When it comes to tennis, the four major titles that come to mind are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. Winning all of these titles makes a tennis player a superstar. Only eight men and ten women have won all four titles, but a few superstars have made winning Grand Slams as easy as a walk in the park. For instance, Novak Djokovic has 22 Grand Slam titles, while Serena Williams has 23. Among these achievements, there is also the Career Golden Slam, which Novak recently achieved after winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics 2024.
So, what is a Career Golden Slam, and what makes it so special? Let’s take a detailed look at this incredible feat, which very few have achieved in their careers.
What is a Career Golden Slam in tennis?
In simple terms, when a tennis player has won all four major Grand Slam titles and the Olympic gold medal, it is known as a Career Golden Slam. Interestingly, only 11 players have achieved this feat. The first player to achieve this feat was Steffi Graf, who won all four Grand Slam titles in 1988 and secured the gold medal at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. The term “Career Golden Slam” was coined due to Steffi Graf’s remarkable accomplishment, as there was no such term before that.
In men’s tennis, Steffi Graf’s husband, Andre Agassi, achieved the Career Golden Slam in 1999. Following him, Rafael Nadal, popularly known as Rafa, achieved this feat by winning the gold medal for Spain in 2010. Have a look at the list to understand it better.
Tennis players to win Career Golden Slam (Singles)
| Player | Country | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Steffi Graf | Germany | 1988 |
| Andre Agassi | USA | 1999 |
| Rafael Nadal | Spain | 2010 |
| Serena Williams | USA | 2012 |
| Novak Djokovic | Serbia | 2024 |
Tennis players to win Career Golden Slam (Doubles)
| Player | Year |
|---|---|
| Pam Shriver | 1988 |
| Gigi Fernandez | 1996 |
| Todd Woodbridge | 2000 |
| Mark Woodforde | 2000 |
| Serena Williams | 2001 |
| Venus Williams | 2001 |
| Daniel Nestor | 2002 |
| Bob Bryan | 2012 |
| Mike Bryan | 2012 |
