won his second title at the Australian Championships in 1962, defeating Roy Emerson in four sets in the final. Laver then claimed the French Championships title for the first time, by again defeating Emerson, this time in five sets. Laver successfully defended his Wimbledon title by beating unseeded Australian Martin Mulligan in the final, leaving him with a chance to achieve the rare calendar Grand Slam. Laver went into the US Championships as the top seed, and didn’t drop a set until the quarter finals. Laver again clashed 116 with Emerson in the final, and won a tough four sets encounter to become the first player since American Don Budge in 1938 to win the calendar Grand Slam. Laver turned professional in 1963, and won eight Pro Titles. Tennis’s civil war ended with the start of the Open Era in 1968, and Laver was still at the peak of his game. He claimed a third Wimbledon title with a win in the final over Tony Roche. In 1969, Laver claimed the Australian Open title by beating Andres Gimeno in straight sets in the final. He claimed his second French Open title by beating Ken Rosewall, also in straight sets. Laver had more trouble at Wimbledon, needing four sets to beat Arthur Ashe in the semi-final, and four in the final against John Newcombe. Incredibly, Laver completed his second calendar Grand Slam with a four sets victory over Tony Roche in the final of the US Open. Only Steffi Graf has completed the calendar Grand Slam since Laver’s achievement in 1969. His record of two Grand Slams is unlikely ever to be equalled. The 1969 US Open was also the last Grand Slam singles title that Laver would win. His Career began to wind down in the 1970s, although he was a member of Australia’s successful Davis Cup team in 1973. Laver won six doubles titles and three mixed 117 doubles titles at Grand Slam tournaments between 1959 and 1970. His last singles appearance at a Grand Slam event was a second round loss to ninth seeded American, Dick Stockton, in the second round at Wimbledon in 1977. Laver was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1981, and made a Companion of the Order of Australia in 2016. The National tennis Centre in Melbourne was renamed the Rod Laver Arena in 2000.