by Gregory Crowther

Created on: January 25, 2010

The Australian Open, played each year in the baking January heat of the Australian summer, is one of the world's premier tennis tournaments.

In the 105 years since the tournament was first held it has undergone three name changes, been played in two countries and seven cities, and changed surface from grass to hard court. The men's singles have been won by players from fifteen different countries, whilst the women's singles, which only started in 1922, have been won by players from nine countries

The Australian Open is equalled in status only by the U.S Open, the French Open, and Wimbledon. These four tournaments make up the “Grand Slams” of professional tennis, the  titles most coveted by both male and female players.

 Origins of the Australian Open (1905 -1926)

 Following the establishment of the Lawn Tennis Association of Australasia (LTAA) in 1904. an annual tournament was inaugurated and first played in 1905. This tournament was called the Australasian Championship, and was held in Melbourne, the capital of the Australian state of Victoria. The tournament was played on grass, and attracted a field of 17 male players from across New Zealand and Australia. A woman's tournament was not established until 1922.

The tournament was played in various cities until 1926, including twice in New Zealand, but the distances involved in reaching Australian meant that few non-Australasian players entered the tournament.

Change of Name  (1927 - 1969)

In 1927 the tournament was renamed the Australian Championship, five years after the split of the Lawn Tennis Association of Australasia into respective country organisations. It continued to be played in various cities across Australia and was open to amateur players only.

Although the tournament gradually attracted a greater number of international entrants, the high standards of Australian tennis meant that it was dominated by native-born players, who won 31 of the 37 men's tournaments held in this period and 28 of the 37 women's tournaments. Roy Emerson, the great Australian player, won the men's tournament a record six times between 1961 and 1967.

The Start of the Professional Era (1969 - 1988)

In 1969 the tournament was made open to both professional and amateur players, and the championship was renamed the “Australian Open”. The tournament continued to be held in various Australian cities, although Melbourne was the most frequent host city.

The scheduling of the tournament

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