Top five oldest men's singles Grand Slam champions

Ken Rosewall is the oldest men’s singles player to win a Grand Slam.

In every sport, players are expected to give their best. It takes countless hours of practice to become proficient at any sport. Even after achieving peak performance, players tend to lose their edge with age.

In a sport like tennis, which involves several factors such as speed, stamina, strength, agility, power, and mental resolve, it becomes difficult to play after a certain age. In a physically demanding sport played on different surfaces and under varying conditions, players are constantly at risk of injury.

Only a few stars in the history of tennis have defied age and performed their best. On that note, let’s take a look at the top five oldest men’s singles Grand Slam champions.

5. Andres Gimeno – 34 years 305 days

Andres Gimeno is one of the many Spanish legends to have graced the game. The Catalan has a unique record of became the oldest first-time Grand Slam winner after winning the French Open title in 1972.

Gimeno got an easy draw as he cruised through the first two rounds. He was pushed into a five-setter by American Clark Graebner.

Every match was an event in the last eight, as he would unexpectedly drop a set after dominating the previous one. But there is something deeply special about Spanish players and Roland Garros, which is why they excel on clay.

The 34-year-old lifted his maiden title, and it ended as his only title as he had to hang up his boots after injuring his meniscus in 1973.

Also Read: Who holds longest undefeated streak record in Grand Slam finals?

4. Rafael Nadal – 36 years 2 days

If there is one name that always features in the record books of Tennis, it would be Rafael Nadal. He forged his path, following the footsteps of Gimeno and Carlos Moya.

He is invincible on his day—especially on clay, where he is nearly unbeatable on any given day. Ironically, his last Grand Slam came on the very ground he dominated for years at Roland Garros. In the 2022 edition, he was given a tough draw as he had to face World No. 1 and defending champion Novak Djokovic in the quarters.

He won the match and received an unexpected gift on his 36th birthday, as Alexander Zverev retired due to injury against him in the semis. He beat Casper Ruud in straight sets to win a record 14th French Open title. It was a record-breaking 22nd Grand Slam.

3. Novak Djokovic – 36 years 111 days

Novak Djokovic broke Nadal’s record of 22 Grand Slams. Like a fine wine, he gets better with age. Djokovic crossed Nadal’s tally at the 2023 French Open, having equalled it at the Australian Open earlier that year. He made it to the finals at Wimbledon only to be stopped by Carlos Alcaraz.

He quickly rectified his mistake and defeated Daniil Medvedev to win the US Open later that year. He rarely broke a sweat en route to his title. His surprise challenge came from his countryman Laslo Djere in the third round. He lost the first two sets but recovered quickly.

It has been two years since the 38-year-old last won a Grand Slam, and he would be eager to win one to make it a Grand Slam 25 and to the top of this list as well.

2. Roger Federer – 36 years 173 days

Roger Federer is known for his class, and the legend continued to display. Whether as a youngster against Pete Sampras or his contemporaries, the Swiss was always a treat to watch. His final Grand Slam title came at the 2018 Australian Open. Federer was the defending champion going into the tournament.

The Maestro dominated every game on the way to the finals. With Nadal retiring out in the last eight, everyone stacked their odds in favour of Federer.

In the finals, it was against Marin Cilic, and Croatian gave everything. But the class of Federer was too much to handle, as the Swiss won the game in five sets. At 36 years and 173 days, he was the oldest player since the millennium to win a Grand Slam.

1. Ken Rosewall – 37 years 54 days

1972 was a significant year in tennis history as the ATP was formed after a long battle between the International Lawn Tennis Federation (ILTF) and World Championship Tennis (WCT).

The year started with controversy as the organisers of the Australian Open brought the event forward to Christmas weekend to avoid a ban on WCT players. But only eight non-Aussies were part of the draw, as many players skipped due to the holiday season.

Ken Rosewall was the defending champion and was the favourite going into the tournament. The Australian had a stiff challenge in the finals against Mal Anderson, who knocked the top-seeded John Newcombe in the quarters.

But Anderson couldn’t repeat it in the finals as Rosewall was too good at his age to win in straight sets. It was his eighth Grand Slam title and his fourth at his home turf.

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