The Australian Open – The First Of The Grand Slams

Held for the first time in 1905 the tournament was originally contested on grass but has been played on hard counts since 1988.

• Since 1905, the Australian Open has been staged in five Australian and two New Zealand cities as follows: Melbourne (54 times), Sydney (17 times), Adelaide (14 times), Brisbane (7 times), Perth (3 times), Christchurch and Hastings (once).

• Held in the middle of the Australian summer, the Australian Open can have extremely hot days. An extreme-heat policy is put into play when temperatures reach dangerous levels.

• From 1972 it has been held in same place, the Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club in Melbourne, selected because Melbourne attracted the biggest patronage. The two main courts used in the tournament are Rod Laver Arena and Hisense Arena and feature retractable roofs, which are shut during rain or extreme heat.

• Melbourne Park (formerly Flinders Park) was constructed for the 1988 tournament to meet the demands of a tournament that had outgrown Kooyong's capacity.

• The first Open tournament, held in 1969, was won by Australian Rod Laver and the current men's champion is Roger Federer. For the women, the first Open tournament was won by Australian Margeret Court and the current women's champion is Serena Williams.

• The women's singles winner is presented with the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup. The men's singles winner is presented with the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup.

• Since 1969 the record for the most wins in the men's tournament is held jointly be Andre Agassi and Roger Federer with four wins. The most wins for women are the five wins of Serena Williams.

As the first of the Grand Slam tournaments, the Australian Open is seen as the bell weather event in tennis. A good start to the tennis year down under bodes well for the remaining big trophies.