Rod Laver is a true legend of tennis with 11 Grand Slam titles to his name

By Raz Mirza

A look at the impact Rod Laver had on the sport

The Laver Cup was created to honour the greatest player of the 20th century, Rod Laver.

The Australian was known for his speed and thunderous left arm, which earned him the nickname "Rocket".

Playing left-handed with a single-handed backhand, he won 11 Grand Slam crowns with 200 career titles and was world No 1. He was a true legend!

Would Laver have been great in any era? "I think he was the greatest player that ever lived," said Arthur 'Bud' Collins, the voice of tennis (1929-2016). "All you can do is be the best of your era and that's what he did.

"If there's anyone who compares to Laver, it would be Roger Federer because he has all the shots and he got the movement."

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Click on the video above to see what Collins had to say about the players who changed the game, taking tennis into the Open era...

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