When a young and rising star makes a mark, it is a reason to celebrate. The younger they are, the more impressive their achievements are and the more they showcase their talent. Numerous tennis players have achieved esteemed Grand Slam titles, very few have done it at such a tender age. In this article, we will discuss the youngest Grand Slam champion in the Open Era.

Also Read: Grand Slam Records: Most Grand Slam Finals in Men's Tennis

Youngest Grand Slam Champion

10. Carlos Alcaraz Garfia | 19 years 3 months 24 days

Great things were predicted about him since 2021 but no one expected him to rise so quickly as he won the US Open in what was only his second attempt. Carlos Alcaraz defeated Norway’s Casper Ruud 6-4, 2-6, 7-6, (7-1), 6-3 in what was considered the youngest ever US Open final where the Norwegian was only 23 years old.

Alcaraz had reached the quarterfinals when he made his US Open debut last year. He also became the youngest Spanish player to win a Grand Slam title after his compatriot Rafael Nadal won the French Open in 2005.

9. Mats Wilander | 19 years 3 months 7 days

Mats Wilander, who was known as a clay-court specialist, triumphed on the grass courts of the Australian Open to everyone’s surprise, defeating Ivan Lendl in the 1983 final (6-1, 6-4, 6-4) at the age of 19. The Swede had participated in the event mainly to prepare for the Davis Cup.

8. Pete Sampras | 19 years 15 days

America’s Pete Sampras became US Open’s youngest-ever men’s singles champion in 1990 as he defeated Andre Agassi 6-4, 6-3, 6-2. He also defeated Ivan Lendl on his way to reaching the finals, where he also ended Lendl’s streak of reaching his eighth men’s singles finals in a row at the US Open. This was the first of Pete’s 14 major titles, which was also an Open Era record until Roger Federer overtook him.

7. Bjorn Borg | 18 years 11 months 28 days

Defending champion Björn Borg defeated Guillermo Vilas in the final, 6–2, 6–3, 6–4 to win the men's singles tennis title at the 1975 French Open at the age of 19. It was his second French Open title and second major title overall.

Also Read: Grand Slam Records: Most Grand Slam Titles by Active Players 2023 (Men)

6. Rafael Nadal | 18 years 11 months 20 days

Spain’s Rafael Nadal won his first Grand Slam title way back in 2005. Just a few days after his 19th birthday, Nadal defeated Argentina’s Mariarno Puerta 6-7, (6-8), 6-3, 6-1, 7-5 at the Roland Garros and won the first of his 14 titles in Paris.

Rafa became the first teenager to win a major singles title after Pete Sampras who won the 1990 US Open. In 2005, his breakthrough year, Nadal won a staggering 11 ATP titles. Just a few days after his 19th birthday, Nadal defeated Argentina’s Mariarno Puerta 6-7, (6-8), 6-3, 6-1, 7-5 at the Roland Garros and won the first of his 14 titles in Paris. (Photo Credit: AP)

5. Boris Becker | 18 years 7 months 1 day

The 18-year-old West German made it back-to-back Wimbledon titles, beating pre-tournament favourite Ivan Lendl, 6-4, 6-3, 7-5 in 1986, for the 100th men’s singles title. Boris Becker won six Grand Slam singles titles overall – three at Wimbledon (1985, 1986, 1989), two at the Australian Open (1991, 1996) and one at the US Open (1989).

4. Bjorn Borg | 17 years 11 months 27 days

Sweden’s Bjorn Borg was often referred to as the “Ice Man” or the “Ice Boy” during his teens. He represented Sweden in the 1972 Davis Cup at the age of 15 and turned professional a year later.

He didn’t have a full season of the tour when he won the first of his 11 Grand Slam titles at the 1974 Roland Garros, just a few days after his 18th birthday. His last Grand Slam title came at the 1981 French Open.

3. Mats Wilander | 17 years 9 months 2 days

This Swedish tennis player turned professional in 1981 at the age of 17 and just a year later won his first Grand Slam title at 1982 Roland Garros where he defeated Guillermo Vilas 1-6, (7-6), (8-6), 6-0, 6-4. Mats Wilander added six more Grand Slam titles with the last one being the 1988 US Open. He also won the Australian and French Open that year and also reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals.

2. Boris Becker | 17 years 7 months 2 days

Germany’s Boris Becker became the first unseeded player to win Wimbledon in 1985. He is the second youngest Grand Slam champion. Becker turned professional in 1984 but he defeated America’s Kevin Curren 6-3,6-7, (4-7), 7-6, (7-3), 6-4 in the 1985 Wimbledon final. Becker went on to win five more major titles in his career with the last one being the 1996 Australian Open.

Also Read: Most Grand Slam finals in tennis history

1. Michael Chang | 17 years 3 months 7 days

Young American, Michael Chang became the youngest Grand Slam champion when he won the 1989 French Open with a 6-1, 3-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 win over Sweden’s Stefan Edberg. Chang was a school dropout at the age of 15 and in 1988 turned professional.

Just a year later, he won the men’s singles trophy at the Roland Garros. This was his only Grand Slam title but he did reach two other major finals in 1996 where he finished as the runner-up at the Australian Open and US Open.

Swiss tennis great Roger Federer wrote an emotional letter on the retirement of his close friend Rafael Nadal. Rafa, 22 Grand Slam winner, announced his retirement only last month at Davis Cup final in Málaga, Spain.

Also Read: Oldest Grand Slam Champion | Top 10 List

Federer, 43, who retired two years ago after winning 20 major titles, wrote, “As you get ready to graduate from tennis, I’ve got a few things to share before I maybe get emotional. Let’s start with the obvious: you beat me—a lot. More than I managed to beat you. You challenged me in ways no one else could. On clay, it felt like I was stepping into your backyard, and you made me work harder than I ever thought I could just to hold my ground. You made me reimagine my game—even going so far as to change the size of my racquet head, hoping for any edge,” 

Federer recalled their first meeting

Federer and Nadal had the greatest rivalry in the history of the sport. They first faced each other in Miami in 2004, where the Spaniard defeated then world No. 1 Federer 6-3, 6-3 in the round of 32.

Recalling their first meeting, Federer said, “OK, maybe not at first. After the 2004 Australian Open, I achieved the #1 ranking for the first time. I thought I was on top of the world. And I was—until two months later, when you walked on the court in Miami in your red sleeveless shirt, showing off those biceps, and you beat me convincingly. All that buzz I’d been hearing about you—about this amazing young player from Mallorca, a generational talent, probably going to win a major someday—it wasn’t just hype."

Federer praised Nadal's skills on clay and thanked him for making him a better player. He wrote, “We were both at the start of our journey and it’s one we ended up taking together. Twenty years later, Rafa, I have to say: What an incredible run you’ve had. Including 14 French Opens—historic! You made Spain proud… you made the whole tennis world proud."

The 'Fedal' rivalry

Notably, the 'Fedal' rivalry has seen some of the most spectacular tennis matches, including the Wimbledon 2008 final, in which Nadal defeated Federer 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-7(8), 9-7. In total, they faced each other 40 times, with Nadal holding the head-to-head record 24–16.

“I keep thinking about the memories we’ve shared. Promoting the sport together. Playing that match on half-grass, half-clay. Breaking the all-time attendance record by playing in front of more than 50,000 fans in Cape Town, South Africa. Always cracking each other up. Wearing each other out on the court and then, sometimes, almost literally having to hold each other up during trophy ceremonies." Federer added.

Also Read: Most Olympic Gold medals in Tennis history (Men's)

Nadal was on the same side on Federer's last match

In Federer's last professional tennis match, Rafael Nadal was on the same side of the court as the two paired up to play a doubles match at the Laver Cup in London in 2022. After the match, a photo of Federer and Nadal sitting on the bench, holding hands and crying, went viral on social media.

“And then there was London—the Laver Cup in 2022. My final match. It meant everything to me that you were there by my side—not as my rival but as my doubles partner. Sharing the court with you that night, and sharing those tears, will forever be one of the most special moments of my career,”

The Paris Olympics 2024 men’s tennis draw is on the table and Two-time Olympic gold medalist Rafael Nadal will meet Hungary’s Marton Fuscovics, in Round 1. Nadal enters the tournament unseeded and is set to play his last Olympic games. There is a high possibility that he could play world No. 2, Novak Djokovic in the second round.

Read Also: Paris Olympics 2024 Men's Singles Seed announced

Novak Djokovic is likely making his last Olympic Games appearance and will be searching for his first gold medal. Djokovic won singles bronze at Beijing 2008 but a gold medal is the one prize he doesn't have won in his historic career. 

The Serbian, seeded No. 1, is set to face Australia’s Matthew Ebden. Ebden received a last-minute entry into the Games after Holger Rune announced his withdrawal from the men’s singles event on Wednesday due to his wrist injury.

Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz, seeded No. 2, will begin his debut Olympic campaign against Lebanon’s Hady Habib. 20-year-old Alcaraz enters the tournament as the world ranked No. 3 and is the most in-form player in the world right now. He recently won both the 2024 French Open and Wimbledon titles. 

Reigning Olympic men’s champion Alexander Zverev will face Spain’s Jaume Munar in the first round. Zverev won gold in Tokyo after thrashing Khachanov in the final. He is also in form but has failed to clinch a single title this year after reaching three finals.

World No 1 Jannik Sinner was set to be the top seed in the men’s singles draw, and in the men’s doubles draw alongside fellow Italian Lorenzo Musetti. But he pulled out due to illness. He is going to be a huge miss. Denmark’s Holger Rune and Poland's Hubert Hurkacz will also miss the Men's Singles. Two-time gold medalist Andy Murray pulled out from Singles before the seeding and said that he would only compete in the men’s doubles event. 

Read Also: Paris Olympics 2024 Opening Day -1 (25th July) LIVE Updates - Dhiraj Bommadevara stars for India with 681 points as India qualifies for quarter-finals in team and mixed events

Men's Singles Tennis draw for Paris Olympics 2024

World No 1 Jannik Sinner was set to be the top seed in the men’s singles draw, and in the men’s doubles draw alongside fellow Italian Lorenzo Musetti. In Sinner's absence, Novak Djokovic is set to be the top seed in Men's singles at the Paris Olympics 2024. The brackets will feature 64 players, resulting in 16 seeded players. To win the gold, one must win six matches. The top 16 pre-seeded players won't face each other in the first two rounds. The players from the same country also cannot face each other in the first two rounds.

Read Also: Last 10 Wimbledon Champions List (Men's)

Paris Olympics 2024 Men's Singles Seed

Novak Djokovic is likely making his last Olympic Games appearance and will be searching for his first gold medal. Djokovic won singles bronze at Beijing 2008 but a gold medal is the one prize he doesn't have won in his historic career.

The favourite for the gold is world No 3 and third seed, Carlos Alcaraz. Alcaraz is making his Olympic Games debut and coming after winning the French Open and Wimbledon, making him the most in-form player on tour.

Alexander Zverev is also a contender for the gold. World No. 5 Daniil Medvedev will compete as an authorized neutral athlete and is projected to be the fifth seed.

Men’s singles seeds (as of 22 July 2024)

1. 1) Jannik Sinner, Italy
2. Novak Djokovic, Serbia
3. Carlos Alcaraz, Spain
4. Alexander Zverev, Germany
5. Daniil Medvedev, Authorised Neutral Athlete
6. Alex de Minaur, Australia
7. Casper Ruud, Norway
8. Taylor Fritz, United States
9. Stefanos Tsitsipas, Greece
10. Tommy Paul, United States
11. Ugo Humbert, France
12. Holger Rune, Denmark
13. Lorenzo Musetti, Italy
14. Sebastian Baez, Argentina
15. Felix Auger-Aliassime, Canada
16. Arthur Fils, France

The life of a professional athlete is one of precision. Despite the capacity for careful calculation, they understand there will always be elements beyond their control. This may be why many athletes lean just as much on their pregame rituals as they do on their months of preparation. Because in the seconds before the big match, tournament, or race, who wouldn’t want any help they could get? Let's take a look at the top superstitions at Paris Olympics 2024 that will help athletes get competition-ready.

Also Read: Most Olympic Games without any medal: Monaco, Myanmar and Bangladesh in top 30

Superstitions at Paris Olympics 2024

Nadal's on-court tennis rituals

Rafael Nadal is well-known for his many behaviours, both superstitious and routine. The on-court routine of Rafael Nadal has been among the most discussed topics in tennis. In almost every match, the Spaniard takes a sip of each of his two bottles and places them in a certain position. He meticulously arranges his water bottles so that the labels face the same direction. He also follows a strict sequence of actions, such as not touching the court lines and performing a specific routine with his shirt, hair, and face before serving a shot.

Naomi Osaka and her superstitions about bottles

Four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka wants her water bottles to be completely aligned. She believes most athletes have very strong superstitions. Like Nadal, her ritual revolves around the precise arrangement of the bottles, making sure they are facing the same direction and placed in a specific order.

Also Read: All-time Olympic medal tally: USA top with 2,629 medals; India placed at 58

Daniil Medvedev's eating habits

Daniil Medvedev also has the “crazy” rituals. He had one rigid routine that he followed before every match. Although Medvedev is pretty flexible when it comes to switching up his routines, he admitted there was one thing he always had to keep the same and couldn’t do even one second too late, which is his eating habits. Medvedev always eats exactly 2 hours and 30 minutes before his matches.

Gianmarco Tamberi's signature look

Italian high jumper Gianmarco Tamberi known for his beard, which is half shaved, has been his signature style since 2011. Tamberi won the European Athletics Championships in Rome. After the competition, when he was presented with his gold medal during the awards ceremony, he stepped on the podium with his beard fully shaven. Tamberi has been ranked as the No. 1 high jumper in Europe for 135 weeks. He will carry the Italian flag at the 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony.

Carissa Moore's husband wears her lucky socks

American surfer Carissa Moore, a five-time world champion, has a unique superstition that relies not on herself but on her boyfriend. The Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion firmly believes that her boyfriend's socks bring her good fortune on the waves.

Also Read: How many sports will there be at the Paris Olympics 2024? Which are the new ones?

Vashti Cunningham watches 'Kill Bill'

Vashti Cunningham, the American high jumper watches Kill Bill, the night before every competition. She also does Bible study along with her father before going out and getting ready for warm-up and jumping.

The World's biggest Tennis tournament, Wimbledon or The Championships is the oldest Tennis tournament so far. It is considered as the most prestigious tournament. It has been organized at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. Grand Slam has four Tennis tournaments, and Wimbledon is one of them. The Australian Open, the French Open and the US Open are the other three tournaments. Wimbledon is the only tournament played on Grass courts.

Also Read: Last 10 Wimbledon Champions List (Men's)

The Wimbledon Championship 2024 was the 137th time Championships. There were five main events, four junior events, and seven invitation events. Barbora Krejčíková in women's singles was proclaimed Wimbledon 2024 champion, she defeated Jasmine Paolini of Italy. There are many more champions who have won women's singles titles. So, let's have a look at the women's Wimbledon Champion list from the last 10 years.

1. 2014 Wimbledon Championships Winner- Petra Kvitová

Petra Kvitova swept past Canada's Eugenie Bouchard with a stunning performance of controlled power to win her second Wimbledon title. The Czech sixth seed reclaimed the title she first won in 2011 with a 6-3 6-0 victory. It was the 24-year-old's second major title. Kvitova did a similar demolition job on Maria Sharapova to win Wimbledon for the first time three years ago. It was also the quickest ladies’ final at Wimbledon for 31 years, since Martina Navratilova, also a Czech and an even more famous left-hander, routed Andrea Jaeger in the 1983 final.

2. 2015 Wimbledon Championships Winner- Serena Williams

Serena Williams beat Spain's Garbine Muguruza to win Wimbledon for the sixth time and complete the 'Serena Slam' as the holder of all four major titles. The 33-year-old American won 6-4 6-4 on Centre Court to claim her 21st Grand Slam title and third of 2015. It's another mark in the history books for the player who many already consider the greatest woman to have ever played the game. Serena also became the oldest slam champion of the modern era by beating her excellent opponent, 12 years her junior. 

3. 2016 Wimbledon Championships Winner- Serena Williams

Serena Williams had finally won her 22nd Grand Slam title, besting Angelique Kerber in the finals at Wimbledon 2016. The American, 34, coped with a gusty wind on Centre Court to win 7-5 6-3. With this, she got her seventh singles title on the grass courts of The Championships, and she had finally tied Steffi Graf for the most major titles in the Open Era.

Also Read: Players who won the Golden Slam in their career

4. 2017 Wimbledon Championships Winner- Garbiñe Muguruza

Garbine Muguruza defeated Venus Williams 7-5, 6-0 to clinch the 2017 Wimbledon women's singles championship, the second major title of her career. It was a strange contest, the first women’s final under the roof. The Spaniard finished as runner-up to the American's sister, Serena, in this same fixture two years ago but claimed some redemption after sailing to this year's crown.

5. 2018 Wimbledon Championships Winner- Angelique Kerber

Angelique Kerber beat seven-time champion Serena Williams to win her first Wimbledon title and spoil the American's dream comeback as a mother. The German 11th seed, 30, beat the 23-time Grand Slam champion 6-3 6-3 to add this title to her 2016 Australian Open and US Open crowns.

6. 2019 Wimbledon Championships Winner- Simona Halep

Simona Halep has made Wimbledon history by becoming the first Romanian to win the Grand Slam with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over seven-time champion Serena Williams. She won her first Grand Slam title at last year’s French Open but had gone into her first final here as the clear underdog.

Also Read: Top 10 fastest serves in tennis history (WTA Recognised)

7. 2021 Wimbledon Championships Winner- Ash Barty

Ashleigh Barty claimed her first Wimbledon title - and second singles Grand Slam crown, beating Karolina Pliskova 6-3 6-7 (7-4) 6-3 in a rollercoaster women's singles final. Barty, who claimed a first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros two years ago, was the first Australian to lift the Venus Rosewater Dish since her idol Evonne Goolagong Cawley won the second of two Wimbledon titles in 1980. She was only the third Australian woman to triumph in the Open era, joining Goolagong Cawley (also the 1971 winner) and 1970 champion Margaret Court.

8. 2022 Wimbledon Championships winner- Elena Rybakina

Elena Rybakina became the first player representing Kazakhstan to win a Grand Slam singles championship with a 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 victory against No.3 Ons Jabeur.  After sealing her first championship point with a service winner, Rybakina celebrated the 1-hour, 48-minute win with barely a fist pump. In the first Wimbledon title match between first-time Grand Slam finalists of the Open Era,  Rybakina, 23, also became the youngest woman to lift the Venus Rosewater Dish since 21-year-old Petra Kvitova in 2011. She was also the fourth-youngest active major champion on the Hologic WTA Tour, older than only Iga Swiatek, Bianca Andreescu, and Emma Raducanu.

9. 2023 Wimbledon Championships winner- Markéta Vondroušová

Markéta Vondroušová made history as the first unseeded player to win the ladies singles championship at Wimbledon in a stunning 6-4, 6-4 upset over the No. 6 seed Ons Jabeur, who was the runner-up for a second straight year. The 24-year-old lefty joins two other Czech-born left-handers, Martina Navratilova and Petra Kvitová to take home the Wimbledon title.

Also Read: Most Wimbledon Titles in Open Era (Men)

10. 2024 Wimbledon Championships winner- Barbora Krejčíková

Barbora Krejcikova is the Wimbledon ladies' singles champion after the 31st seed earned an impressive 6-2 2-6 6-4 win over Jasmine Paolini to claim the title for the first time. Heading into the Wimbledon final, Krejcikova was a seven-time Major doubles champion, the 2021 French Open singles winner and an Olympic gold medallist. She had even completed the career Slam in doubles, winning each of the four big titles at least once.