History of Australian Open in Timeline
The Australian Open is one of the four annual Grand Slam tennis tournaments. Held at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia, it's the first Grand Slam of the year, preceding the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. Organized by Tennis Australia, this major tournament holds a prominent place in the global tennis calendar.
November 1905: Inaugural Tournament Location
The first Australian Open tournament took place in November 1905 at the Warehouseman's Cricket Ground (now Albert Reserve Tennis Centre) in Melbourne, on a grass court.
1905: Early Competition
In 1905, the early tournaments of the Australasian Championships faced competition from other established Australasian tournaments.
1905: First Australasian Championships
The first Australasian Championships, the precursor to the Australian Open, took place in 1905.
1905: Tournament Origins
The tournament has been held 110 times since its inception in 1905.
1906: Christchurch Tournament
The 1906 tournament was held in Christchurch, New Zealand, featuring a small field of ten players, won by a New Zealander with limited Australian participation.
1906: Tournament in Christchurch
The tournament was held in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 1906.
1909: Wilding's Second Win
Anthony Wilding won the tournament for the second time in 1909.
1912: Hastings Tournament
The Australasian Championships were held in Hastings, New Zealand, in 1912. Notably, Anthony Wilding, despite being a three-time Wimbledon champion, didn't participate.
1912: Tournament in Hastings
The tournament was held in Hastings, New Zealand, in 1912.
1916: World War I Cancellation
The tournament was cancelled from 1916 to 1918 due to World War I.
1918: End of WWI Cancellation
The tournament resumed in 1919 after the WWI cancellation.
1919: 1919 Tournament Scheduling Issues
In 1919, the Australian Open faced scheduling challenges due to venue climate concerns and other issues.
January 1920: 1919 Australian Open Delayed
The 1919 Australian Open was postponed and eventually held in January 1920 due to climate and exceptional circumstances.
1923: 1923 Tournament in Brisbane
The 1923 Australian Open was held in Brisbane in August to accommodate weather conditions.
1923: Seeding Introduced
The tournament committee introduced seeding in 1923.
1924: Grand Slam Status
The International Lawn Tennis Federation (ILTF) officially recognized the tournament as a major championship in 1924.
1927: Name Change to Australian Championships
In 1927, the tournament's name changed from the Australasian Championships to the Australian Championships.
1941: World War II Cancellation
The tournament was cancelled from 1941 to 1945 due to World War II.
1945: Resumption after WWII
The tournament resumed in 1946 after the cancellation due to WWII.
November 1946: First Overseas Players by Plane
In November 1946, the first international tennis players arrived for the Australian Open by plane, marking a shift in travel logistics.
1969: Open Era Begins
The first Australian Open was held in 1969 in Brisbane, marking the beginning of the Open Era where professional players could participate.
1969: Name Change to Australian Open
The tournament was renamed the Australian Open in 1969.
1970: Player Boycott
In 1970, several top players, including Rod Laver and Ken Rosewall, boycotted the Australian Open due to insufficient guarantees from George MacCall's National Tennis League. Arthur Ashe won the tournament that year.
1971: Second Open Era Tournament
The second Australian Open of the Open Era took place in 1971.
1972: Melbourne as Permanent Host
It was decided in 1972 that Melbourne would become the permanent host city for the Australian Open.
1973: Seven Network as Host Broadcaster
From 1973 to 2018, the Seven Network was the host broadcaster for the Australian Open.
December 1976: 1977 Australian Open Held Twice
In December 1976, the first of two 1977 Australian Opens commenced.
January 1977: Second 1977 Australian Open
The second 1977 Australian Open took place in January 1977, after the first concluded earlier that month. It failed to attract many top players.
1982: Increased Participation
By 1982, the Australian Open began to attract more top players after initially struggling with player participation due to its location and scheduling.
1982: Tournament Dates
From 1982 to 1985, the Australian Open was played in mid-December.
1983: Wilander's Win and Surface Change Prompt
Mats Wilander won the Australian Open in 1983, and following the tournament, the International Tennis Federation encouraged a change of venue due to Kooyong's limitations.
December 1985: Last Tournament at Kooyong
December 1985 marked the final time the Australian Open was held at the Kooyong Tennis Club.
1985: Tournament Dates
The Australian Open was played in mid-December from 1982 to 1985.
1986: No Tournament Held
There was no Australian Open held in 1986 due to the rescheduling of the tournament from December to January.
January 1987: Australian Open Moved to January
In January 1987, the Australian Open was moved to its current January time slot after previously being held in December.
1987: Transition to Hard Courts
In 1987, the Australian Open transitioned from grass courts to hard courts. This marked a significant change in the playing surface for the tournament.
1987: Tournament Month Change
In 1987, the Australian Open was moved from December to January. This was also the last year the tournament was held at Kooyong.
1988: Melbourne Park Era Begins
Starting in 1988, the Australian Open began its tenure at Melbourne Park, its current home.
1988: Move to Flinders Park
The Australian Open moved to Flinders Park (later renamed Melbourne Park) in 1988.
1988: Flinders Park Success
The move to Flinders Park in 1988 led to a significant 90% increase in attendance compared to the previous year at Kooyong.
1988: Move to Flinders Park and Surface Change
The tournament moved to Flinders Park (later Melbourne Park) in 1988, switching from grass to Rebound Ace hard courts.
1996: Increased Ranking Points
Prior to 1996, the Australian Open awarded fewer ATP ranking points than other Grand Slams due to lower prize money. This changed starting in 1996.
2007: End of Rebound Ace Era
2007 marked the final year the Australian Open was played on green Rebound Ace. This hardcourt surface had been used for two decades.
2008: Plexicushion Surface Introduced
From 2008 to 2019, the Australian Open used Plexicushion acrylic hard courts.
2008: Plexicushion Introduction and Controversy
In 2008, Rebound Ace was replaced with Plexicushion Prestige. This change sparked controversy due to its similarity to the US Open's DecoTurf surface.
2008: Proposed Relocation and Venue Upgrades
In 2008, proposals were made to move the Australian Open, but ultimately, upgrades began at Melbourne Park instead.
2008: Introduction of Plexicushion
In 2008, the Australian Open introduced Plexicushion Prestige, a blue cushioned acrylic hard court.
2013: New Trophy Manufacturer
ABC Bullion became the manufacturer of the Australian Open trophies in 2013.
2015: Sony Six Begins Broadcast
Sony Six started broadcasting the Australian Open in the Indian subcontinent in 2015.
2016: BBC Drops Live Coverage
The BBC ceased live broadcasts of the Australian Open in 2016 due to budget constraints.
2017: Increased Spectator Capacity
By 2017, the Australian Open increased spectator capacity with temporary seating at additional courts.
March 2018: Nine Network Acquires Broadcast Rights
In March 2018, the Nine Network secured the Australian Open broadcast rights starting in 2020.
December 2018: Final Set Tie-Breaks Introduced
In December 2018, the Australian Open announced the introduction of final set tie-breaks.
2019: Final Year of Plexicushion
2019 was the last year the Australian Open used the Plexicushion Prestige surface.
2019: New Stadium Construction Begins
Construction of a new 5,000-seat stadium at Melbourne Park started in 2019.
2019: Plexicushion Surface Used
The Australian Open used Plexicushion acrylic hard courts until 2019.
2019: Nine Network Broadcasts in 2019
The Nine Network acquired the broadcast rights for the 2019 Australian Open as well.
2020: Economic Impact Study
In 2020, a study revealed the Australian Open's significant economic contribution to Victoria, totaling $387.7 million for that year and over $2.71 billion over the preceding decade.
2020: New Court Surface
In 2020, the Australian Open switched to a GreenSet hardcourt surface while maintaining the blue color.
2020: Electronic Line Calling at US Open
The 2020 US Open utilized electronic line calling on courts other than the two main stadiums.
2020: GreenSet Debut
The Australian Open began using GreenSet, another blue hard court surface, in 2020.
2020: GreenSet Surface Introduced
The Australian Open introduced GreenSet as the court surface in 2020.
2020: Nine Network Begins Broadcast
The Nine Network commenced broadcasting the Australian Open in 2020.
November 2021: Kia Arena Unveiled
Kia Arena, a new 5,000-seat stadium, was unveiled in November 2021.
2021: Fox Sports Asia Ends Broadcast
Fox Sports Asia ceased broadcasting the Australian Open in 2021.
2021: Electronic Line Judging Implemented
In 2021, the Australian Open became the first Grand Slam to exclusively use electronic line judging.
2021: Melbourne Park Redevelopment Completed
In 2021, the decade-long redevelopment of Melbourne Park, including a fourth show court (Kia Arena) and other facilities, was finished.
2021: Australian Open Postponed
The 2021 Australian Open was postponed to February due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2022: Nine Network Extends Broadcast Rights
Nine Network extended its broadcast rights for the Australian Open until 2029.
2022: Australian Open NFTs
The Australian Open launched a range of NFTs in 2022.
2022: beIN Sports Acquires Broadcast Rights
beIN Sports took over the broadcast rights for the Australian Open in the Asia-Pacific region (excluding Vietnam) in 2022.
January 2023: Single-Day Attendance Record
In January 2023, the Australian Open set a new single-day attendance record of 94,854.
2024: Start Day and Match Schedule Changes
In 2024, the Australian Open began on a Sunday and reduced the number of day session matches on main courts.
2024: Record Attendance
The 2024 Australian Open achieved a record attendance exceeding 1,100,000 spectators.
2024: Overall Attendance Record
The 2024 Australian Open set a new overall attendance record of 1,110,657.
2024: 2024 Prize Money
The total prize money for the 2024 Australian Open was AUD $86,500,000.
2029: Nine Network Broadcast Rights Extend to 2029
Nine's broadcast rights for the Australian Open are secured until 2029.
