Francis Arthur Sedgman (born 29 October 1927) is an Australian former world No. 1 tennis player. Over the course of a three-decade career, Sedgman won five Grand Slam singles tournaments as an amateur as well as 9 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, Roy Emerson, Martina Navratilova and Serena Williams. In 1951, he and Ken McGregor 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, in his personal ranking lists, ranked Sedgman as the world No. 2 professional behind Pancho Gonzales for the 1958, 1959 and 1960 seasons.
Career Amateur
Sedgman was a right-hander who played the serve-and-volley game that had just been popularised by Jack Kramer. 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 to 1952 Sedgman won 22 Grand Slam titles in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles. Sedgman and his partner Ken McGregor 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, and an American Vic Seixas, 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.
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.The Argus, 18 June 1945 In December, at the Victorian championships, Sedgman beat Noel Kirkby before losing to Adrian Quist. 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".The Melbourne Herald, 12 December 1945
1946 Sedgman began the year by reaching the final of the South Australian championships in Adelaide, where he lost to John Bromwich. Writing in The Sydney Morning Herald, Bromwich said, "Sedgman was not inclined to indulge 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".The Sydney Morning Herald, 2 January 1946 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".The Age, 22 January 1946
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 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".The Melbourne Herald, 16 June 1947 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.The Melbourne Argus, 10 November 1947
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".The Age, 30 March 1948 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.Townsville Daily Bulletin, 14 June 1948 At Wimbledon, he lost in the last 16 to eventual winner Bob Falkenburg.The Akron Beacon Journal, 27 June 1948 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.Barrier Miner, 27 November 1948
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.Queensland Times, 1 February 1949 Bromwich was now 30, whilst Sedgman was 21. In the Gold Cup final at Toowoomba in April, Sedgman beat Brian Strohfeldt in the final.Courier Mail, 19 April 1949 At Wimbledon, Sedgman had two match points against Ted Schroeder in the quarterfinals, but lost in five sets.The Boston Globe, 28 June 1949 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 in the final in three straight sets, losing only three games.The Examiner (Launceston), 3 January 1950 Sedgman won his second Australian Championships men's singles title, beating Bromwich, Eric Sturgess and Ken McGregor. Sedgman's superior groundstrokes were a key factor in his victory over McGregor.Daily Advertiser (Wagga Wagga), 31 January 1950 Sedgman won the West Australian Championships beating Clive Wilderspin in the final, showing a "much superior brand of tennis" than he had in earlier rounds.The West Australian, 11 April 1950 He then won the Australian Hardcourt Championships beating George Worthington in the final.Queensland Times, 24 April 1950 At the French Championships, Sedgman was seeded second, but surprisingly lost in the last 16 to Irvin Dorfman. At Wimbledon, Sedgman was top seeded. He beat Art Larsen and Drobny (both from two sets to love down), before losing the final to Budge Patty in four sets. Sedgman lost in the last 16 of the U.S. Championships to Earl Cochell.The New York Times, 2 September 1950 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.The Argus, 20 September 1950 In November, Sedgman beat reigning U.S. singles champion Larsen in straight sets in the final of the Queensland Championships.Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton), 6 November 1950 Larsen beat Sedgman in the final of the New South Wales Championships, but in December, Sedgman beat Larsen in the final of the Victorian ChampionshipsThe Examiner (Launceston), 11 December 1950 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.Barrier Miner, 2 January 1951 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. 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. 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 in the quarterfinals, but lost in five sets. At the Newport championships in August, Sedgman beat Mervyn Rose in the final to become the first overseas winner of the men's singles since 1916.Warwick Daily News, 14 August 1951 At the U.S. Championships, Sedgman beat Bill Talbert, Tony Trabert, Larsen and Vic Seixas 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.National Advocate, 18 September 1951 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.Cairns Post, 11 December 1951 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 to keep Sedgman an amateur. Enough money was raised to purchase a gasoline station in the name of Sedgman's future bride.The History of Professional Tennis, Joe McCauley, page 58 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 in the final. Sedgman won titles in Cannes in March (over Milo Branovic) and in Beaulieu in April (over Philippe Washer). 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 he won the Sutton event in April, the Harrogate tournament in May beating Sturgess in the final,Advocate, 19 May 1952 the Northern tournament in June over Candy and the Queens club tournament over Rose.Queensland Times, 23 June 1952 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.Cairns Post, 19 August 1952 At the U.S. Championships, Sedgman beat Lew Hoad, Rose and Gardnar Mulloy 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 ChampionshipsMorning Bulletin (Rockhampton), 7 November 1952 before overcoming Rose in five sets in the final. Sedgman won the New South Wales Championships over McGregor.Cairns Post, 24 November 1952 Sedgman was ranked world No. 1 amateur by Lance Tingay, Pierre Gillou, Harry Hopman and Ned Potter. Sedgman turned professional at the end of the year.
Professional 1953