Australia has played host to a showcase tennis tournament annually since 1905, the first of these being played in Melbourne's Albert Reserve. At this time the event was known as the Australasian Men's Championships and the host venue was alternated throughout Australia and New Zealand. In 1922 the tournament grew to include women and five years later its name was changed to the Australian Championships.
Arguably the two most significant changes in the tournaments history came in 1969 and 1988. The first was the renaming of the event to the Australian Open, coinciding with the inclusion of professional players for the first time.
The second was when the open moved permanently from the grass courts of Kooyong to its current home at Melbourne Park, known at the time as Flinders Park. It was through this change that the Australian Open found its feet on the international tennis calendar.
Guaranteed an annual date in January, the Australian Open was now the first grand slam event of the year and for the first time it became an attractive tournament for most overseas stars.
Booming crowds and a carnival atmosphere meant the tournament quickly gained a reputation as the happy slam' and has become a favourite amongst professional players.
One of the great initiatives of the Australian Open has been the retractable roofs over the two major courts Rod Laver Arena and Vodafone Arena. This has proven to be a hit amongst players and fans alike, and has alleviated the fears of television networks and tournament organisers concerned about the impact of rain or excessive heat.
On court, Melbourne Park has seen some of the sport's great moments. The epic five set clash between Jim Courier and Pete Sampras in 1995 is not likely to be forgotten by anyone who saw it. The raw emotion as Sampras fought not only a two set deficit against the world's number one player, but also an outpouring of emotion after a good intentioned fan yelled for him to "do it for your coach". At the time his mentor was fighting, and ultimately losing, a battle with cancer and Sampras was unable to hold in the tears for the remainder of the match. His triumph, and the incredible sportsmanship of Courier, was the stuff of legend.
Later that same year the Open saw some more unexpected drama, this time courtesy of mother nature. The retractable roof had done its job in keeping the torrential rain outside, unfortunately the stands were not as efficient. Water poured into the stadium during the semi final between Andre Agassi and Aaron Krickstein, one eager fan even attempted backstroke on centre court as it was submerged under almost a metre of water.
In recent times, like most Grand Slams, the Australian Open has been dominated by Roger Federer and Serena Williams. Federer claimed the 2004, 2006 and 2007 titles, while Williams won the women's trophy in 2003, 2005 and 2007.
The 2008 event saw the tournament played on a state of the art new surface. The introduction of the new Plexicushion surface to replace the old rebound ace proved a big hit with players and spectators alike. The alluring ocean blue courts, teamed with a vibrant orange uniform for the ball kids and umpires, have made the open look and feel like it is being played in a tropical paradise.
From Humble beginnings, the Australian Open has matured into a genuine member of the grand slam family and it now holds a special place in the sporting calendar, not just in Australia, but around the world.