4 MinsJan 31, 2023
Australian Open, one of the world's biggest tennis championships, is held at Melbourne Park, Victoria every year. It is the first of the four grand slam tennis events held each year before the Wimbledon, French Open and US Open. It comprises men's and women's singles, mixed doubles, junior's and wheelchair championships. The Australian Open is played on a hard court and the tournament starts in January every year. It goes on for two weeks, coinciding with the Australia Day holiday. Let's look at the history of this tournament.
Australian Open, one of the world's biggest tennis championships, is held at Melbourne Park, Victoria every year. It is the first of the four grand slam tennis events held each year before the Wimbledon, French Open and US Open. It comprises men's and women's singles, mixed doubles, junior's and wheelchair championships. The Australian Open is played on a hard court and the tournament starts in January every year. It goes on for two weeks, coinciding with the Australia Day holiday. Let's look at the history of this tournament.
Origin
It was first held in November 1905 at the Warehouseman’s Cricket Ground at Albert Park, on a grass court. It was a joint venture between Australia and New Zealand and was called the Australasian Championships.
There wasn't any specific venue for the tournament. It rotated between Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide. It was held in New Zealand in Christchurch in 1906 and Hastings in 1912.
Initially, the championship only had men's singles and doubles events. The first player to emerge victorious in men's singles was Rodney Health. In 1922, women's singles, doubles and mixed doubles were also held. Margaret Molesworth was the first woman to win women's singles and doubles titles.
The Australian Championship was recognized by the International Lawn Tennis Association, the forerunner of the International Lawn Tennis Federation on the same footing as those of France, England and the United States.
As a result, it was designated as a major competition, making it the youngest of the Grand Slams. The tournament was renamed the Australian Championship because it began being completely hosted in Australia. New Zealand no longer had an organizational role.
From 1924 to 1988, Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney alternately hosted the championship. Since Australia's geographical location was remote, initially, very few international players participated in the event. US Davis Cup players were the first international participants in this championship in 1946. In 1969, the event's name was changed to the Australian Open as it progressed from an amateur event to an open event.
Relocation to Melbourne
In 1972, the Australian Open got Melbourne's Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club as its permanent home. The last Australian Open on a grass court was held in 1987 and was attended by 1,40,000 people.
In 1988, the venue of the Australian Open was again relocated to Melbourne's central business district - Flinders Park. The main attraction was the Centre Court Roof, which was installed for the first time at a tennis venue globally. The first Australian Open held at Flinders Park attracted a record 2,44,859 fans. Night tennis grew increasingly common and spawned numerous memorable matches that helped form the history of the tournament. Flinders Park was then renamed Melbourne Park.
[Also Read: 7 Benefits of Using a Forex Card While Studying Abroad]
Change in playing field
The tournament switched from a grass court to a hard court when it shifted to Flinders Park. Wimbledon became the only Slam to be played on a grass court. Rebound Ace, a murky green cushioned hard surface, was replaced by the cooler Plexicushion hardcourt, drenched in a sea of blue for the 2008 Australian Open.
The Australian Open True Blue court, which was colourful and aesthetic, succeeded in modernizing the image of the Grand Slam of Asia and the Pacific. Three legendary players were consulted before the selection was made: local star Lleyton Hewitt, Roger Federer of Switzerland and Maria Sharapova of Russia.
The tournament continued to use the customary blue Plexicushion in 2020 but changed the official court surface provider to 'GreenSet Worldwide.'
Today, the Australian Open is the most popular tennis event, attracting over 8,12,000 people to Melbourne Park every year. If you are planning to attend Australian Open this January, then don't forget to apply for Axis Bank's forex card. It is a safe and easy way to take care of all your expenses when travelling abroad.
You can load money in the country you are travelling and withdraw conveniently through this card. There are locked-in exchange rates on loading the card, safeguarding you from rate fluctuations. It is recommended to carry both a forex card and some cash as backup.
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