Rod Laver

Rod Laver won Wimbledon four times, in 1961 and 1962 as an amateur and in 1968 and 1969 as a professional, with wooden rackets on very fast grass. As a left-hander he swung serves wide on the ad court, came forward and finished with angled volleys, and his topspin backhand gave him passing shots few of his peers had. Three of the four majors were then played on grass, so grass skill shaped his two calendar Grand Slams.