In fewer than two weeks, the first Grand Slam tournament of the year will commence in Melbourne, Australia. The men and women will compete alongside one another in the oppressive Aussie heat in the hopes of securing the first major prize of the season.
Since its inception in 1905,the Australian Open has been contested on three different surfaces in seven cities and two countries—Australia and New Zealand. Though first contested in 1905, the Australian Championships—formerly known as the Australasian Championships—was not designated a major championship until the International Lawn Tennis Federation made it one in 1924.
In 1972, it was decided the tournament should be held each year in Melbourne, since it attracts more visitors than any other Australian city. The Australian Open was held at the Kooyong Club from 1972 until 1987, where it was contested on grass until it was relocated in 1988 to its present location at Melbourne Park—formerly Flinders Park—where it was initially played on green Rebound Ace and since 2008, on blue Plexicushion Prestige.
Due to its remote geographic location, many top players in the early 20th century did not make the trip down under to compete in the Australian Championships. Is it no wonder that no male player, since the great Australian lefty, Rod “Rocket” Laver in 1969, has achieved a calendar Grand Slam? Would it be fair to suggest that it might have been relatively easier to win a calendar Slam at that time when three of the four tournaments were contested on grass? In fact, Laver won the Grand Slam twice during this period, the first completed in 1962.
It’s no coincidence that for an extended period of time, Aussie players excelled not only at their own Slam but at the other two played on grass. The Australians captured 26 Wimbledon singles titles—men and women combined—from 1900 until the present day, and from 1905 until 1987—the last year the Australian Open was played on grass—the Aussies won their home country’s singles championship 92 times (men and women combined). At the final slam of the year, from 1900 until 1974—the last year the US Open was contested on grass—the Aussies took home twenty singles championship trophies (men and women combined).
In 1969, for the first time, the tournament was open to all players, including professionals. Still, many of the game’s elite did not make the trip—including the great Swedish player, Bjorn Borg, who, the following decade, competed just once at the Australian Open.
The move to Melbourne Park was a huge success; attendance increased by 90% from the year prior. In 2008, the court surface was changed once again to a medium-paced, cushioned acrylic known as Plexicushion Prestige. Serena Williams and Roger Federer are the only players to have won the Australian Open on both Rebound Ace and Plexicushion Prestige.
In addition to the remote location, players were displeased with the relatively low prize money and inconvenient dates. During this period, the tournament was held over the Christmas and New Year holidays. The tournament was held in mid-December from 1982-1985. In 1987, in an attempt to draw the top men’s and women’s players down under, tournament officials shrewdly revised the dates to mid-January where they currently reside.
By rendering the Australian Open the first slam instead of the last slam of the year, any player striving to achieve a calendar Grand Slam must travel and play in Australia. Genius! Over time, the Australian Open’s status as a premier, fan-friendly Grand Slam event was solidified. Why did it take so long for tournament organizers to see the light and institute this revision?
I contend the tournament dates should once again be revised—this time to February, when the average daily temperature in Melbourne is 77 degrees Fahrenheit. Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal concur; they too affirm that players are not in peak form competing for a major championship so soon after the Christmas and New Year holidays.
The professional tennis season is long—perhaps too long—but that being said, there still is ample time for players to transition from hard courts to European clay in preparation for the French Open contested at the end of May.
I am very much looking forward to going down under on January 19, 2015 via Comcast Cable and ESPN; hopefully, in the foreseeable future, the players will have an extra month to prepare and I will have the opportunity to watch the tennis in Melbourne—not on TV!
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