Did You Know...

The Australian Open has undergone numerous changes during its many years. It was started in 1905 by the Lawn Tennis Association of Australia (LTAA). Originally, the Australasian Championships (as it was called in 1905) were held at Warehouseman's Cricket Ground in St. Kilda Road, Melbourne. Actually, the Australian Open has been held in six different locations. Before 1972, it was held in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth, and even twice in New Zealand.

In 1972, Tennis Australia, formerly the LTAA, decided to keep the tournament in one city instead of rotating it from place to place. The largest number of tickets had been sold in Melbourne, Australia, and it was chosen as the permanent site for the Australian Open. Kooyong Tennis Club began hosting the event every year. In 1988, Melbourne Park was built to accomodate the expanding tournament. In that year, ticket sales nearly doubled from what they had been at Kooyong.

Not only has the location been a source of change, but the Australian Open has had several different names. The name has been changed twice. Originally, the Australasian Championships, the tournament became the Australian Championships in 1927. In 1969, the name was once again changed, and it became the Australian Open.