BJAustralianOpenHistory

Australian Open - A History By Jonah Stephenson

The Australian Open is an event that is historically sound. It is one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world of tennis, and we are lucky to be able to hold it right here in Melbourne. It is definitely one of the biggest events on Melbourne's sporting calendar, being one of the four Grand Slams in tennis. The best tennis players in the world come once annually to play in this tournament. It has always been exciting, and now I will take you through the history of this spectacle.

The Australian Open was founded in 1905 by the Lawn Tennis Association of Australia. In its infant year, it was played at the Warehouseman's Cricket Ground in Melbourne. Back then, it was known as the Australasian Championships. At this time, there were barely any entrants to the event. This was partly because it was hardly known at all, and because transport was very long, tiring and difficult back then, so it made it hard for country or interstate players to enter. Another reason for the low entry numbers was because of competition. All states in Australia and New Zealand (the two countries that make up Australasia) already had their own major tennis events. This meant that the Championships were not highly known, regarded, or respected. All of these factors meant that the first ever Australasian Championships drew a grand total of 19 players. As the Open was known as the Australasian Championships back then, New Zealand was eligible to host the event, as was any other Australian city. The event was hosted in Australia usually (normally Melbourne) but New Zealand hosted the tournament twice, before it was renamed to the Australian Championships. Christchurch hosted the tournament once in 1906 and Hastings once in 1912. These two tournaments brought in 10 competitors each.

Once the event was renamed to the Australian Championships in 1927, popularity for the event seemed to be on the rise. On one front, transportation had improved by a fair amount by this time so it was easier for players to make it to the tournaments. The name change also meant that New Zealand could no longer host the tournament. The event had also been around for a couple of decades now, so it had found its footing as a player in its category. More players were entering, the matches were starting to attract bigger crowds and the competition was being thrust into the media spotlight.

In 1969, the tournament had its name changed again to what we know it as today: the Australian Open. By now, tennis was widely played as a sport, and the Australian Championships were very well known in our nation, and even around the world on some levels. This meant that lots of competitors from many different countries were flocking to play here. The first Australian Open was not held in Melbourne, but in Brisbane at the Milton Courts complex. Though there were many entrants, barely any of the best players in the world played at this time, due to commitments to other tournaments and low prize money. In 1972, it was decided by organizers that the tournament would be played in one city every year (that city being Melbourne). When the tournament shifted to Melbourne permanently, it was played at the Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club complex. Melbourne was chosen because it was the city that had drawn the most spectators in the years that the tournament shifted from place to place.

In 1988, there was a review of the venue that the event was being played at. It was decided that the event had grown to be too large for Kooyong's capacity, and was moved to Melbourne Park (formerly Flinders Park) as a result. This complex contained a few different stadiums, such as Rod Laver Arena, Hisense Arena and Margaret Court Arena. There are also many show courts where matches are played. The move to Melbourne Park was a huge payoff, as a 90 per cent increase in attendance numbers came in the year after the move.

Nowadays, the Australian Open is one of the biggest events in tennis. The best players in the world long for the chance to win one of tennis' four Grand Slams. It offers a large increase in a players' world ranking, extreme amounts of prize money and ridiculous fame. It has come a long way as a competition, from humble beginnings as the Australasian Championships with barely any entrants and no fame, to becoming the huge spectacle that it is today.