The 6 players to win the Roland Garros-Wimbledon double as Carlos Alcaraz achieves feat
The who’s who of tennis features – including the Big Three of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic – have won Roland Garros and Wimbledon in the same year with Carlos Alcaraz the latest to join the list.
The first Channel Slam was accomplished in 1969 and Alcaraz has become the latest to win back-to-back titles in Paris and London.
In fact, it has been done only nine times in the Open Era as going from the clay at Roland Garros to the grass at SW19 is no easy feat.
The six players to win Roland Garros and Wimbledon in the same year:
Rod Laver – 1969
The great Rod Laver remains the only player to achieve the Calendar Grand Slam in 1969 and, unsurprisingly, he won the Channel Slam during that incredible year.
After winning the Australian Open, Laver followed it up with a three-set defeat of fellow Australian Ken Rosewall in the French Open final before he lifted the Wimbledon trophy on the back of a four-set win over John Newcombe.
He, of course, went on to win the US Open later that year, but if you are wondering how come he didn’t complete the Surface Slam that year, well both the Australian Open and US Open were played on grass.
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Bjorn Borg – 1978, 1979, 1980
It took nearly another decade before another player achieved the feat as Bjorn Borg also became the first man to win back-to-back Roland Garros and Wimbledon titles more than once.
The first achievement came in 1978 when the Swede beat Guillermo Vilas in the French Open final and Jimmy Connors in the Wimbledon final. The next year he defeated Víctor Pecci at Roland Garros and Roscoe Tanner at Wimbledon before wins over Gerulaitis in Paris and John McEnroe at Wimbledon gave him a hat-trick.
McEnroe, though, denied Borg four in a row as after the Swede won the 1980 French Open, the American beat him in four sets in the Wimbledon final.
Rafael Nadal – 2008, 2010
Almost three decades passed before the Channel Slam was achieved again and the honour went to Rafael Nadal in 2008 with Roger Federer on the receiving end in both the French Open and Wimbledon finals.
After crushing Federer 6–1, 6–3, 6–0 at Roland Garros, Nadal followed it up with a 6-4, 6–4, 6–7(5–7), 6–7(8–10), 9–7 win in an epic Wimbledon final.
Two years later he did it again, this time beating Robin Soderling in Paris and Tomas Berdych at SW19.
Roger Federer – 2009
Roger Federer, though, was not to be denied his Career Grand Slam, Surface Slam and Channel Slam as he completed the job in 2009.
The Swiss great defeated Söderling in the French Open final and Andy Roddick in five sets at Wimbledon.
Novak Djokovic – 2021
Novak Djokovic is the most recent entry on the list as he achieved it in 2021 after missing out in 2016 when he won his maiden French Open crown only to lose in the third round at Wimbledon.
The Serbian came from two sets to love down in the French Open final to beat Stefanos Tsitsipas and he then defeated Matteo Berrettini in four sets at Wimbledon.
He had another opportunity in 2023 as he beat Casper Ruud in the Roland Garros final, but then lost against Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final.
Carlos Alcaraz – 2024
The Spaniard’s two wins in the finals could not have been more contrasting as he went the distance against Alexander Zverev at Roland Garros, winning 6–3, 2–6, 5–7, 6–1, 6–2 having also won his semi-final against Jannik Sinner in five sets.
Just over five weeks later and Alcaraz successfully defended his Wimbledon trophy as he defeated 24-time Grand Slam winner Djokovic 6–2, 6–2, 7–6 (4).
