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Australian Legend Rod Laver’s American Connection – Why Does He Live in California?

Published 01/05/2024, 12:31 AM EST

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Rodney George Laver, or Rod Laver, is a former Australian tennis player. From 1965 to 1969, Laver was unquestionably one of the world’s best professional tennis players during his prime. His efforts made him a legend, and he is currently the sole holder of the Grand Slam achievement. He learned the sport in Australia, but he doesn’t live in the country anymore.

Where does Rod Laver live?

Rod Laver was born in 1938 in Rockhampton, Australia. He learned tennis when he was a child and became serious about the sport in his teen years. He started making rounds in the news in the late 1950s and grew even more from there. The former player earned the Grand Slam achievement twice in his career. Despite all his achievements coming after being in Australia, Laver does not live in the country anymore. 

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via Getty

He moved to California in the 1960s and has never looked back. He enjoys his days in the Golden State and has even taken a liking to the NFL team, the Chargers.  

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Why does the Australian star live in America?

The Australian tennis legend moved to the US in the 1960s. He married his late wife, Mary Benson Laver, in 1966, and the two created a home in the country. Mary Benson was a divorcee with three children and had one child with Laver as well. The two first lived in Rancho Mirage, Corona del Mar, then on a ranch near Santa Barbara and finally settled in Carlsbad. 

via Getty

Since then, Laver has not moved from the country, the state or the city. His wife passed away in 2012, aged 84, but Laver never planned on leaving Carlsbad or the US. There could be many reasons as to why he never decided to return to Australia. If he were to live in a place such as Sydney or Melbourne, Laver would have gotten free drinks for life.

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But no country is without its issues, and Laver may have decided to live comfortably in the issues he faces in California instead of Australia. 

Rod Laver’s contribution to tennis

The contributions Laver has made to tennis and even Australian tennis make him a bigger legend than many. He played in one of the shortest Wimbledon finals, which lasted only 53 minutes and became his first title on the grass slam. Laver was the second player in men’s singles tennis to win all four grand slams in one year and the only one to do it twice.

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He also won all the Pro Slam tournaments, akin to grand slam events for professional players during that period, in 1967. All of Laver’s achievements have managed to uplift tennis and push it to an even grander stage. His achievements are his accomplishments, and the Australian player can look back on his life with a big smile on his face.

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Written by:

Ripunjay Gaba

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Edited by:

Ananya Giri