Bathed in blue light, surrounded by family and fans at a packed Rod Laver Arena, 97 year old Frank Sedgman celebrated the 75th anniversary of his last win at the Australian Championships (now the Australian Open).
Image: Vanessa Taylor via Nine Media video
Sedgman, whose aggressive style was compared to the great Jack Kramer, was renowned for his sublime volleying and incredible quickness around the court.
His illustrious amateur career included five Grand Slam singles titles and 17 major doubles titles (nine men and eight mixed) for 22 majors in total.
In the singles arena, Sedgman was recognised in the late 1940s and early 1950s as the sport’s top player. He won the Australian Championship in 1949 and 1950, the US Championship in 1951 and 1952, and Wimbledon in 1952. The French Championship was the only major to elude him after he lost in four sets to Jaroslav Drobný in 1952. His four set victory in the title match over Drobný at Wimbledon shortly after was career defining. Sedgman dearly wanted to win the Wimbledon singles championship before turning professional.
Seven of his nine men’s doubles majors were achieved alongside compatriot Ken McGregor (his first two were won with another Australian great – John Bromwich).
Indeed, Sedgman and McGregor are famously the only male pair to have won The Grand Slam (winning all four major titles in the same calendar year). They achieved this in 1951 and came within one match of repeating the feat in 1952, only losing the final of the year’s concluding major, the US Championship, to the unlikely pairing of countryman Mervyn Rose and American Vic Seixas.
Sedgman also won each of the mixed doubles majors twice teaming with the highly acclaimed Doris Hart of the US on each occasion.
Image: Vanessa Taylor via Nine Media video
He was immense for Australia in Davis Cup competition between 1949 and 1952 winning 16 of 19 singles matches and going to a perfect 9-0 in doubles. Under the guidance of captain Harry Hopman, he led Australia to Davis Cup titles in 1950, 1951 and 1952. All three Challenge Round victories were against arch rival USA. Extraordinarily, Sedgman was 9-0 during those three ties, winning six singles and three doubles rubbers.
Upon turning professional in 1953 (a decision that was the source of much consternation in Australian society), Sedgman quickly imposed himself, with Tennis de France magazine ranking him as the world No. 1 professional player that season.
While in Melbourne, Sedgman also appeared on Rod Laver Arena with other former Australian Davis Cup players to honour Neale Fraser, who died last year aged 91.
Fraser had idolised Sedgman and once described how, “Sedge was my hero, and I wanted to be just like him.”
Title photo of the 1950s Norman Brookes trophy by Vickers & Hoad