 Sven Davidson after winning the1957 French Tennis Championships. | |
| Country (sports) |  Sweden |
|---|---|
| Born | (1928-07-13)13 July 1928 Borås, Sweden |
| Died | 28 May 2008(2008-05-28) (aged 79) Arcadia,California, United States |
| Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| Int. Tennis HoF | 2007(member page) |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 542–171 (76.2%)[1] |
| Career titles | 50[1] |
| Highest ranking | No. 2 (1957)[2] |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Australian Open | 3R (1955) |
| French Open | W (1957) |
| Wimbledon | SF (1957) |
| US Open | SF (1957) |
| Doubles | |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| French Open | SF (1956) |
| Wimbledon | W (1958) |
| Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
| Wimbledon | QF (1951) |
Sven Viktor Davidson (13 July 1928 – 28 May 2008) was aSwedishtennis player who became the first Swede to win aGrand Slam title when he won theFrench Championships in1957, beatingAshley Cooper andHerbert Flam.
Davidson also reached the French championships final in the two previous years. In 1955 he beatBudge Patty before losing toTony Trabert.[3] In 1956 he beat Flam and Cooper before losing toLew Hoad.[3] He also reached the Wimbledon semi finals in 1957 (beating Seixas before losing toLew Hoad).[4] At the 1957 U. S. Championships, Davidson lost in five sets in the semifinals toMal Anderson. In 1958 Davidson partnered withUlf Schmidt to win the doubles title at theWimbledon Championships defeating the Australian pairAshley Cooper andNeale Fraser in three straight sets. He played his last Grand Slam event at Wimbledon in 1959.
Davidson reached a career-high singles ranking of World No. 2.[2]
He played for the SwedishDavis Cup team between 1950 and 1960.[5]
Davidson was inducted into theInternational Tennis Hall of Fame in 2007.[5]
Davidson lived inArcadia, California since the 1970s. In 1981, at age 52, he suffered a heart attack while playing a tennis match in Los Angeles.[6] He died in Arcadia on 28 May 2008 as a result of pneumonia.[7]
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1955 | French Championships | Clay |  Tony Trabert | 6–2, 1–6, 4–6, 2–6 |
| Loss | 1956 | French Championships | Clay |  Lew Hoad | 4–6, 6–8, 3–6 |
| Win | 1957 | French Championships | Clay | Herbie Flam | 6–3, 6–4, 6–4 |
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1958 | Wimbledon | Grass | Ulf Schmidt | Ashley CooperNeale Fraser | 6–4, 6–4, 8–6 |
| W | F | SF | QF | #R | RR | Q# | DNQ | A | NH |
| Tournament | 1949 | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Championships | A | A | A | A | A | A | 3R | A | A | A | A | 0 / 1 |
| French Championships | 1R | 4R | 4R | A | 4R | QF | F | F | W | A | A | 1 / 8 |
| Wimbledon | A | 1R | 2R | A | QF | 4R | QF | 2R | SF | QF | 3R | 0 / 9 |
| U.S. National Championships | A | 2R | A | A | QF | 4R | A | A | SF | A | A | 0 / 4 |
| Strike rate | 0 / 1 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 2 | 1 / 3 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 1 / 22 |
