Australia’s most famous tennis legend, “Rocket” Rod Laver, announced that he will not attend the 2025 Australian Open. The 86-year-old did not specify why he would not be in the stands at the arena named after him watching the action.
Laver did say that he will be watching from afar though fans will miss his presence at Rod Laver Arena.
What an incredible year of tennis it has been, and not long now until the new season kicks off again in Australia. Unfortunately, I won’t be there for the first Grand Slam of the year. While disappointed to miss #AO25 and interact with tennis fans in Melbourne, I will be watching… pic.twitter.com/NWg68ETSGw
— Rod Laver (@rodlaver) December 28, 2024
No Australian tennis player is as famous as Laver. Some view him as the best player ever. His career was at an interesting time in tennis history. Rod Laver played as an amateur and a professional before and after the Open Era. He was the first tennis player to earn over one million dollars in career prize money.
He won the calendar grand slam TWICE. He is a legend everywhere he walks. Today, Rod Laver turns 80. Join us in wishing a Happy Birthday to the Rocket 🎉🎈! #USOpen pic.twitter.com/xza6ePoHJD
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 9, 2018
He won 11 Grand Slam singles tournaments, winning all four Grand Slam tournaments in the same year twice (1962 and 1969). Steffi Graf is the only player to win the Grand Slam since Laver did; she won it in 1988 along with the Olympic gold medal, completing the Golden Slam.
Though Laver is known for his singles success, he was also an accomplished doubles player. He won six Grand Slams in doubles and three mixed doubles.
Laver retired in 1979, but his legacy lives on at his namesake arena in Melbourne and through the Laver Cup, an annual exhibition tournament featuring the world’s best players. They are divided into Team Europe and Team World. Laver Cup was started by Roger Federer in 2017. Its location changes each year. It will be held in San Francisco in 2025 with new captains Yannick Noah and Andre Agassi. Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe stepped down after seven years at their respective helms.
