Open tournament

In tennis, “Open” is used to label a certain type of tournament. When the tournament is considered an Open that means there are spots for anyone to qualify. While tennis tournaments are almost always won by top-ranked professionals, an Open allows for qualifiers to have a chance at the biggest stages. It is not closed off to only those who currently have a high ranking on the tour.

All four majors have been around for quite a while, but before 1968, these tournaments were only open to amateurs. Watch enough tennis, and there will be someone talking about the Open Era. This is referred to as tennis after 1968, when professionals were allowed to play in the major tournaments.

It seems crazy to look at things now, but over 50 years ago, the major tournaments wanted no part of professionals. This made these tournaments a little different, to say the least. All the best players in the world we’re not competing at the same tournament, so it was hard to gauge exactly who was the best in the world.

Early on, the names of tournaments began to include the word open to show that they were allowing professionals and amateurs to play. By lifting all restrictions and allowing the best players in the world to play in the same tournament, it increased the overall level of play. Modern technology has also helped quite a bit with how tennis is viewed and played. Historically speaking, it’s hard to even compare players before the Open Era to the current generation.

There is a qualifying tournament before every Open. Players who are not formally invited to the tournament still have the chance to prove themselves against others trying to make the main draw. It’s a tough process, especially for the major tournaments. Nonetheless, an Open tournament is all-inclusive, and therefore a little more intriguing in the eyes of most. There are very few “what-if” scenarios because certain players weren’t allowed to play.

• The Australian Open was founded in 1905. It is the first grand slam of the year these days, but they have moved it around a bit throughout the years. They have held it in a total of seven different cities, including five in Australia and two in New Zealand. It has been in Melbourne, Australia since 1972, and there seems to be no plan to move from that city in the future.

Due to its remote location, the tournament did not start to take off until the 1980s. That is when travel became a lot easier for foreign players, and the prize money started to go up as well.

The name of the tournament was the Australasian Championships from 1905 to 1926. From 1927 to 1968, they changed the name to the Australian Championships. Once the open era started, the tournament officially became the Australian Open.

In the Open Era, they have had some low-ranked professionals and even amateurs make the main draw. Most notably, Bob Giltinan reached the semi finals of the 1977 Australian open after coming through qualifying.

• The French Open started in 1891 going by the name the Champion at de France. It was a very limited tournament in the beginning, only open to tennis players who are members of French clubs.

It wouldn’t be until 1925 when The French Championships allowed for amateurs all around the globe to participate. Therefore, the French Championships changed the name to what we today know as the French Open. This is when it picked up the label as a major championship, and the popularity of the clay court tournament really took off.

The French Open officially kicked off the Open Era at the majors when they opened up the tournament to everyone in spring of 1968. The first-ever French Open champion in the open era was Ken Rosewall on the men’s side, and Nancy Richey on the women’s side.

The most surprising run by a qualifier at the French Open during the Open Era was Felip Dewulf. The Belgian found a way to reach the 1997 semi-finals, eventually losing to the champion Gustavo Kuerten.

• The only major that doesn’t have “Open” included in the name. Why the Wimbledon tournament doesn’t include Open in the name is not clear. However, it makes sense that they haven’t changed the name if you think about the history of Wimbledon. No tournament has more history than The Championships, Wimbledon. First played as a tournament in 1877, it is the only major tournament held at the same location throughout its history.

The all England club is the most iconic location for tennis in the world. The famous grass courts have remained the same throughout the years, even when other tournaments have shifted to more durable surfaces such as hard courts and clay courts.

In the beginning, the 1877 Wimbledon championship only had a Gentleman’s singles tournament. It would not hold the first ladies and doubles tournament until 1884. Wimbledon was the first tournament to start bringing in international competition, but they still prohibited professionals until 1968.

Wimbledon offers qualifying like all the other major tournaments, but they are also a little bit different with their seeding. In fact, some players who would automatically qualify for other tournaments might have to go through qualifying if they do not have solid grass court results. Not only does the tournament look at current world rankings, but they also stress grass court results when handing out invitations.

Perhaps the most memorable qualifier run in the history of tennis came in 1977, when John McEnroe made it to the semi-finals. It was a true surprise at the time, and it would set the stage for a memorable career. There have been others to make the semi-finals at Wimbledon after coming through for qualifying in the gentlemen’s and ladies’ draw, but they are still waiting for a qualifier to make the final.

• The last major tournament of the year has a unique history since first taking place in 1881. They have used all three major surfaces throughout its history, and they have held it at several locations in the Northeast.
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Currently, the U.S. Open is held at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City. It may not have the same history as some of the other major tournaments, but the U.S. Open has always been at the forefront of changing the game. They were the first major tournament to offer equal prize money in 1973, and they also added lights in 1975.

They were the first major tournament to introduce instant replay reviews for line calls. This is as a great solution to all the controversy that has surrounded close calls in tennis throughout its history.

The U.S. Open offers a very unique way for qualifiers to pull off the ultimate underdog story. There are sectional qualifiers all around the United States for an average player to enter. Theoretically, any player in the United States could earn entry into the qualifying tournament at the U.S. Open. From there, they could qualify for the main draw if they can survive against mostly professionals battling it out.

The chances of some average person even making it out of their section are slim to none, but it’s still the truest form of an open tournament out there. Who knows, there might be a time in the future when a player is able to pull off the most stunning run in tennis history.