Winning any ATP tournament is an impressive feat, especially as tennis’ talent pool of international players gets deeper every year. As many as 128 players enter each tournament, and only one player hoists the top trophy. Unparalleled talent, supreme conditioning, unwavering dedication, and a bit of luck are needed in order to be crowned victor.
But among the hundreds of tournaments that are played each year, four stand out and are looked upon with the greatest esteem and importance. Those four prestigious events are called Major, or Grand Slam, tournaments. The top 128 players in the world come together to play in these annual events, which include, in chronological order: the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open.
Winning a Major tournament garners international fame, a place in the history books, and a larger prize fund than any other tour event.
Structure for Grand Slams
The 128-player draw is composed of 32 seeded competitors, other players that rank in the world’s top 100, qualifiers, and players who are invited through wild cards (often awarded to promising young players, once-famous tennis stars, or players that were born in the country where the tournament is played). For men, Grand Slam tournaments have a best-of-five set structure, while women play best-of-three sets. Currently, Majors are the only ATP tournaments that include mixed doubles events.
Most Career Grand-Slam Singles Titles
Men:
1. Roger Federer – 16
2. Pete Sampras – 14
Women:
1. Margaret Smith Court – 24
2. Steffi Graf – 22
The Australian Open
The Australian Open is played every January in Melbourne, Australia. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905, and since 1988 the event has been played on hard courts. Currently, the Australian Open is played on a plexicushion surface, which blends latex, rubber, and plastic particles. This medium-paced surface is designed to absorb shock to body parts, reduce heat, and minimize muscle fatigue.
The Australian Open has moved throughout Australia and New Zealand, and permanently moved to Melbourne in 1972 because the city attracts a large amount of fans.The Open era began in 1968, but the Australian Open has seen a multitude of historical feats both before and after the tournament opened to professionals:
- Before the Open era, native Australian Roy Emerson won a record-breaking eight men’s singles titles. Roger Federer and Andre Agassi have each won four Australian Open titles, which is a record for the Open era.
- Australian Adrian Quist won 10 men’s doubles titles from 1936 to 1950, which is the most in the tournament’s history.
- Margaret Court won a tournament-record seven women’s singles titles from 1960 to 1966. Serena Williams has set the Open-era record with five Australian Open titles in her career.
- Since the Open Era, Martina Navratilova has won eight women’s doubles titles, the most in Australian Open history. She won seven consecutive titles from 1982 to 1989, which is also a record.
- Martina Hingis is the youngest women’s singles winner in the event’s history, winning the tournament in 1997 at the age of 16 years and four months.
The French Open
The French Open is held in Paris, France every May and continues through June. The event began in 1891, when only members of French tennis clubs could compete, and opened up to all amateurs internationally in 1925.
In 1968, the French Open became the first Grand Slam tournament to go open and allow both amateurs and professionals to play. The French Open is the only Major held on clay courts, and is considered to be one of the most physically demanding tournaments in the world.
Interesting facts about the French Open:
- In March 2007, the French Open became the first Major tournament to provide equal prize money for both men and women.
- Since the Open era, Bjorn Borg has won the most men’s singles titles with six championships. He won four titles in a row from 1978 to 1981, which is a record that Rafael Nadal tied during his 2005 to 2008 championship run.
- Since 1925, Roy Emerson holds the record for most consecutive men’s doubles titles with six championships (1960 to 1965).
- Chris Evert holds the record for most women’s singles titles with seven championships.
- Since the Open era, both Monica Seles and Justine Henin have won the most consecutive women’s singles titles, winning three times in a row (1990 to 1992 and 2005 to 2007, respectively).
- Martina Navratilova won seven women’s doubles titles and five doubles titles in a row (1984 to 1988). Both are all-time French Open records.
- Monica Seles is the youngest singles champion in French Open history, winning the tournament in 1990 at the age of 16 years and six months.
Fun Fact:
Compared to other court surfaces, clay courts are slow and produce a high bounce. The ball buries itself in the clay, which reduces horizontal movement and slows the ball down. Because of this, many players that rely on powerful serves or serve-and-volley techniques struggle on clay.
Wimbledon
Wimbledon begins every June and continues through July in London, England. It’s the oldest tennis tournament in the world, and is commonly considered the most esteemed event in the game.
Wimbledon is the only Major played on grass, which is the fastest type of surface, generates low bounces, and creates quick points. Players that thrive on a serve-and-volley strategy tend to favor grass courts, because volleys are hard to catch up to and stay low to the ground.
In 2001, Wimbledon officials switched to a denser soil and slower grass, providing a higher bounce and slightly slower pace. As a result, baseliners like Serena Williams and Roger Federer have had success in recent tournaments.
While the grass courts are a unique aspect of the tournament, Wimbledon also has some distinctive traditions. There is a strict dress code for players, as competitors are expected to wear white. However, since 1995, there have been more splashes of green, navy blue, and cream among ballboys, officials, linesmen, and players.
One of the most popular traditions is the consumption of strawberries and cream. British strawberries happen to be in season during Wimbledon, and have become a deep-rooted custom for observers and players alike. Additionally, British royalty are strong supporters of the tournament, and players are expected to bow or curtsy when leaving the court.
Wimbledon facts:
- Pete Sampras won seven Wimbledon men’s singles titles, and is the all-time leader. William Renshaw also won seven titles during the 1890s, before the Open era.
- Roger Federer won five consecutive Wimbledon men’s singles titles from 2003 to 2007, the longest streak in the tournament’s history.
- Todd Woodbridge won nine men’s doubles championships and five consecutive doubles titles from 1993 to 1997. Both accomplishments are Wimbledon all-time records.
- Martina Navratilova won nine women’s singles titles and six consecutive championships from 1982 to 1987. She holds the all-time Wimbledon record for both achievements.
- Martina Hingis is the youngest Wimbledon champion, winning the tournament in 1996 at the age of 15.
Amazingly True Story
Like the French and Australian Opens, Wimbledon does not use tie-breaks in the final set of a match. In the 2010 Wimbledon tournament, John Isner and Nicolas Mahut had a record-breaking match that lasted 11 hours and 5 minutes, and took three days to complete. The final fifth-set score was 70-68, in Isner’s favor, and he won the match after playing 980 points and hitting 112 aces.
The US Open
The US Open is held in New York City, United States, and begins in August and continues through September. The tournament began in 1881 as the US National Championship in Rhode Island, and is one of the oldest tennis events in the world.
When the tournament first began, singles competitions were the only events and women were excluded from participation. As a result, women began their own event, and doubles tournaments soon followed. With the induction of the Open era, all of the events merged into the US Open and were held in New York.
In 1975, the event moved to Flushing Meadows, the tournament’s current location, and later adopted the court surface that is used today: DecoTurf. DecoTurf is made of acrylic, rubber, and other material on top of an asphalt or concrete base. The surface is fast and balls bounce low, so serve-and-volley players tend to have success in the tournament. The US Open is the only Grand Slam tournament to use a final-set tie-break.
US Open Records:
- Since the Open era, Jimmy Connors, Pete Sampras, and Roger Federer have won five US Open men’s singles titles and share the record. Federer won the championship five years in a row from 2004 to 2008, which is an Open era record.
- Since the Open era, John McEnroe, Bob Lutz, and Stan Smith have each won four men’s doubles titles.
- Chris Evert won six US Open women’s singles titles, which is an Open era record. She won four US Open singles titles in a row from 1975 to 1978, which is the most in the tournament’s history.
- Martina Navratilova won nine women’s doubles championships from 1977 to 1990. Before the Open era, Margaret Osborne duPont won 13 doubles championships from 1941 to 1957.
Major Implications
Winning a tennis Major immediately launches a player into both the record books and international stardom. At the end of every great player’s career, journalists, fans, and players unite to discuss the impact that the player had on the game. Ultimately, the amount of Grand Slam titles is the deciding factor of the player’s legacy and greatness. The tension, suspense, and stakes of a Major event make the tournaments extremely enjoyable to watch and memorable to compete in.
