Perhaps unfairly the Australian Open tends to be viewed as the lesser of the four Grand Slam tournaments, may be because it was the last one to be introduced.

The tournament was first played in 1905 and called the Australasian Championships. Since then it has been a regular feature on the tennis calendar and is now the first one to be played each year, followed by the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open in that order.

Since being moved to Melbourne in 1988, the Australian Open has continued to gain popularity, with its geographical distance from the other main tennis nations being overcome by the increased efficiency of long-haul flights and the evolving nature of television coverage, which ensures a global audience.

In the early stages of the professional era the tournament struggled to attract all of the top players, but that is certainly no longer the case, with the Australian Open firmly established as one of the 'big four'.

Australia has also produced some of the best players ever to grace the game, with Rod Laver to this day considered by many to be the greatest men's player of all time.

Initially the Australian Open was played on grass, which is the surface on which the likes of Laver learned their craft and ensured the Australian contingent were always a major threat at their home Grand Slam event and at Wimbledon.

However, since the tournament was switched to Melbourne Park for good in 1988, the tournament has been contested on hard courts.