He is one of only five tennis players all-time to win multiple career Grand Slams in two disciplines, alongside Margaret Court, Roy Emerson, Martina Navratilova and Serena Williams.
Sedgman and his partner Ken McGregor were the only men's doubles team to ever win the Grand Slam in a single year—they won all four majors in 1951.
The following year they also won the first three majors, then, at Forest Hills, were upset by a pick-up team of another Australian, Mervyn Rose, and an American Vic Seixas, denying them eight consecutive Grand Slam victories.
[7] Sedgman began the year by reaching the final of the South Australian championships in Adelaide, where he lost to John Bromwich.
Writing in The Sydney Morning Herald, Bromwich said, "Sedgman was not inclined to induldge in long drawn-out-rallies, and after the ball crossed the net three or four times, he either endeavoured to force the play or strived for an outright placement".
[10] At the Australian hardcourt championships in Toowoomba in November, Sedgman was suffering from strained muscles in his right shoulder in the final against Quist and lost in straight sets.
According to the Melbourne Age, Sedgman's success was "due to stronger driving, more powerful service and greater all-court agility".
Sedgman began the year by winning the South Australian championships in Adelaide, beating Jaroslav Drobny in the final in three straight sets, losing only three games.
[19] Sedgman won his second Australian Championships men's singles title, beating Bromwich, Eric Sturgess and Ken McGregor.
[20] Sedgman won the West Australian Championships beating Clive Wilderspin in the final, showing a "much superior brand of tennis" than he had in earlier rounds.
[24] In November, Sedgman beat reigning U.S. singles champion Larsen in straight sets in the final of the Queensland Championships.
[27] He failed in his bid to win a hat-trick of Australian singles titles, when he lost in the semifinals of the 1951 championships to Dick Savitt.
Sedgman beat Rose in the final of the MCC championships in Melbourne in March[28] and later in the month was victorious in the Australian hardcourt tournament in Tasmania over Don Candy.
At the Newport championships in August, Sedgman beat Mervyn Rose in the final to become the first overseas winner of the men's singles since 1916.
[30] At the U.S. Championships, Sedgman beat Bill Talbert, Tony Trabert, Larsen and Vic Seixas to win the title.
In 1954, Sedgman competed in the World Series alongside Gonzales, Pancho Segura, Budge, Bobby Riggs and Carl Earn.
In September 1956, Sedgman beat Tony Trabert in the semi-finals of the tournament at Wembley, but lost in the final to Gonzales,[62] despite leading by a set and 4–1.
[63] In 1957, Sedgman won the Perth round robin event in January beating Segura, Rex Hartwig and Trabert.
[64] Sedgman beat Ken Rosewall in three straight sets in 57 minutes in their first match against each other as professionals in the semifinals at the Ampol Tournament of Champions at White City, Sydney, in February.
[66] Sedgman finished runner-up to Gonzales at the Forest Hills Tournament of Champions (played on a round-robin basis) despite losing his opening match to Hoad, as he won against Rosewall, Trabert, and Segura.
In February 1958, Sedgman won the Ampol Masters Pro at the White City stadium, Sydney, earning him AUS£2,000 in first-prize money.
Sedgman won the Melbourne event in the Ampol world series in January 1959, defeating Gonzales in the final in three straight sets.
Sedgman won the Grand Prix de Europe tour in 1959, finishing ahead of Rosewall, Hoad, and Trabert.
[71] Sedgman beat Segura and Hoad before losing to Trabert in the final of the French Pro at Roland Garros in September, also an Ampol series event.
Sedgman finished fourth in Kramer's official Ampol point ranking for the year behind Hoad, Gonzales, and Rosewall.
In November 1962, Sedgman won the White City Charity event at Sydney, beating Luis Ayala in the final.
Sedgman returned to play in Grand Slam events at the 1970 Australian Open, where he lost in five sets in the second round to former champion Bill Bowrey.
In 1972, the LTAA appointed Tennis Camps of Australia to promote the Australian Open (Sedgman, Jim and Doug Reid and John Brown were the directors).
He commentated on the Newcombe v Connors final of 1975, lost in the second round of the men's singles that year and was still involved in promoting the event.
[85] Sedgman was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in the 2019 Queen's Birthday Honours for "distinguished service to tennis as a player at the national and international level, and as a role model for young sportspersons".