​Longtime tennis fans may not hear the term “Channel Slam” very often. It’s a rare distinction earned by only 13 players—six from the ATP and seven from the WTA—who have managed to win both the French Open and Wimbledon in the same calendar year, effectively in back-to-back major events. The feat is so formidable that the game’s Mount Rushmore is sometimes invoked to describe those who have achieved this almost Everest-like challenge.
On the men’s side, the Channel Slam has been accomplished by Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg (three times), Rafael Nadal (twice), Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and most recently Carlos Alcaraz in 2024. On the women’s side, the list includes Margaret Court, Evonne Goolagong, Billie Jean King, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova (twice), Steffi Graf (five times), and Serena Williams (twice). These are the players who have entered the sport’s annals as Channel Slam legends.
The Channel Slam name itself is rooted in geography: it references the English Channel that separates France and England, home to Roland Garros in Paris and Wimbledon, respectively. The phrase isn’t spoken often, because it requires a French Open champion to reach the Wimbledon final in the same year to have any realistic chance of earning it.
Alexander Zverev now faces a substantial test against ATP World No. 1 Jannik Sinner. Their head-to-head record stands in Sinner’s favor at 10-4, with Sinner having won the last nine matches and Zverev’s most recent win coming in 2023. If Zverev elevates his game to win Wimbledon and complete the Channel Slam, it would mark a historic achievement toward cementing his legacy. Notably, Zverev’s maiden Grand Slam title came at the 2026 French Open, which could free him from the immediate pressure of securing his first major crown and allow him to approach Wimbledon with a renewed sense of confidence. A strong performance in the final could also put an end to his recent run of defeats against Sinner and propel him toward the Channel Slam.
Fans can catch the Wimbledon men’s singles final on Sunday, July 12, live on ESPN, as part of a potential chapters-in-history moment that would add another page to the Channel Slam lore.