Roy Emerson: Adam

At the forefront of tennis’s charge into professionalism, the undervalued Roy Emerson’s statistics still impress.

In an age when Australians dominated world tennis, Emerson and Rod Laver were the names that stood out, with ‘Emmo’ winning 12 individual major titles (including six Australian Opens in seven years), along with 16 in doubles.

He was a brilliant volleyer with a booming serve, but a mark of his greatness was his work ethic and his ability to adjust his game for different conditions.

Emerson is often overlooked when the game’s greats are mentioned as he nabbed many of his grand slams while Laver, who had already turned pro, was not competing against him. Emerson held the record for the most grand slams right up until Pete Sampras came along.

Rod Laver: Rocket

With five of Rod Laver’s best years lost to the record books due to the fact he…