Tennis season is going to commence with the beginning of the first major tournament, the Australian Open, from January 12 to January 26, 2025. Founded in 1905, the tournament will be played in three stadiums: Margaret Court, Rod Laver and John Cain Arena. The 2025 Australian Open will be hosting a Pickleball Slam from January 24 to January 26, 2025, with a prize money of $100,000. The three exciting weeks will also include exhibition matches, kids' tennis days and open practice sessions.
With a whopping number attending the Australian Open last year, the tournament is played at Melbourne Park Complex. Earlier known as the Australasian Championships, it will showcase 128 singles players and 64 doubles teams competing to win the tournament. Each winner in the singles and doubles category will be awarded 2000 points. The reigning champions, Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka are ready to defend their title, with Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek ready to dethrone them.
Why did the Australian Open switch to hard court?
The Australian Open was switched to hard court in 1988 to keep up with the changing style of modern tennis. The change of court also makes alterations to the speed and style of play as per the official Redbull website. Earlier, the tournament was hosted at the Kooyong Stadium, but it was later changed to Flinders Park (present Melbourne Park). The change of venue resulted in the change of the surface from a grass court to a green-coloured hard court, also known as Rebound Ace.
In 2008, the Rebound Ace was changed to a blue cushioned, acrylic medium-paced surface, also called the Plexicushion Prestige, till 2019. The main advantage of Plexicushion Prestige involves less retention of heat and better consistency. Serena Williams and Roger Federer are the only players to win the Australian Open on both Plexicushion Prestige and Rebound Ace. However, the Plexicushion Prestige was changed to blue GreenSet in 2020 till present.
Why is the Australian Open nicknamed as the Happy Slam?
The Australian Open is nicknamed the Happy Slam due to its warm hospitality, and friendly and vibrant atmosphere. According to Craig Tiley, the tournament director specified that Roger Federer was the first person to call the tournament the Happy Slam (via X, formerly Twitter). The Australian Open has been considered the most player-friendly and crowd-loving tournament for a long time. It was the first tournament to introduce retractable roofs along with hawk eye challenges, which resulted in the fast adoption of technology.
FAQs on the Australian Open
A. The Australian Open was first played on a hard court, also known as Rebound Ace, in 1988.
A. The Australian Open is played on a synthetic hard court, whereas the US Open is hosted on an acrylic hard court.
A. The Australian Open WTA's trophy is named after Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup, who won the tournament five times in her career from 1925 to 1930.
A. Margaret Court has won the Australian Open most times, which includes winning the title eleven times in her career.
A. Rod Laver, with a seating capacity of 15,000, is the biggest stadium at the Australian Open.
