Inducted into the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame in January 1994; inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1982.
Roy Emerson was a slim and athletic player whose career bridged the amateur and Open eras. He came close to completing the Grand Slam in 1964 but fell in the quarterfinals to Italy's Nicola Pietrangeli at the French Open.
Emerson played during what was considered Australia's golden period of tennis. He played in eight winning Davis Cup teams, an incredible achievement, and won 34 of his 38 rubbers. A gifted doubles player, Emerson had a reputation for being able to make any partner look good. Emerson won doubles titles at all of the majors at least three times, proving his skill on all surfaces. He won six French Open doubles titles with five partners.
Emerson was famously quoted as saying: "You should never complain about an injury. We believe that if you play, then you aren't injured, and that's that."