At 5 feet 4 inches (163 cm) and 120 pounds (54 kg), Grant was the smallest American man to win a championship on the international tennis circuit.

A right-handed retriever, he was able to beat heavy-hitting greats such as Don Budge and Ellsworth Vines even when playing on grass.

Grant had gained national stature in tennis long before his graduation from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1933.

Frank Shields, who had had his issues both with interactions with other players, and with alcohol,[4][5][6] was known for making fun of Grant, saying "the little shaver" was hiding behind the net.

[4] Grant continued to compete as a senior, winning 19 U.S. singles titles on the four surfaces: grass court-45s (1956 and 1957), 55s (1965, 1966, 1967 and 1968); indoor 55s (1966); clay court-45s (1959, 1960, 1961 and 1963), 55s (1965, 1966, 1967, 1968 and 1969), 65s (1976 and 1977); and hard court-65s (1976).