Tennis great Rod Laver says that if Rafael Nadal wins this month’s Australian Open for a fourth major title in a row, it would be “a great effort”—but not a Grand Slam.
In a telephone interview with The Associated Press, Laver says: “He’s got three under his belt, and he’s playing well. There’s a good chance he could pull it off. But it’s not a Grand Slam, certainly.”
Nadal is seeded No. 1 at the Australian Open, which begins Monday.
The Spaniard’s consecutive championships at the French Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open came in 2010, so if he wins in Australia, his 4 for 4 would stretch over two seasons.
Laver was the last man to win tennis’ four top tournaments consecutively, and he did it in a calendar year in 1962 and 1969.