What is the Australian Open?
The Australian Open is a Grand Slam tennis tournament held each January at Melbourne Park in Melbourne. It is the first of the four Grand Slam events of the year, followed by the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open.
The tournament began in 1905 as the Australasian Championships and was held in various cities in Australia and New Zealand. It became the Australian Championships and then the Australian Open in 1969, when professionals were allowed to compete.
For many years, the event was played on grass at Kooyong in Melbourne. In 1988, it moved to the new National Tennis Centre at Flinders Park, now called Melbourne Park, and switched to hard courts.
The happy slam
The Australian Open is often called the happy slam because of its relaxed atmosphere and friendly crowds. It attracts record attendances, with total crowds of more than a million people across the event in recent years.
The tournament is famous for summer heat, and it has an extreme heat policy. Its main courts have retractable roofs so play can continue in rain or extreme heat.
Novak Djokovic has won the men's singles title a record ten times. Margaret Court holds the record for the most women's singles titles, with 11 wins.
Did You Know?
The Australian Open's main show courts are Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court Arena and John Cain Arena.