Advertisement
Zhang Shuai’s US Open doubles win completes Chinese ‘golden slam’ in tennis
- Chinese players have now won at least one title at every major, as well as Olympics gold, after women’s doubles triumph in New York
- It has taken 15 years since first doubles success at Australian Open and Wimbledon, with Li Na’s French Open win a highlight
Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
China No 1 Zhang Shuai’s victory at the 2021 US Open secured a “golden slam” of sorts for Chinese players as it marked the final major where there was a Chinese winner.
Advertisement
The golden slam is traditionally seen as winning all four majors – Wimbledon and the Australian, French and US Open – plus the Olympic gold medal all in the same calendar year.
That was achieved by Germany superstar Steffi Graf back in 1988 and it has proven notoriously difficult to replicate ever since, even for the those at the very top of the game.
Novak Djokovic was going for it this year after winning in Melbourne, Paris and London but he came unstuck in Tokyo, where he lost to Alexander Zverev in the semi-final, and then again at the US Open after his golden slam was downgraded to the still mightily impressive possible calendar grand slam.
02:08
China’s Li Na enters International Tennis Hall of Fame
China’s Li Na enters International Tennis Hall of Fame
Men’s wheelchair tennis player Dylan Alcott did achieve a golden slam this weekend in New York with his US Open adding a fourth major of 2021 to his Paralympic gold.
Advertisement
Advertisement