Longest Tournament Winning Streaks in Tennis History

Rafael Nadal
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Daniel Hewes received his master of science in urban planning from Columbia University. He has experience as a researcher and outreach associate with The Sustainable Performance Institute and as a community affairs fellow working under Senator Daniel Squadron. In his spare time, Daniel Hewes enjoys staying physically active by playing tennis.

Between 2005 and 2012, Rafael Nadal won the Monte Carlo Masters event eight times in a row, the longest winning streak at one tournament for a man since the professional and amateur tours joined in 1968. Nadal won his first Monte Carlo title, and his first masters title ever, as a teenager over Guillermo Coria in 2005. He reached the 2013 final to extend his record winning streak at the event to 46 matches and later won a ninth title in 2016.

On the women’s tour, a several players have won six tournaments in succession, including Steffi Graf’s six Hamburg titles between 1987 and 1992. However, few tournament winning streaks are as impressive as Martina Navratilova’s six Wimbledon titles. She reached the Wimbledon final nine times from 1982 to 1990, winning six titles between 1982 and 1987. Her winning streak featured several notable victories, including three of her five Wimbledon victories over rival Christ Evert.

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U.S. Open – First Major to Be Played on Hard Courts

US Open
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Daniel Hewes, an urban planning graduate of Columbia University interested in architectural photography, is also an avid tennis fan. Daniel Hewes has played tennis since a young age and enjoys attending the U.S. Open in The Big Apple every summer.

A decade after hosting the richest tennis tournament in the history of the sport, the U.S. Open once again made history by holding the first major competition on a surface other than grass or clay. In 1978, the United States Tennis Association opted to distinguish their event from the Australian Open, the French Open, and Wimbledon by embracing a relatively new surface, Deco Turf II.

Bjorn Borg and Bob Hewitt played the first match in Stadium Court in Flushing Meadows, on the evening of August 29. Borg progressed to the finals, where he fell to American Jimmy Connors. Connors was contesting his fifth consecutive U.S. Open final and, with that victory, became the only man to win the U.S. Open on grass, clay, and hard courts.

On the women’s side of the tournament, 16-year-old Pam Shriver was one of the first players to use an oversized racket and succeeded in reaching the finals, where she faced fellow American Chris Evert. The shift from clay to hard court did not trouble Evert, who overwhelmed the younger Shriver to win her fourth consecutive U.S. Open title.

Arthur Ashe – Winner of the First U.S. Open

Arthur Ashe
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Daniel Hewes earned a BA in urban studies at Northeastern University and an MS in urban planning from Columbia University. Beyond his professional interests, Daniel Hewes enjoys staying active through tennis, which he began playing as a youth and continued competitively through college. He annually attends the U.S. Open in late August.

The initial U.S. Open was held in 1968 as one of the first major tournaments in the open era of tennis, which allowed both amateurs and professional athletes to compete for the sport’s most prestigious titles. Though some believed the professional players would dominate the competition, the inaugural U.S. Open was won by a 25-year-old amateur, Arthur Ashe, a lieutenant in the United States Army.

In defeating the Netherland’s Tom Okker 14-12, 5-7, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, Ashe became the first African American to win a men’s singles title at the major level. As an amateur, however, he was forced to relinquish the $14,000 prize check and only received a $20 per diem. Ashe would reach the U.S. Open final once more in 1972, but won his second and third major titles in 1970 at the Australian Open and in 1975 at Wimbledon.

Golf Not Just a Leisure Sport, Offers Health Benefits

Golf Health Benefits
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Holding a master’s degree in urban planning from of Columbia University, Daniel Hewes served as a researcher and outreach associate for the Sustainable Performance Institute, where he worked in coordination with chapters of the American Institute of Architects and the United States Green Building Council. Aside from his academic and community service pursuits, Daniel Hewes is an avid golfer.

Many people consider golf a leisure sport, but what you may not know is that the sport offers great health benefits to as well. The following are just some of the ways that golf can contribute to your overall wellbeing.

One study found that during the typical 18-hole round, a player takes nearly 12,000 steps which is more than what is recommended on a daily basis. That amount of walking was also found to be the equivalent of moderate to high intensity exercise for the elderly, and counts as aerobic activity for middle-aged players.

Golf also helps with blood circulation to the brain, and can trigger the release of adrenaline, which can stimulate the heart to pump faster, strengthening it in the process. This amount of exercise also meets the recommendation of 30 minutes per day, which can lower blood pressure by as much as 7 points.