Sven Viktor Davidson (13 July 1928 – 28 May 2008) was a Swedish tennis player who became the first Swede to win a Grand Slam title when he won the French Championships in 1957, beating Ashley Cooper and Herbert Flam.
 Sven Davidson after winning the 1957 French Tennis Championships. | |
| Country (sports) |  Sweden |
|---|---|
| Born | 13 July 1928 Borås, Sweden |
| Died | 28 May 2008 (aged 79) Arcadia, California, United States |
| Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| Int. Tennis HoF | 2007 (member page) |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 542-171 (76.2%) [1] |
| Career titles | 50 [1] |
| Highest ranking | No. 2 (1957)[2] |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Australian Open | 3R (1955) |
| French Open | W (1957) |
| Wimbledon | SF (1957) |
| US Open | SF (1957) |
| Doubles | |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| Wimbledon | W (1958) |
| Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
| Wimbledon | QF (1951) |
Career
Davidson also reached the French championships final in the two previous years. In 1955 he beat Budge Patty before losing to Tony Trabert.[3] In 1956 he beat Flam and Cooper before losing to Lew Hoad.[3] He also reached the Wimbledon semi finals in 1957 (beating Seixas before losing to Lew Hoad).[4] At the 1957 U. S. Championships, Davidson lost in five sets in the semifinals to Mal Anderson. In 1958 Davidson partnered with Ulf Schmidt to win the doubles title at the Wimbledon Championships defeating the Australian pair Ashley Cooper and Neale Fraser in three straight sets. He played his last Grand Slam event at Wimbledon in 1959.
Davidson reached a career-high singles ranking of World No. 2.[2]
He played for the Swedish Davis Cup team between 1950 and 1960.[5]
Davidson was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2007.[5]
Personal life
Davidson lived in Arcadia, California since the 1970s. In 1981, at age 52, he suffered a heart attack while playing a tennis match in Los Angeles.[6] He died in Arcadia on 28 May 2008 as a result of pneumonia.[7]
Grand Slam finals
Singles (1 title, 2 runners-up)
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1955 | French Championships | Clay |  Tony Trabert | 6–2, 1–6, 4–6, 2–6 |
| Loss | 1956 | French Championships | Clay |  Lew Hoad | 4–6, 6–8, 3–6 |
| Win | 1957 | French Championships | Clay | Herbie Flam | 6–3, 6–4, 6–4 |
Doubles (1 title)
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1958 | Wimbledon | Grass | Ulf Schmidt | Ashley Cooper Neale Fraser | 6–4, 6–4, 8–6 |
Grand Slam tournament performance timeline
| W | F | SF | QF | #R | RR | Q# | DNQ | A | NH |
Singles
| Tournament | 1949 | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Championships | A | A | A | A | A | A | 3R | A | A | A | A | 0 / 1 |
| French Championships | 1R | 4R | 4R | A | 4R | QF | F | F | W | A | A | 1 / 8 |
| Wimbledon | A | 1R | 2R | A | QF | 4R | QF | 2R | SF | QF | 3R | 0 / 9 |
| U.S. National Championships | A | 2R | A | A | QF | 4R | A | A | SF | A | A | 0 / 4 |
| Strike rate | 0 / 1 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 2 | 1 / 3 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 1 / 22 |
