GRANDSLAM HISTORY

Reference Book.  1877 - 2025

History of the Australian Open starts in 1905 on the lawns of the Warehousemans Cricket Club, and the first champion in men's singles became Rodney HEATH. In 1927 tennis tournament became known as the Australian Championships, and only in 1969 it got its official title - Australian Open. In 1905-1927 Championships were held five Australian cities - Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth, and two New Zealand cities - Christchurch (1906) and Hastings (1912). The Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club in Melbourne became the next home of the Australian Open in 1972-1987.

In 1988 Australian Open established a new home at Flinders Park (since 1996 - Melbourne Park) and attendance increase almost twice. In 2000 Centre Court got name of Australian tennis legend - Rod Laver Arena. Tennis icon Rod LAVER won 11 titles between 1960 and 1969, but he could have won many more. After turning professional in December 1962, he was banned from playing in the amateur-only Grand Slam tournaments until the Open Era began in 1968. The 20 Grand Slams he missed during that period, at the peak of his career, prevented him from adding to his tally. Had that not happened, the list of world tennis records might look different today. Rod Laver is the only player, male or female, to twice achieve a Grand Slam in singles, in 1962 and 1969.

Margaret Court Arena is another stadium named after the greatest female tennis player Margaret COURT. Without a doubt, this Australian is one of the most famous personalities in tennis. Her collection of titles is impressive. Three calendar Grand Slams - one in singles in 1970 and two in mixed doubles in 1963 and 1965. 11 Australian Open singles titles, the most by any player in history. A record 64 Grand Slam titles in various categories, 24 of which are in singles. In 2023, Novak DJOKOVIC managed to repeat this achievement (a total of 24 in singles) and shared this outstanding record with Margaret Court. Djokovic is also a ten-time champion in men's singles at the Australian Open.

Every year at the Australian Open, the men's singles winner is presented with The Norman Brookes Challenge Cup. The trophy is named after Australian tennis champion Sir Norman BROOKES. A former Australian champion who won the Australian Open in 1911 and Wimbledon in 1907 and 19014, and president of the Lawn Tennis Association of Australia from 1926 to 1955, Brookes made history in 1907 by becoming the first non-British male to win Wimbledon. The large silver trophy bearing his name was made in England in 1906 and financed by the state tennis associations in Australia, following the retirement of two previous trophies awarded to the Australian champion – the Slazenger and Sun Cup. The design for the Sir Norman Brookes Challenge Cup was based on a large Roman marble vase that was excavated from the ruins of Emperor Hadrian’s villa just outside Rome. Due to the vase eventually finding a resting place on the grounds of Warwick Castle, it became known as the Warwick Vase. The winner of the Australian Open gets a ¾ size replica of the original trophy. It was first awarded to Fred PERRY at the Australian Championships in 1934.

A large silver trophy, The Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup, was first awarded to the winner of the women’s singles at the Australian Open Joan HARTIGAN in 1934. The trophy is named after the late Daphne AKHURST, a five times singles champion. In 1933, she tragically died of ectopic pregnancy at the age of 29. Daphne grew up in Sydney, in the State of New South Wales, and it was the New South Wales Lawn Tennis Association that donated the memorial trophy for this Grand Slam event. The Australian Open Women’s Singles winner gets a replica of the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Trophy, and the original cup stays in Melbourne.