Rod Laver

Douglas Cooper chats with Rod Laver in the Physical Therapy Room at Trinity College, Hartford, following a high-caliber match. 

The Interview

Laver acknowledged that he was a bit adventurous during his amateur years, then became a totally percentage man as a pro.

He struck the right note when I asked if his game was all business, or had a thread of gamesmanship; he saw it as a career, with a very definite age constraint. The average peak of a career? He said thirty, but that you could then hang on to that for 6-10 years. "Look at Rosewall".

His toughest opponents? Newcombe, Ashe,  Rosewall, Okker.

The game is definitely on the ascendence in the U.S. But you can't make comparisons to players of other eras; look at the advantages now in rackets, balls, surfaces, training.

Behind the Scenes

Laver was neck deep in a cylindrical, stainless steel hot tub throughout my conversation with the world's only two-time 'calendar' Grand Slam winner.