The Australian Open is all about tennis. The tournament is held annually and has a great history since its inaugural edition in 1905. The tennis tournament accommodates both male and female participants. Up to date, the games have been played 108 times.
History
The event has become one of the greatest and most famous tennis events around the world. It is nicknamed ‘the happy slam’ and was first played in Melbourne at the Warehouseman’s Cricket Ground which is currently the Albert Reserve Tennis Centre. The Australian tennis event is managed by Tennis Australia. There have been changes in the name since the first edition. It was originally the Australasian Championships and later became the Australian Championship in 1927. The current name was launched in 1969.
The event has been held in cities both in New Zealand and Australia. These cities are Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Hastings and Christchurch.
Media Broadcasters
People who haven’t had the chance to attend the live tournament have been catered for by televisions over the years. Since 1973, the Seven Network used to broadcast the tournament until recently in 2018. After 2018, the Nine Network acquired the rights to broadcast the sports event. Other broadcasting channels include Eurosport, BBC, beIN Sports, among others in various regions.
Winners
Specific events in the tournament include the men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles and the mixed doubles. The latest winner of 2020 in the men’s singles is Novak Djokovic and Sofia Kenin in women’s singles. Other past winners include Roy Emerson and Horace Rice. Rodney Heath was the first winner in 1905.
Records
Over the years, records have been set. Some were broken, and others still stand. Ken Rosewall holds the record for both the youngest and oldest winner of the men’s singles while Martina Hingis is the youngest on the women’s side.