Tennis: The four Grand Slams

Four big tennis tournaments are being held annually, the Grand Slams. The most well-known is Wimbledon. The others are the Australian Open, Roland Garros, also known as the French Open, and the US Open.

Every tournament has a different surface.The best 32 players in the singles are seeded, the others have to play qualification rounds to reach the main event, which offers admission to 128 players. The events that are offered during every tournament are Gentlemen Singles and Doubles, Ladies Singles and Doubles, Mixed Doubles, Boys Singles and Doubles, Girls Singles and Doubles, wheelchair tennis and legends, for the older ex-players. If a player wins all four Grand Slams in his career, it is called a Career Grand Slam. If the player accomplishes this in one year, he or she managed to obtain a Calender Grand Slam.

Australian Open

The Australian Open is held in Melbourne every January. The first edition took place on grass in 1905. In 1988 the surface was changed to hard court. The two main courts have a roof so a match can even be played when it's raining. In 2010, the Australian Open received a record amount of 650,000 visitors! In the past, the tournament has previously been held in other cities: Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Christchurch (New Zealand) and Hastings (New Zealand) all hosted this tournament. In 1972 it was decided that the tournament should have a permanent location and Melbourne was chosen because this city attracted the most visitors. Because Australia is far away, no foreign players participated until 1946. In the 1920s, the journey from the US to Australia took 45 days! Prize money for the winners is equal for men and women since 2010 and adds up to over 2 million Australian dollars (about 1.4 million Euros and 1.9 million US dollars). The losing finalist receives half of this amount.

Roland Garros/ French Open

This tournament is held in Paris from the end of May through early June. The surface of the French Open is clay. Because of this surface and the fact that there is no tie-break in the fifth set, this tournament is considered the toughest of the four Grand Slams. The first edition was played in 1891 and was only accessible for French players. Women weren't allowed to participate until 1987. In 1924, the tournament was skipped because the Olympics took place in Paris. From 1925 onwards, foreign players were allowed to take part in the tournament. Since 1981, special prizes are presented at Roland Garros: there's a prize for best sportsman/sportswoman and best cooperation with the press, a prize for strongest character and personality and a price for best tennis talent of the year. Since 2007, men and women receive the same amount of prize money. This is revolutionary, since even in tennis, women make less money than men! The winner gets over 1 million Euros (1.4 US dollars), the losing finalist "only" receives 530,000 Euros (rougly 736,000 US dollars).

Wimbledon

Wimbledon is the most famous and prestigious tennis tournament of the four and the oldest as well. It has been held in Londen every year from 1877, from the end of June through early July. The surface that is played on in this tournment is grass. The location is owned by The All England Croquet Club. In the past, only cricket was played there, but in 1875 tennis was allowed too and the name of the club changed to The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Wimbledon is known for its traditions: there is a dresscode for players, they have to be dressed in white on court; strawberries and cream are eaten and the British royal family frequently attends the matches. Wimbledon's centercount has a roof since 2009, so matches don't have to be cancelled in rainy England. Until 1884, the tournament only existed of the Gentlemen Singles, but in that year Doubles was introduced, as well as Ladies Singles. From 1913 onwards, women were allowed to play Doubles, and Mixed Doubles was part of the program as well. Nowadays, youth plays there too: boys and girls can play Singles and Doubles, but there is no Mixed Doubles for boys and girls. Wheelchair tennis and seniors (for ex-players) are part of the tournament as well. Prize money for the winners is 1 million pounds (1.15 million Euros, 1.6 million US dollars). The losing finalist gets half of that amount.

US Open

The US Open exists sinds 1881 and is being held annually in New York, from late August through early September. The surface is hardcourt, but a different kind than the one that's used at the Australian Open. The American surface is the fastest of the four. Women were first allowed to participate in 1887 and Doubles was introducted in 1900. The US Open is the only tournament that allows a tie-break at the end of the fifth set. Prize money is 1.6 million US dollars (1.15 million Euros) for the winner and half of that amount for the losing finalist. In 2006, the US Open was the first to introduce the Hawkeye system, a system that shows the player the last played point electronically. It is used to challenge the referee's decision. On average, thirty percent of the referee's decisions are overruled by the system. 

Sources: www.todio.nl