<Tr> <Th_colspan="2"> Team competitions </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Davis Cup </Th> <Td> W (1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1973) </Td> </Tr> <P> Rodney George Laver AC, MBE (born 9 August 1938) is an Australian former tennis player widely regarded as one of the greatest in the history of the sport . He was the No. 1 ranked professional from 1964 to 1970, spanning four years before and three years after the start of the Open Era in 1968 . He also was the No. 1 ranked amateur in 1961--62 . </P> <P> Laver's 200 singles titles are the most in tennis history . This included his all - time men's record of 10 or more titles per year for seven consecutive years (1964--70). He excelled on all of the court surfaces of his time: grass, clay, hard, carpet, and wood / parquet . </P>

When did the open era begin in tennis