What is Australian Open?

Australian Open

About Australian Open

What is Australian Open?

The Australian Open is a major tennis tournament held annually in Melbourne Park in Melbourne over the last fortnight of January. The Open is the first of the four Grand Slam tournaments held each year. The other tournaments are French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. The tournament is for both men and women.

The Australian Open was played on grass courts prior to 1988. Since then, three types of hardcourt surfaces have been used. Green coloured Rebound Ace up to 2007, blue Plexicushion from 2008 to 2019, and blue GreenSet since 2020.

The tournament began in 1905 as the Australasian Championships. Since then, it has become one of the biggest sporting events in the Southern Hemisphere. The Australian Open is the most attended Grand Slam tournament with 812,000 people attending the 2020 edition. The Open is also referred to as the “happy slam” and the Grand Slam of the Asia Pacific.

The tournament is managed by Tennis Australia, which was formerly known as the Lawn Tennis Association of Australia, and was played for the first time at the Warehouseman’s Cricket Ground in Melbourne in November 1905. The name was changed to Australian Open in 1969. Prior to 1972, the Open was held in five Australian cities and two New Zealand cities. In 1972, the organisers decided to hold the event in Melbourne as the city attracted the biggest patronage in any Australian city.

In the beginning of the 20th century very few international players attended the tournament because of Australia’s geographic remoteness. It took 45 days to travel from Europe to Australia through ships in the 1920s.

Prize Money

The Australian Open is one the few sporting events where the prize money is awarded equally to men and women players. The total prize money for the 2020 edition of the tournament was AUD $71,000,000. The women’s singles winner is awarded with the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup and the men’s singles winner is presented with the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup.

Latest Updates on Australian Open

Soccer-mad Italy now obsessed with Australian Open winner Jannik Sinner

5 min read Last Updated :Jan 29 2024 | 11:14 AM IST
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Sinner rallies from 2 sets down to win Australian Open final vs Medvedev

2 min read Last Updated :Jan 28 2024 | 6:39 PM IST
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Australian Open: Rohan Bopanna becomes oldest man to win Grand Slam title

3 min read Last Updated :Jan 27 2024 | 6:45 PM IST
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Don't write off Novak Djokovic after his Australian Open loss to Sinner

4 min read Last Updated :Jan 27 2024 | 6:24 PM IST
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Australian Open 2024: Aryna Sabalenka clinches back-to-back titles

3 min read Last Updated :Jan 27 2024 | 6:20 PM IST
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Australian Open 2024: Sinner vs Medvedev live match starts at 2 PM IST

4 min read Last Updated :Jan 28 2024 | 10:35 AM IST
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Australian Open 2024: Medvedev wins five-setter to meet Sinner in final

5 min read Last Updated :Jan 26 2024 | 8:13 PM IST
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Australian Open 2024: One semi-final loss not beginning of end for Djokovic

3 min read Last Updated :Jan 26 2024 | 6:33 PM IST
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Jannik Sinner denies Novak Djokovic 25th Major at Australian Open 2024

1 min read Last Updated :Jan 26 2024 | 1:20 PM IST
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Australian Open 2024: Defending champ Sabalenka beats Gauff to reach final

3 min read Last Updated :Jan 25 2024 | 5:26 PM IST
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Australian Open 2024: Rohan Bopanna just one win away from Grand Slam title

1 min read Last Updated :Jan 25 2024 | 10:59 AM IST
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Zverev ousts Alcaraz to move into Australian Open semis against Medvedev

5 min read Last Updated :Jan 25 2024 | 8:20 AM IST
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Don't think anyone will ever come close to Djokovic: Former world no. 17

4 min read Last Updated :Jan 25 2024 | 7:55 AM IST
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Australian Open 2024 semifinal live timing (IST), live streaming in India

3 min read Last Updated :Jan 25 2024 | 8:11 AM IST
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Australian Open: Bopanna set to become oldest World No.1 in men's doubles

2 min read Last Updated :Jan 24 2024 | 9:50 AM IST
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Djokovic holds off Fritz to reach Australian Open semifinals for 11th time

4 min read Last Updated :Jan 23 2024 | 6:17 PM IST
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Australian Open 2024: Alcaraz sets up quarterfinal clash against Zverev

4 min read Last Updated :Jan 22 2024 | 7:52 PM IST
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Medvedev, Noskova, Yastremska advance to Australian Open quarterfinals

3 min read Last Updated :Jan 22 2024 | 3:03 PM IST
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Australian Open 2024: Bopanna-Ebden enter quarter-final with 7-6, 7-6 win

1 min read Last Updated :Jan 22 2024 | 1:33 PM IST
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Australian Open 2024: Sabalenka crushes Tsurenko, reaches 4th round

2 min read Last Updated :Jan 19 2024 | 11:20 AM IST
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