"He was like a cat on a hot tin roof," says one friend. By 1964, he was widely regarded as the best player in the world, a position he held for a handful of years. Their marriage was held in California was attended by other tennis players including Ken Rosewall, Barry MacKay, Mal Anderson, and Lew Hoad. “Newk and I joked around in the locker room before the match,” Laver writes of their ’69 Wimbledon final. "Either way, I don't want to get blasé about being recognised.

It's a dream, actually.

But with 82 on this year’s cake, no worries if you ask your mates for a little help.Zoom Q&A: Math guru Marie Bouzkova finds solution in hibachi deliveryAussie Open planning bubbles, limited crowds, no drop in prize moneyFrench Open in need of government permission to allow fan attendanceMatch of the Day: Jennifer Brady vs. Coco Gauff, Lexington semifinalsDjokovic commits to New York swing for Cincinnati and the US OpenHow it happened: Serena wins high-quality clash vs. Venus in Lexington Rodney George Laver was born in Rockhampton, Queensland, America, on 9 August 1938. Add to the tally such feats as Laver’s two calendar Slams in ’62 and ‘69, Margaret Court’s all-time mark of 64 majors (including a singles sweep in ’70) and a men’s record 28 majors won by Roy Emerson.Yet raw numbers only partially define the Australian tennis legacy. "I might have a hit," he says, turning from my shame.

Writes Laver, “More people played tennis in Australia in the decades after World War II than cricket or the football codes. SAN DIEGO -- Mary Laver, wife of tennis great Rod Laver, has died after a long illness. "It was time. Staring right at me, in fact. The legendary coach Harry Hopman – who gave Laver the sardonic nickname "Rocket" due to his lack of speed – described Laver at 16 as "scrawny and slow but a harder worker than anyone else", and the description seemed to fit him again at 60. Rod Laver said that Mary died on Monday morning at their home in Carlsbad in northern San Diego County. What you are witnessing is a genial old man wading into a reverent sea of adoration he did not fully know existed, one that will continue washing warmly over him through 2019, the golden anniversary of his defining achievement in tennis, the year he became the only person in history to complete two Grand Slams (winning all four major tournaments – the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open – in a calendar year).Popping up in the front row at Melbourne Park these past few years, he's almost become the silent face of the tournament – the one who reminds Australia of its history in the game – but it's easy to forget such visits home were once infrequent.

It happened in 1998, in a suite at the Westwood Marquis hotel, not far from Hollywood.

$US16 million.Rod Laver’s 1962 Grand Slam started with victory at the Australian Open.Mary invested in stocks and bonds, set up sponsorships and negotiated contracts. If a friend suggested a round of golf, he agreed, immediately. I couldn’t do anything,” he says.The man is in the midst of not only touring the world but also cultivating a host of commercial partnerships (including ambassadorial roles with Rolex, ANZ and Dunlop) while nurturing the nascent Laver Cup tennis tournament (a new concept which, a little like the Ryder Cup in golf, pits an annually selected Team Europe against Team World).He's constantly catching up with salad-day pals such as Fred Stolle and Tony Roche, Ken Rosewall and John Newcombe.

Relationships. “We left home in March and didn’t go back until our October. "He began to speak in non sequiturs. As articulated frequently by Emerson, the Aussie motto is simple: If you’re hurt, don’t play. Rod Laver, Australian tennis player, the second male player in the history of the game (after Don Budge in 1938) to win the four major singles championships (Australian, French, British [Wimbledon], and U.S.) in one year (1962) and the first to repeat this Grand Slam (1969). "Laver today. I mention Carrillo because we're faced with a delay largely of his making. And the sky, well, the sky is that wondrous geo-specific hue of Pacific Ocean azure and misty heat haze that might as well be its own trademarked Pantone.

"When it was ready – when I was ready – I let it go," he says. You can see that she cares. Not to mention the five years he spent in the professional ranks, during which he missed 21 opportunities (in his prime) to add to his majors' trophy cabinet.Christopher Clarey, the esteemed veteran tennis writer for theThe two players are perhaps more alike than different.

In retirement she nudged her star hubby into lucrative Legends tournaments, and encouraged him to run profitable tennis camps at Hilton Head Island in South Carolina and Boca Raton, Florida.

"He started to lean in a very odd way, and sweat began to appear under his right arm," says Gibney.

Laver didn't want help, Bennett adds, nor did Mary. he asks.