Jan Kodeš is a right-handed Czech

Czech Republic

The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....

 former tennis player who won three Grand Slam

Grand Slam (tennis)

The four Major tennis tournaments, also called the Slams, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world tour ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, strength and size of player field, and public attention. They are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and...

 events in the early-1970s.
Kodeš's greatest success was on the clay courts of the French Open. He won the title there in 1970, beating Željko Franulović

Željko Franulovic

Željko Franulović is a former Croatian tennis player who competed for Yugoslavia, best remembered for reaching the final of the French Open in 1970 where he lost against Czech Jan Kodeš in straight sets...

 in the final, and in 1971, defeating Ilie Năstase

Ilie Nastase

Ilie Nastase is a Romanian former professional tennis player, one of the world's top players of the 1970s. Năstase was the World No. 1 tennis player between 1973 and 1974 . He is one of the five players in history to win more than 100 ATP professional titles . He was inducted into the...

 in the final. He also won Wimbledon on grass

Grass court

A grass court is one of the four different types of tennis court. Grass courts are made of rye grass in different compositions depending on the tournament...

 in 1973, although 13 of the top 16 players did not play the tournament that year because of a player dispute. He beat home favorite Roger Taylor

Roger Taylor (tennis player)

Roger Taylor is a British former tennis player. Born in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, he won six singles titles and 10 doubles titles during his career...

 in the semifinals 6–1, 6–8, 3–6, 6–3, 7–5 and Alex Metreveli

Alex Metreveli

Alexander Metreveli is a retired Soviet amateur tennis player.Metreveli is probably best known for making the final at Wimbledon in 1973, where he lost to Jan Kodeš of Czechoslovakia...

 in the straight sets final.

Kodeš never played the Australian Open but he was twice the runner-up at the US Open, in 1971 and 1973.

Kodeš reached his highest tour ranking of World No. 4 in September 1973. During his career, he won a total of 8 top-level singles titles and 17 doubles titles.

He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame

International Tennis Hall of Fame

The International Tennis Hall of Fame is located in Newport, Rhode Island, United States. The hall of fame and honors players and contributors to the sport of tennis and includes a museum, grass tennis courts, an indoor tennis facility, and a court tennis facility.-History:The hall of fame and...

 in 1990.

Singles: 5 (3–2)

Wins (3)

Year	Championship	Opponent in final	Score in final
1970 1970 French Open - Men's Singles Jan Kodeš defeated Željko Franulović 6-2 6-4 6-0 in the final to win the Men's Singles title at the 1970 French Open.See also:-Key:* Q = Qualifier* WC = Wild Card* L = Loser* r. = retired-Finals:-Section 1:-Section 2:-Section 3:-Section 4:...	French Open (1)	Željko Franulović Željko Franulovic Željko Franulović is a former Croatian tennis player who competed for Yugoslavia, best remembered for reaching the final of the French Open in 1970 where he lost against Czech Jan Kodeš in straight sets...	6–2, 6–4, 6–0
1971 1971 French Open - Men's Singles Jan Kodeš defeated Ilie Năstase 8-6 6-2 2-6 7-5 in the final to win the Men's Singles title at the 1971 French Open. See also:-Key:* Q = Qualifier* WC = Wild Card* LL = Lucky Loser* r. = retired-Final Eight:-Section 1:-Section 2:-Section 3:...	French Open (2)	Ilie Năstase Ilie Nastase Ilie Nastase is a Romanian former professional tennis player, one of the world's top players of the 1970s. Năstase was the World No. 1 tennis player between 1973 and 1974 . He is one of the five players in history to win more than 100 ATP professional titles . He was inducted into the...	8–6, 6–2, 2–6, 7–5
1973 1973 Wimbledon Championships - Men's Singles Jan Kodeš defeated Alex Metreveli 6-1 9-8 6-3 in the final to win the Gentlemen's Singles title at the 1973 Wimbledon Championships. The final match included a tie-breaker played at 8-8 in the second set; the first ever Wimbledon singles final to include a tie-break. Eighty-one of the top players...	Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors...	Alex Metreveli Alex Metreveli Alexander Metreveli is a retired Soviet amateur tennis player.Metreveli is probably best known for making the final at Wimbledon in 1973, where he lost to Jan Kodeš of Czechoslovakia...	6–1, 9–8(5), 6–3

Runner-ups (2)

Year	Championship	Opponent in final	Score in final
1971	U.S. Open U.S. Open (tennis) The US Open, formally the United States Open Tennis Championships, is a hardcourt tennis tournament which is the modern iteration of one of the oldest tennis championships in the world, the U.S. National Championship, which for men's singles was first contested in 1881...  (1)	Stan Smith Stan Smith Stanley Roger "Stan" Smith is a former American tennis player and two time Grand Slam singles champion who also, with his partner Bob Lutz, formed one of the most successful doubles teams of all time. Together, they won many major titles all over the world...	3–6, 6–3, 6–2, 7–6(5–3)
1973	U.S. Open (2)	John Newcombe John Newcombe John David Newcombe, AO, OBE is a former World No. 1 tennis player.-Biography:He won seven Grand Slam singles titles, A natural athlete, Newcombe played several sports as a boy until devoting himself to tennis. He was the Australian junior champion in 1961, 1962, and 1963 and was a member of...	6–4, 1–6, 4–6, 6–2, 6–3

Wins (8)

No.	Date	Tournament	Surface	Opponent in the final	Score
1.	1970	French Open, Paris	Clay	Željko Franulović Željko Franulovic Željko Franulović is a former Croatian tennis player who competed for Yugoslavia, best remembered for reaching the final of the French Open in 1970 where he lost against Czech Jan Kodeš in straight sets...	6–2, 6–4, 6–4
2.	1971	Catania Catania Catania is an Italian city on the east coast of Sicily facing the Ionian Sea, between Messina and Syracuse. It is the capital of the homonymous province, and with 298,957 inhabitants it is the second-largest city in Sicily and the tenth in Italy.Catania is known to have a seismic history and... , Italy	Clay	Georges Goven Georges Goven Georges Goven is a retired tennis player from France.Goven won the French Championships junior title in 1964, 1965, and 1966, and the Australian Championships juniors in 1964....	6–3, 6–0, 6–2
3.	1971	French Open, Paris	Clay	Ilie Năstase Ilie Nastase Ilie Nastase is a Romanian former professional tennis player, one of the world's top players of the 1970s. Năstase was the World No. 1 tennis player between 1973 and 1974 . He is one of the five players in history to win more than 100 ATP professional titles . He was inducted into the...	8–6, 6–2, 2–6, 7–5
4.	1972	Barcelona, Spain	Clay	Manuel Orantes Manuel Orantes Manuel Orantes Corral was a tennis champion in the 1970s and 1980s. He won the US Open in 1975, beating defending champion Jimmy Connors in the final.-Career:...	6–3, 6–2, 6–3
5.	1973	Cologne WCT, Germany	Carpet	Brian Fairlie	6–1, 6–3, 6–1
6.	1973	Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors... , London	Grass	Alex Metreveli Alex Metreveli Alexander Metreveli is a retired Soviet amateur tennis player.Metreveli is probably best known for making the final at Wimbledon in 1973, where he lost to Jan Kodeš of Czechoslovakia...	6–1, 9–8, 6–3
7.	1975	Madrid Madrid Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan... , Spain	Clay	Adriano Panatta Adriano Panatta Adriano Panatta is a former professional tennis player from Italy. He is best remembered for winning the French Open in 1976, and for being the only player to ever defeat Björn Borg at Roland Garros, which he did on two occasions.-Career:...	5–7, 2–6, 7–6, 6–2, 6–3
8.	1976	Basel Davidoff Swiss Indoors The Swiss Indoors is a professional tennis tournament played on indoor hard courts. Originally an event of the Grand Prix tennis circuit between 1970 and 1989. It is currently part of the World Tour 500 Series of the ATP Tour. It is held annually at the St... , Switzerland	Carpet	Jiří Hřebec Jirí Hrebec Jiří Hřebec is a retired Czech professional tennis player. He won 3 singles and 4 doubles titles on the ATP Tour during his career. He achieved his highest singles ranking of No...	6–4, 6–2, 6–3

Runner-ups (18)

No.	Date	Tournament	Surface	Opponent in the final	Score
1.	1969	Barranquilla Barranquilla Barranquilla is an industrial port city and municipality located in northern Colombia, near the Caribbean Sea. The capital of the Atlántico Department, it is the largest industrial city and port in the Colombian Caribbean region with a population of 1,148,506 as of 2005, which makes it Colombia's... , Colombia	Clay	Ilie Năstase Ilie Nastase Ilie Nastase is a Romanian former professional tennis player, one of the world's top players of the 1970s. Năstase was the World No. 1 tennis player between 1973 and 1974 . He is one of the five players in history to win more than 100 ATP professional titles . He was inducted into the...	6–4, 6–4, 8–10, 2–6, 6–3
2.	1970	Rome Rome Masters The Italian Open is an annual tennis tournament held in Rome, Italy. It is the most prestigious red clay tennis tournament in the world after the French Open, with the men's competition being an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event on the Association of Tennis Professionals tour, and the women's... , Italy	Clay	Ilie Năstase	6–3, 1–6, 6–3, 8–6
3.	1971	Nice, France	Hard	Ilie Năstase	10–8, 11–9, 6–1
4.	1971	Rome, Italy	Clay	Rod Laver Rod Laver Rodney George "Rod" Laver MBE is an Australian former tennis player who holds the record for titles won in career, and was the World No. 1 player for seven consecutive years, from 1964 to 1970...	7–5, 6–3, 6–3
5.	1971	U.S. Open, New York City	Grass	Stan Smith Stan Smith Stanley Roger "Stan" Smith is a former American tennis player and two time Grand Slam singles champion who also, with his partner Bob Lutz, formed one of the most successful doubles teams of all time. Together, they won many major titles all over the world...	3–6, 6–3, 6–2, 7–6
6.	1971	Stockholm Stockholm Open The If Stockholm Open is a tennis event on the ATP Tour held in Stockholm, Sweden in the end of October or beginning of November each year. The organizer of the tournament is The Royal Lawn Tennis Club of Stockholm.... , Sweden	Hard (i)	Arthur Ashe Arthur Ashe Arthur Robert Ashe, Jr. was a professional tennis player, born and raised in Richmond, Virginia. During his career, he won three Grand Slam titles, putting him among the best ever from the United States...	6–1, 3–6, 6–2, 1–6, 6–4
7.	1972	Nice, France	Clay	Ilie Năstase	6–0, 6–4, 6–3
8.	1972	Rome, Italy	Clay	Manuel Orantes Manuel Orantes Manuel Orantes Corral was a tennis champion in the 1970s and 1980s. He won the US Open in 1975, beating defending champion Jimmy Connors in the final.-Career:...	4–6, 6–1, 7–5, 6–2
9.	1973	Vancouver WCT Vancouver WCT The Vancouver WCT was a men's tennis tournament played in Vancouver, Canada from 1970-1973. The event was part of the WCT Tour and was held outdoors.-Men's singles:-Doubles:-References:*... , Canada	Other	Tom Gorman Tom Gorman (tennis) Tom Gorman is an American tennis player. He attended Seattle Preparatory School and was the Washington State high school tennis champion three years in a row. Gorman attended and graduated from Seattle University and was a two time All-American. He played in professional tour events in the 1960s,...	3–6, 6–2, 7–5
10.	1973	U.S. Open, New York City	Grass	John Newcombe John Newcombe John David Newcombe, AO, OBE is a former World No. 1 tennis player.-Biography:He won seven Grand Slam singles titles, A natural athlete, Newcombe played several sports as a boy until devoting himself to tennis. He was the Australian junior champion in 1961, 1962, and 1963 and was a member of...	6–4, 1–6, 4–6, 6–2, 6–3
11.	1973	Prague Prague Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million... , Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...	Clay	Jiří Hřebec Jirí Hrebec Jiří Hřebec is a retired Czech professional tennis player. He won 3 singles and 4 doubles titles on the ATP Tour during his career. He achieved his highest singles ranking of No...	4–6, 6–1, 3–6, 6–0, 7–5
12.	1975	Hampton Hampton Grand Prix The Hampton Grand Prix is a defunct Grand Prix affiliated tennis tournament played from 1971 to 1977. It was held in Hampton, Virginia in the United States and played on indoor hard courts.... , U.S.	Carpet	Jimmy Connors Jimmy Connors James Scott "Jimmy" Connors is an American former world no. 1 tennis player....	3–6, 6–3, 6–0
13.	1975	Hamburg Hamburg Masters The German Open Hamburg, established in 1892, is an annual tennis tournament for male professional players held in Hamburg, Germany and part of the Association of Tennis Professionals Tour. Originally a Grand Prix Tennis Tour event between 1978 and 1989 it was part of the Grand Prix Championship... , Germany	Clay	Manuel Orantes	3–6, 6–2, 6–2, 4–6, 6–1
14.	1975	Düsseldorf Düsseldorf Grand Prix The Düsseldorf Grand Prix was a men's tennis tournament played in Düsseldorf, Germany from 1968-1977. The event was part of the Grand Prix tennis circuit and was held on outdoor clay courts.-Men's singles:-Doubles:-References:*... , Germany	Clay	Jaime Fillol Jaime Fillol Jaime Fillol is a former tennis player from Chile. He played amateur and professional tennis in the 1960s and 1970s.Fillol was ranked as high as world number 14 in singles on the ATP Rankings and number 82 in doubles .In the Open era , Fillol won seven singles titles and 15 doubles titles...	6–4, 1–6, 6–0, 7–5
15.	1975	Kitzbühel, Austria	Clay	Adriano Panatta Adriano Panatta Adriano Panatta is a former professional tennis player from Italy. He is best remembered for winning the French Open in 1976, and for being the only player to ever defeat Björn Borg at Roland Garros, which he did on two occasions.-Career:...	2–6, 6–2, 7–5, 6–4
16.	1976	Nice, France	Clay	Corrado Barazzutti Corrado Barazzutti Corrado Barazzutti is an Italian former tennis player.Barazzutti gained fame in 1971 by winning the Orange Bowl. The previous year he had been called to the Italy Davis Cup team, for which he would play a total of 44 matches...	6–2, 2–6, 5–7, 7–6, 8–6
17.	1976	Kitzbühel, Austria	Clay	Manuel Orantes	7–6, 6–2, 7–6
18.	1977	Kitzbühel, Austria	Clay	Guillermo Vilas Guillermo Vilas Guillermo Apolinario Vilas is a retired and former World No. 2 professional tennis player from Argentina. He was the second Latin-American to win a Grand Slam tournament.-Career:...	5–7, 6–2, 4–6, 6–3, 6–2

External links

• Official ATP profile
• International Tennis Hall of Fame
• Davis Cup record