Competing from 1956 to 1971, Laver carved out a one-of-a-kind legacy on the ATP Tour<\/a>.<\/p>\n Remarkably, when reflecting on his career, many argue that Laver had the ability to win more titles than he did.<\/p>\n Weighing in with his thoughts, McEnroe<\/a> has explained the problem Laver encountered that stopped him from adding to his Grand Slam count.<\/p>\n John McEnroe explains why Rod Laver could not play Grand Slams during the 1960s<\/p>\n Appearing as a guest on the \u2018Served\u2019 podcast, McEnroe shared what Laver did during the 1960s that prevented him from competing at major tournaments.<\/p>\n \u201cHere is the problem, unlike now, where some guys can make a tremendous living, there was no money in tennis. He had a kid, so he had to find a way to make money,\u201d said McEnroe.<\/p>\n \u201cSo he had to turn pro, and when you turned pro back in the \u201960s, you weren\u2019t allowed to play the Grand Slam events, so for five years, Rod Laver played zero Grand Slam events, even though he was the best player in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n When tennis entered the \u2018Open Era\u2019 in 1968, Laver was allowed to re-enter the Grand Slam sphere, and it didn\u2019t take him long to rise to the top.<\/p>\n \u201cIn \u201968, finally, tennis came to the realisation that it would be better if all the best players competed, so they opened it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cIn \u201969, I think at 30, 31 years old, Rod won the Grand Slam for the second time, beating everybody, which was even more impressive than it was the first time.\u201d<\/p>\n To complete the Grand Slam, a player must win all four major tournaments in a calendar year, a feat only two players have accomplished in the history of the men\u2019s game.<\/p>\n \u201cHe won the Grand Slam twice, which is unheard of; no guy has done that,\u201d said McEnroe.<\/p>\n \u201cNo one has done that since. A couple of guys have been reasonably close, Novak [Djokovic]<\/a> most recently, who had won three in a row and lost to [Daniil] Medvedev four years ago at the US Open. But it was unheard of. Don Budge did it in the 30s.\u201d<\/p>\n Men\u2019s singles Grand Slam winnersDon Budge \u2013 1930Rod Laver \u2013 1962Rod Laver \u2013 1969<\/p>\n Laver continued to play after completing his second Grand Slam in 1969, for one key reason.<\/p>\n \u201cHe continued to play because he still hadn\u2019t really made any money. I\u2019ll tell you, he made $100,000; he played like 35 tournaments [in 1970] to reach $100,000 in prize money. First round loser at the US Open gets $110,000,\u201d said McEnroe.<\/p>\n Chiming in with his thoughts, Andy Roddick<\/a> said the stars of today have Laver to thank for their prize money.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s because of Rod Laver, I hope all of the players that are in these tournaments, playing for these sums of money, fans that can go into this beautiful building and have a great experience [can appreciate Laver],\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Laver\u2019s efforts won\u2019t be forgotten, having achieved more in the sport than most could even dream of.<\/p>\n McEnroe noted that Djokovic came close to adding his name to the list of Grand Slam winners a few years ago, but has anyone challenged since?<\/p>\n Recent Grand Slam attempts<\/p>\n Since Djokovic came a match away from the Grand Slam in 2021, there have been four attempts at tennis\u2019 most impossible achievement.<\/p>\n YearAustralian Open winnerFrench Open performanceWimbledon performance% of Grand Slam2022Rafael NadalWinnerLost in SF 68%2023Novak DjokovicWinnerLost in F71%2024Jannik SinnerLost in SF\u201343%2025Jannik SinnerLost in F\u201346%Grand Slam attempts (ATP Tour since 2021)<\/p>\n Rafael Nadal<\/a> in 2022 and Djokovic in 2023 both won the first two Grand Slams of the year, but came up short during the latter stages of Wimbledon.<\/p>\n Djokovic came painfully close to winning the title at Wimbledon in 2023, losing out in a deciding set to Spain\u2019s Carlos Alcaraz<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Rod](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/GettyImages-2172352498-1024x683.jpg\")
Photo by RONNY HARTMANN\/AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n![\"John](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/GettyImages-1341750890-1024x672.jpg\")
Photo by Clive Brunskill\/Getty Images for Laver Cup<\/p>\n