Francis "Frank" Arthur Sedgman (born 29 October 1927) is an Australian former world No. 1

tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...

player. Over the course of a three-decade career, Sedgman won five

Grand Slam Grand Slam most often refers to: * Grand Slam (tennis), one player or pair winning all four major annual tournaments, or the tournaments themselves Grand Slam or Grand slam may also refer to: Games and sports * Grand slam, winning category te ...

singles tournaments as an amateur as well as 22 Grand Slam doubles tournaments. He is one of only five tennis players all-time to win multiple career Grand Slams in two disciplines, alongside

Margaret Court Margaret Court (''née'' Smith; born 16 July 1942), also known as Margaret Smith Court, is an Australian retired former world No. 1 tennis player and a Christian minister. Considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time, her 24 maj ...

Roy Emerson Roy Stanley Emerson (born 3 November 1936) 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. He is the only male player to have completed a caree ...

Martina Navratilova Martina Navratilova ( cs, Martina Navrátilová ; ; born October 18, 1956) is a Czech–American, former professional tennis player. Widely considered among the greatest tennis players of all time, Navratilova won 18 major singles titles, 31 maj ...

and

Serena Williams Serena Jameka Williams (born September 26, 1981) is an American inactive professional tennis player. Considered among the greatest tennis players of all time, she was ranked world No. 1 in singles by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) for ...

. In 1951, he and

Ken McGregor Kenneth Bruce McGregor (2 June 1929 – 1 December 2007) was an Australian tennis player from Adelaide who won the Men's Singles title at the Australian Championships in 1952. He and his longtime doubles partner, Frank Sedgman, are generally ...

won the Grand Slam in men's doubles. Sedgman turned professional in 1953, and won the Wembley World Professional Indoor singles title in 1953 and 1958. He also won the Sydney Masters tournament in 1958, and the Melbourne Professional singles title in 1959. He won the Grand Prix de Europe Professional Tour in 1959. Sedgman was ranked as the world No. 1 amateur in 1950 by Harry Hopman and Ned Potter, in 1951 by Pierre Gillou, Hopman and Potter and in 1952 by Lance Tingay, Gillou, Hopman and Potter. Tennis de France magazine ranked Sedgman as the world No. 1 professional tennis player for the 1953 season.

Jack Kramer John Albert Kramer (August 1, 1921 – September 12, 2009) was an American tennis player of the 1940s and 1950s. He won three Grand Slam tournaments (the U.S. Championships in 1946 and 1947, Wimbledon in 1947). He led the U.S. Davis Cup tennis ...

, in his personal ranking lists, ranked Sedgman as the world No. 2 professional behind

Pancho Gonzales Ricardo Alonso "Pancho" González (May 9, 1928 – July 3, 1995), known sometimes as Richard Gonzales, was an American tennis player. He won 15 major singles titles, including two U.S. National Singles Championships in 1948 and 1949, and 13 P ...

for the 1958, 1959 and 1960 seasons.

Career

Amateur

Sedgman was a 180 cm (5'11") right-hander who played the

serve-and-volley Serve-and-volley is a style of play in tennis where the player serving moves quickly towards the net after hitting a serve, to attempt to hit a volley afterwards. In the serve-and-volley playstyle, the server attempts to hit a volley (a shot whe ...

game that had just been popularised by

. He was one of a number of Australian players who used the Continental grip in which the racquet is held the same way for both the forehand and the backhand. He was particularly known for his volleying and speed at the net. When asked in 2005 who was the best player he had ever faced, Mervyn Rose replied, "Hopman's pet, Sedgie." Sedgman led the Australian Davis Cup team to victory in 1950, 1951, and 1952. In a five-year span from 1948 through 1952 Sedgman won 22

titles in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles. Sedgman and his partner

were the only men's doubles team to ever win the Grand Slam in a single year—they won all four majors in 1951. The following year they also won the first three majors, then, at Forest Hills, were upset by a pick-up team of another Australian,

Mervyn Rose Mervyn Gordon Rose AM (23 January 1930 – 23 July 2017) was an Australian male tennis player who won seven Grand Slam titles (singles, doubles and mixed doubles). Rose was born in Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, and turned professional in 19 ...

, and an American

Vic Seixas Elias Victor Seixas Jr. (; pronounced SAY-shus; born August 30, 1923)

, denying them eight consecutive Grand Slam victories. According to Rose in a 2005 interview, Harry Hopman, the coach of the Australian team, would not talk to him for two months afterwards.Interview with tennis historian Rich Hillway in 2005 at the

International Tennis Hall of Fame The International Tennis Hall of Fame is located in Newport, Rhode Island, United States. It honors both players and other contributors to the sport of tennis. The complex, the former Newport Casino, includes a museum, grass tennis courts, an indo ...

. ;1945 Although still playing in the junior events in Australian tournaments in 1945, Sedgman began to enter the men's singles events as well. In June, he lost a close match to Jack Harper at the Elsternwick tournament. In December, at the Victorian championships, Sedgman beat Noel Kirkby before losing to

Adrian Quist Adrian Karl Quist (23 January 191317 November 1991) was an Australian tennis player. Biography Adrian Quist was born in Medindie, South Australia. His father was Karl Quist, who had been a noted interstate cricketer, and owned a sporting goods ...

. Writing in ''The Melbourne Herald'', renowned coach Harry Hopman called Sedgman a "potential champion". Hopman also said, "it is about a year ago that I advised him ''(Sedgman)'' to go to a gymnasium. The work he has done there — about three times a week after his work — has put on a stone in weight and improved him in many ways. His legs, wind and stamina are now first class. His temperament, too, is good". ;1946 Sedgman began the year by reaching the final of the South Australian championships in Adelaide, where he lost to

John Bromwich John Edward Bromwich (14 November 1918 – 21 October 1999) was an Australian tennis player who, along with fellow countryman Vivian McGrath, was one of the first great players to use a two-handed backhand. He was a natural left-hander, though ...

. Writing in ''The Sydney Morning Herald'', Bromwich said, "Sedgman was not inclined to induldge in long drawn-out-rallies, and after the ball crossed the net three or four times, he either endeavoured to force the play or strived for an outright placement". Sedgman made his debut at the Australian Championships in 1946. He won his first match against Reg Clements, but lost in the last 16 round, to Geoff Brown in straight sets. Brown played "faultlessly throughout", whilst Sedgman was "not able to settle down, and did not look comfortable". ;1947 In 1947, Sedgman lost in the opening round of the Australian Championships to Patrick Callaghan. It was his second appearance in the singles. He also won the Victorian Hardcourt Championships in June, beating

Lionel Brodie Lionel Brodie (28 May 1917 – 15 May 1995) was an Australian amateur tennis player who competed mainly in the 1930s and 1940s. He reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Championships in 1939, 1946 and 1947. He played in the Davi ...

in the final. The final was played in a strong wind. It was a "closely contested final, which produced some brilliant tennis under most difficult conditions". At the Australian hardcourt championships in Toowoomba in November, Sedgman was suffering from strained muscles in his right shoulder in the final against Quist and lost in straight sets. ;1948 At the 1948 Australian championships, Sedgman beat veteran former champion Jack Crawford before losing to Bromwich in the quarterfinals. At the West Australian championships in March, Sedgman beat Colin Long in straight sets in the final. According to the Melbourne Age, Sedgman's success was "due to stronger driving, more powerful service and greater all-court agility". At the French championships, Sedgman lost in the last 16 to Giovanni Cucelli. In June, Sedgman won the Kent championships, beating fellow Australian Jack Harper in the final. At Wimbledon, he lost in the last 16 to eventual winner

Bob Falkenburg Robert Falkenburg (January 29, 1926 – January 6, 2022) was an American amateur tennis player and entrepreneur. He is best known for winning the Men's Singles at the 1948 Wimbledon Championships and for introducing soft ice cream and American f ...

. At the U.S. Championships, Sedgman lost in the last 16 to Frank Parker. Sedgman lost in the final of the New South Wales championship to Bromwich. ;1949 At the Australian Championships in January 1949, Sedgman beat defending champion Quist in the quarter finals and former champion Bromwich in the final to win his first Grand Slam singles title. Sedgman "gave a flawless exhibition of attacking tennis" in the final against Bromwich. Bromwich was now 30, whilst Sedgman was 21. In the Gold Cup final at Toowoomba in April, Sedgman beat Brian Strohfeldt in the final. At Wimbledon, Sedgman had two match points against

Ted Schroeder Frederick Rudolph "Ted" Schroeder (July 20, 1921 – May 26, 2006) was an American tennis player who won the two most prestigious amateur tennis titles, Wimbledon and the U.S. National. He was the No. 1-ranked American amateur player in 1942; ...

in the quarterfinals, but lost in five sets. Sedgman lost to Schroeder again in a five set quarterfinal at the U.S. Championships. ;1950 Sedgman began the year by winning the South Australian championships in Adelaide, beating

Jaroslav Drobny Jaroslav (also written as Yaroslav or Jarosław in other Slavic languages) is a Czech and Slovak first name, pagan in origin. There are several possible origins of the name Jaroslav. It is very likely that originally the two elements of the nam ...

in the final in three straight sets, losing only three games. Sedgman won his second Australian Championships men's singles title, beating Bromwich,

Eric Sturgess Eric William Sturgess (10 May 1920 – 14 January 2004) was a South African male tennis player and winner of six Grand Slam doubles titles. He also reached the singles final of a Grand Slam tournament three times but never won. Sturgess was ra ...

and

. Sedgman's superior groundstrokes were a key factor in his victory over McGregor. Sedgman won the West Australian Championships beating

Clive Wilderspin Clive Eric Wilderspin, (3 April 1930 – 13 November 2021) was an Australian former tennis player who was active from the late 1940s until the mid-1950s. Tennis career Wilderspin began playing at age nine and joined Hensman Park club when he ...

in the final, showing a "much superior brand of tennis" than he had in earlier rounds. He then won the Australian Hardcourt Championships beating George Worthington in the final. At the French Championships, Sedgman was seeded second, but surprisingly lost in the last 16 to

Irvin Dorfman Irvin "Irv" Sherrod Dorfman (September 3, 1924 – October 8, 2006) was an outstanding amateur American tennis player in the 1940s and 1950s. He was ranked No. 15 in singles in the United States in 1947, and No. 3 in doubles in the U.S. in 1948. ...

. At Wimbledon, Sedgman was top seeded. He beat

Art Larsen Arthur David "Art" or "Tappy" Larsen (April 17, 1925 – December 7, 2012) was an American No. 1 male tennis player best remembered for his victory at the U.S. Championships in 1950 and for his eccentricities. He won the "Times" national sport ...

and Drobny (both from two sets to love down), before losing the final to

Budge Patty Edward John Patty (February 11, 1924 – October 4, 2021), better known as Budge Patty, was an American world no. 1 tennis player whose career spanned a period of 15 years after World War II. He won two Grand Slam singles titles in 1950. He wa ...

in four sets. Sedgman lost in the last 16 of the U.S. Championships to Earl Cochell. In September, Sedgman won the Pacific Southwest Championships in straight sets against Schroeder, though Schroeder was suffering from a knee injury in the latter stages. In November, Sedgman beat reigning U.S. singles champion Larsen in straight sets in the final of the Queensland Championships. Larsen beat Sedgman in the final of the New South Wales Championships, but in December, Sedgman beat Larsen in the final of the Victorian Championships Sedgman was ranked world No. 1 amateur by Harry Hopman and by Ned Potter. ;1951 Sedgman began the year by winning the South Australian Championships, beating Larsen in the final. He failed in his bid to win a hat-trick of Australian singles titles, when he lost in the semifinals of the 1951 championships to

Dick Savitt Richard Savitt (March 4, 1927 – January 6, 2023) was an American tennis player. In 1951, at the age of 24, he won both the Australian and Wimbledon men's singles championships. Savitt was mostly ranked world No. 2 the same year behind fellow ...

. Sedgman beat Rose in the final of the MCC championships in Melbourne in March and later in the month was victorious in the Australian hardcourt tournament in Tasmania over

Don Candy Don Candy (31 March 1929 – 14 June 2020) was an Australian tennis player who was mainly successful in doubles. At the Grand Slam tournaments he reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Championships singles event in 1952 and 1959. In the s ...

. Sedgman lost to Drobny in the semifinals of the French Championships. Top-seeded at Wimbledon, Sedgman led by two sets to love against

Herbert Flam Herbert Flam (November 7, 1928 – November 25, 1980) was an American tennis player who in 1957 was ranked by Lance Tingay as the World No. 4 amateur (and World No. 5 by Adrian Quist).

in the quarterfinals, but lost in five sets. At the Newport championships in August, Sedgman beat

in the final to become the first overseas winner of the men's singles since 1916. At the U.S. Championships, Sedgman beat

Bill Talbert William Franklin Talbert (September 4, 1918 – February 28, 1999) was an American tennis player and administrator. Tennis career He was ranked in the U.S. top 10 13 times between 1941 and 1954, and was ranked World No. 3 in 1949 by John Olliff ...

Tony Trabert Tony may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tony (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Gregory Tony (born 1978), American law enforcement officer * Motu Tony (born 1981), New Zealand international rugby leagu ...

, Larsen and

Vic Seixas Elias Victor Seixas Jr. (; pronounced SAY-shus; born August 30, 1923)

to win the title. He then retained his Pacific Southwest title in Los Angeles, beating Trabert in the final, by manoeuvering him out of position. Sedgman beat Ian Ayre in the final of the Queensland championships in November. In December, Sedgman beat three of the best American amateurs Trabert, Seixas and Savitt to win the Victorian Championships. In late 1951, Sedgman was tempted to turn professional for 1952. Harry Hopman, however, led a fund-raising drive via his newspaper column in the ''

Melbourne Herald ''The Herald'' was a morning and, later, evening broadsheet newspaper published in Melbourne, Australia, from 3 January 1840 to 5 October 1990, which is when it merged with its sister morning newspaper ''The Sun News-Pictorial'' to form the ''H ...

'' to keep Sedgman an amateur. Enough money was raised to purchase a gasoline station in the name of Sedgman's future bride. Sedgman remained an amateur for another year. Sedgman was ranked world No. 1 amateur No. 1 by Pierre Gillou, Harry Hopman and Ned Potter. ;1952 Sedgman began the year in January by winning the Manly seaside tournament beating McGregor in the final. Later in the month, Sedgman lost to his doubles partner McGregor in the final of the Australian Championships. Sedgman won the Asian Championships in February beating

Tony Mottram Anthony John Mottram (8 June 1920 – 6 October 2016) was a British tennis player of the 1940s and 1950s. Mottram reached the quarterfinal of the 1948 Wimbledon Championships in which he lost to Gardnar Mulloy. In the doubles event he reac ...

in the final. Sedgman won titles in Cannes in March (over Milo Branovic) and in Beaulieu in April (over

Philippe Washer Philippe Washer (; 6 August 1924 – 27 November 2015) was a Belgian tennis player. He competed in the Davis Cup a number of times, from 1946 to 1961. Early life and family Philippe Washer was born on 6 August 1924 in Brussels. He was the son ...

). At the French Championships, Sedgman beat Patty and Sturgess before losing in the final to Drobny, but Sedgman had beaten Drobny in the finals of the Monte Carlo tournament and the Italian Championships. Sedgman had a successful tour of Britain, where won the Sutton event in April, the Harrogate tournament in May beating Sturgess in the final, the Northern tournament in June over Candy and the Queens club tournament over Rose. Sedgman also won his first Wimbledon singles title (it was the third year in a row he had been number one seed). In 2012, Sedgman said "You always wanted to win the Wimbledon title and I had offers to turn professional before I won Wimbledon and I had put it off because I thought, gee, I wanted to win the Wimbledon title to cap your career, really, as an amateur". To win the Wimbledon title, Sedgman beat Sturgess, Rose and Drobny. Sedgman won the Velbert tournament in July beating Sturgess in the final. Sedgman beat Rose to win the Newport tournament in August. At the U.S. Championships, Sedgman beat

Lew Hoad Lewis Alan Hoad (23 November 1934 – 3 July 1994) was an Australian tennis player whose career ran from 1950 to 1973. Hoad won four Major singles tournaments as an amateur (the Australian Championships, French Championships and two Wimbledons ...

, Rose and

Gardnar Mulloy Gardnar Putnam "Gar" Mulloy (November 22, 1913 – November 14, 2016) was a U.S. No. 1 tennis player primarily known for playing in doubles matches with partner Billy Talbert. He was born in Washington, D.C. and turned 100 in November 2013. Du ...

to retain his title. In November, Sedgman (hampered by a blistered hand) beat 18 year old Ken Rosewall in five sets in the semifinals of the Queensland Championships before overcoming Rose in five sets in the final. Sedgman won the New South Wales Championships over McGregor. Sedgman was ranked world No. 1 amateur by

Lance Tingay Lance Tingay (15 July 1915 – 10 March 1990) was a British sports journalist, historian, and author of several tennis books. For many years his annual ranking of top tennis players was "the only one that counted" before ATP rankings were introduc ...

, Pierre Gillou, Harry Hopman and Ned Potter. Sedgman turned professional at the end of the year.

Professional

;1953 Sedgman faced

in the 1953 World Series tour. Sedgman began the tour well and opened up an 11–6 lead (Kramer had been suffering from the flu during several matches). However, by winning in Houston on 11 March, Kramer opened up a 28–19 lead. In the end, Kramer won 54 matches to 41. The tour grossed $860,000. Sedgman won the tournament at Wembley beating

Don Budge John Donald Budge (June 13, 1915 – January 26, 2000) was an American tennis player. He is most famous as the first tennis player — male or female, and still the only American male — to win the Grand Slam, and to win all four Grand Slam ev ...

and

(both in straight sets). Sedgman won the tournament in Paris, beating Gonzales in the final. Sedgman beat

Dinny Pails Dennis "Dinny" Pails (4 March 1921 – 22 November 1986) was an Australian tennis champion. Pails was born in England, but moved to Australia in 1922 at age 1. Pails won the men's singles championship at the Australian Championships in 1947. ...

and Segura at Vienna and Geneva. Tennis de France magazine ranked Sedgman as the world No. 1 professional tennis player for the 1953 season. This gave Sedgman world number one rankings for both the amateur tennis world and for the contract tennis professionals in his career record. ;1954-1955 In 1954, Sedgman competed in the World Series alongside Gonzales,

Pancho Segura Francisco Olegario Segura (June 20, 1921 – November 18, 2017), better known as Pancho "Segoo" Segura, was a leading tennis player of the 1940s and 1950s, both as an amateur and as a professional. He was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador, but m ...

, Budge,

Bobby Riggs Robert Larimore Riggs (February 25, 1918 – October 25, 1995) was an American tennis champion who was the World No. 1 amateur in 1939 and World No. 1 professional in 1946 and 1947. He played his first professional tennis match on December ...

and

Carl Earn Carl Earn (March 7, 1921 – April 4, 2007) was an American tennis player who competed on the amateur and professional circuits in the 1940s and 1950s. He reached as high as world No. 7 in the professional ranks in 1946. Biography Earn grew up i ...

. On the opening night of the tour at Madison Square Garden, Sedgman led Gonzales by a set and 5–3, but Gonzales took the second set 11-9 and the third set 13–11 to claim victory. Gonzales went on to win the series. Sedgman was runner-up to Gonzales in the Cleveland version of the U.S. Pro, played under the billed name of Cleveland World Pro Championships. In September and October, Sedgman won a 4-man tour of Asia over Gonzales, Segura, and Kramer. In November, Sedgman won the Australian professional championships in Perth beating Gonzales and then Segura in the final. Sedgman toured Australia in 1954–55 with Gonzales, Segura, McGregor and Ian Ayre. Gonzales won the tour. Sedgman missed approximately four and a half months tennis in 1955 due to an operation for appendicitis. ;1956-1957 Sedgman missed the first months of 1956. In September 1956, Sedgman beat

in the semi finals of the tournament at Wembley, but lost in the final to Gonzales, despite leading by a set and 4–1. Sedgman won round robin tournaments at Brisbane and Kooyong in December against Trabert, Segura, and Hartwig. In 1957, Sedgman won the Perth round robin event in January beating Segura,

Rex Hartwig Rex Noel Hartwig (2 September 1929 – 30 December 2022) was an Australian tennis player. Early life Rex Hartwig was born on 2 September 1929 in Culcairn, New South Wales. Both parents played tennis, and at age 10, Hartwig won a local tournam ...

and Trabert. Sedgman beat

Ken Rosewall Kenneth Robert Rosewall (born 2 November 1934) is an Australian former world top-ranking amateur and professional tennis player. He won a record 23 Majors in singles, including eight Grand Slam singles titles and, before the Open Era, a record ...

in three straight sets in 57 minutes in their first match against each other as professionals in the semifinals at the Ampol Tournament of Champions at White City, Sydney, in February. Sedgman lost to Segura in the final. Sedgman finished runner-up to Gonzales at the Forest Hills Tournament of Champions (played on a round-robin basis) despite losing his opening match to Hoad, as he won against Rosewall, Trabert, and Segura. He lost the deciding match to Gonzales in five sets, although he led two sets to one. ;1958 In February 1958, Sedgman won the Ampol Masters Pro at the White City stadium, Sydney, earning him AUS£2,000 in first-prize money. He defeated both Gonzales and Trabert in five set matches to win the tournament. Kramer designated the Sydney Masters of 1958 as one of the four major professional tournaments. At Wembley in 1958, Sedgman beat Gonzales in the semifinals and Trabert in the final to win his second Wembley title, five years after his first. Kramer ranked Sedgman No. 2 in his pro ranking for 1958. ;1959 Sedgman won the Melbourne event in the Ampol world series in January 1959, defeating Gonzales in the final in three straight sets. The match was played outdoors on a slow wooden court at the Olympic Velodrome. Sedgman reached the final of the Ampol series event at Toronto on red clay, beating Segura and Hoad before losing the final to Gonzales. Sedgman won the Grand Prix de Europe tour in 1959, finishing ahead of Rosewall, Hoad, and Trabert. Sedgman beat Segura and Hoad before losing to Trabert in the final of the French Pro at Roland Garros in September, also an Ampol series event. Sedgman finished fourth in Kramer's official Ampol point ranking for the year behind Hoad, Gonzales, and Rosewall. Jack Kramer ranked Sedgman as the world No. 2 professional player in his personal ranking list (as distinct from Kramer's point ranking) for the 1959 season behind Gonzales and ahead of Rosewall and Hoad. ;1960-1965 By the 1960s, Sedgman's career was declining, although Kramer ranked Sedgman as the world No. 2 professional player behind Gonzales and ahead of Rosewall and Hoad for the 1960 season. Sedgman was runner-up to Gonzales at the Cleveland event in 1961. In November 1962, Sedgman won the White City Charity event at Sydney, beating Luis Ayala in the final. Sedgman entered a period of retirement from the professional tour at the end of 1965.

Open era

Open tennis arrived in 1968. Sedgman returned to play in Grand Slam events at the 1970 Australian Open, where he lost in five sets in the second round to former champion

Bill Bowrey William Bowrey (born 25 December 1943) is a former Australian tennis player. Bowrey was born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia and is best remembered as the last amateur to win the Australian Championships in 1968 before the tournament ope ...

. Sedgman won the Victorian Hardcourt Championships in October 1970 beating John Stephens in the final and won the title again in 1971 beating

Neale Fraser Neale Andrew Fraser (born 3 October 1933) is a former number one amateur male tennis-player from Australia, born in Melbourne, Victoria, the son of a Victorian judge. Fraser is the last man to have completed the triple crown, i.e. having won ...

in the final, a few days before his 44th birthday (he had won his first Victorian hardcourt title 24 years earlier in 1947). He reached the third round at Wimbledon in 1971. At the 1972 Australian Open, Sedgman beat fifth seed Owen Davidson before losing in the third round to John Cooper. He continued to play professionally until his 1976 retirement. His last appearance in the Australian Championships men's singles in 1976 was 30 years after his first appearance (a record span at Australian Championships men's singles).

Broadcasting and promoting

Sedgman commentated on various Australian TV channels (mainly on broadcasts of Davis Cup matches or Australian championships) from 1960 to 1976. In 1972, the LTAA appointed Tennis Camps of Australia to promote the Australian Open (Sedgman, Jim and Doug Reid and

John Brown John Brown most often refers to: *John Brown (abolitionist) (1800–1859), American who led an anti-slavery raid in Harpers Ferry, Virginia in 1859 John Brown or Johnny Brown may also refer to: Academia * John Brown (educator) (1763–1842), Ir ...

were the directors).Our Open, 100 years of Australia's Grand Slam (2004), p.52 The first year that Tennis Camps promoted the event (the 1973 event which began in December 1972 and concluded in January 1973) was also the first year that Channel Seven televised the event. "I remember we gave the TV rights away (for nothing), so that we could get publicity for the event" said Sedgman. Sedgman was one of the commentators for Channel 7 in the mid-1970s. He commentated on the Newcombe v Connors final of 1975, lost in the second round of the men's singles that year and was still involved in promoting the event. Tennis Camps ceased to promote the event in the early 1980s.

Honours

Sedgman was inducted into the

in Newport, Rhode Island and was made a Member of the

Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...

in 1979; in 1985 he was inducted into the

Sport Australia Hall of Fame The Sport Australia Hall of Fame was established on 10 December 1985 to recognise the achievements of Australian sportsmen and sportswomen. The inaugural induction included 120 members with Sir Don Bradman as the first inductee and Dawn Fraser th ...

. He received an

Australian Sports Medal The Australian Sports Medal is an award given to recognise achievements in Australian sport to commemorate Australian participation in major sporting events. Original recipients of the award included competitors, coaches, sports scientists, offi ...

in 2000. Sedgman was appointed an

Officer of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...

(AO) in the 2019 Queen's Birthday Honours for "distinguished service to tennis as a player at the national and international level, and as a role model for young sportspersons". In his 1979 autobiography, Jack Kramer, the long-time tennis promoter and player, included Sedgman in his list of the 21 greatest players of all time. In 2019 he was made an Officer in the Order of Australia.

Major finals

Grand Slam tournaments

Singles: 8 (5 titles, 3 runner-ups)

Doubles: 14 (9 titles, 5 runner-ups)

Mixed doubles: 11 (8 titles, 3 runner-ups)

Pro Slam tournaments

Singles: 7 (3 titles, 4 runner-ups)

Singles performance timeline

Sedgman joined the professional tennis circuit in 1953 and as a consequence was banned from competing in the amateur Grand Slam events until the start of the Open Era at the 1968 French Open. The results of the Pro Tours are not listed here.

Notes

References

* * ''The Game, My 40 Years in Tennis'' (1979), Jack Kramer with Frank Deford ()

External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sedgman, Frank 1927 births Living people Australian Championships (tennis) champions Australian Championships (tennis) junior champions Australian male tennis players French Championships (tennis) champions Members of the Order of Australia Recipients of the Australian Sports Medal International Tennis Hall of Fame inductees Sport Australia Hall of Fame inductees United States National champions (tennis) Wimbledon champions (pre-Open Era) Grand Slam (tennis) champions in men's singles Grand Slam (tennis) champions in mixed doubles Grand Slam (tennis) champions in men's doubles Tennis players from Melbourne Professional tennis players before the Open Era Officers of the Order of Australia Grand Slam (tennis) champions in boys' singles World number 1 ranked male tennis players People from Mont Albert, Victoria