Editing Rod Laver (section)

==== Before the Open Era (1963–68) ====
In December 1962 Laver turned professional after winning the [[1962 Davis Cup|Davis Cup]] with the [[Australia Davis Cup team|Australian team]]. After an initial period of adjustment he quickly established himself among the leading professional players such as [[Ken Rosewall]], [[Lew Hoad]] and [[Andrés Gimeno]], and also [[Pancho Gonzales]] when Gonzales returned to a full-time schedule in 1964. During the next seven years, Laver won the [[U.S. Pro Tennis Championships]] five times, including four in a row beginning in 1966.

In the beginning of 1963, Laver was beaten consistently by both Rosewall and Hoad on an Australasian tour. Hoad won the first eight matches against Laver, and Rosewall won 11 out of 13. However, Laver won the best-of-five set matches against Rosewall at Kooyong Stadium and at Adelaide's Memorial Stadium.{{sfnp|McCauley|2003|p=228|ps=}} By the end of the year, with six tournament titles, Laver had become the No. 2 professional player behind Rosewall.<ref>''The History of Professional Tennis'' by Joe McCauley : Chapter 27 title, p. 123 : "New pro Laver takes second place to Rosewall"</ref><ref>''Rod Laver – The red-headed rocket from Rockhampton'' by Betty Laver p. 61 and 153</ref><ref>Butch Buchholz in ''World Tennis'' Volume 13 Number 8 (January 1966) p. 38</ref> In the first phase of the World Series tour, Laver finished second, with a 25–16 record. The top two players Rosewall and Laver then played a series of matches against each other to determine the champion. Rosewall won 14–4.

Laver's gross earnings for 1963 were first among the pro players.<ref>{{cite news |title=Laver's $60,000 Tops Pro Tennis Earnings |work=[[New York Herald Tribune]] |date=9 January 1964 |page=9}}</ref>

In 1964, Laver and Rosewall both won seven important titles (in minor tournaments Laver won four and Rosewall won three), but Laver won 17 of 24 matches against Rosewall and captured the two most prestigious titles, the US Pro Championships over Gonzales and the [[Wembley Championships]] over Rosewall. In Tennis Week, Raymond Lee described the Wembley match, where Laver came from 5–3 down in the fifth set to win 8–6, as possibly their best ever and one that changed tennis history. Lee regards this win as the one that began and established Laver's long reign as world number one. The other prestige title, the French pro, was won by Rosewall. Rosewall finished top of the official points table in 1964 and after winning at Wembley, Laver said "I've still plenty of ambitions left and would like to be the world's No. 1. Despite this win, I am not there yet – Ken is."<ref>''The History of Professional Tennis'', by Joe McCauley, page 128</ref>
[[File:Tenniskampioenschappen in Noordwijk, Leaver (Australie) in actie, Bestanddeelnr 916-7881.jpg|thumb|Rod Laver at [[Noordwijk]] in 1964]]

In 1965, Laver was clearly the No. 1 professional player,<ref>Earl "Butch" Buchholz in ''World Tennis'' Volume 13 Number 8 (January 1966) p. 38</ref> winning 17 titles<ref name="bercow2015">{{cite book |last1=Bercow |first1=John |title=Tennis Maestros: The Twenty Greatest Male Tennis Players of All Time |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tTSzAwAAQBAJ&q=Rod+Laver |date=2 June 2014 |publisher=Biteback Publishing, Chapter 9 |isbn=9781849547659 |access-date=30 October 2015 |archive-date=30 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231030225842/https://books.google.com/books?id=tTSzAwAAQBAJ&q=Rod+Laver#v=snippet&q=Rod%20Laver&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref> and 13 of 18 matches against Rosewall. In ten finals, Laver won eight against the still dangerous Gonzales. Laver won the Wembley Pro, beating Gimeno in the final.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Observer, 19 September 1965 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/258009792 |website=newspapers.com |date=19 September 1965 |access-date=9 June 2020 |archive-date=9 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200609111645/https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/258009792/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 1966, Laver won 16 events,<ref name="bercow2015" /> including the US Pro Championships (beating Rosewall in a five-set final),<ref>{{cite web |title=Newport Daily News, 18 July 1966 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/56804346 |website=newspapers.com |date=18 July 1966 |access-date=9 June 2020 |archive-date=9 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200609111645/https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/56804346/ |url-status=live }}</ref> the Wembley Pro Championship (beating Rosewall easily in the final),<ref>{{cite web |title=The Guardian, 19 September 1966 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/259557298 |website=newspapers.com |date=19 September 1966 |access-date=9 June 2020 |archive-date=9 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200609111636/https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/259557298/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and eight other important tournaments.

In 1967, Laver won 19 titles,<ref name="bercow2015" /> including the [[Wimbledon Pro]] (beating Rosewall in straight sets in the final),<ref>{{cite web |title=The Miami Herald, 29 August 1967 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/621586551 |website=newspapers.com |date=29 August 1967 |access-date=9 June 2020 |archive-date=9 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200609111631/https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/621586551/ |url-status=live }}</ref> the US Pro Championships (beating Gimeno in the final),<ref>{{cite web |title=The Boston Globe, 18 July 1967 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/434000202 |website=newspapers.com |date=18 July 1967 |access-date=9 June 2020 |archive-date=9 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200609111641/https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/434000202/ |url-status=live }}</ref> the [[Wembley Championships|Wembley Pro Championships]] (beating Rosewall in the final),<ref>{{cite web |title=The Guardian, 30 October 1967 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/259832166 |website=newspapers.com |date=30 October 1967 |access-date=9 June 2020 |archive-date=9 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200609111636/https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/259832166/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and the [[French Pro Championship]] (beating Gimeno in the final),<ref>{{cite web |title=The Courier-Journal (Louisville), 16 October 1967 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/109357867 |website=newspapers.com |date=16 October 1967 |access-date=9 June 2020 |archive-date=30 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231030225918/https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/109357867/ |url-status=live }}</ref> which gave him a clean sweep of the four most important professional titles, a professional Grand Slam. The [[Wimbledon Pro]] tournament in 1967 was the only professional event ever staged on [[The Championships, Wimbledon|Wimbledon]]'s [[Centre Court]] before the Open Era began.