For more than a century, the Australian Open has been one of the premier events in the world of tennis. Founded in 1905, the tournament is the youngest of the four Grand Slam events, joining the U.S. Open, French Open, and Wimbledon. The Australian Open typically is held in the last fortnight of January, making it one of the first major tennis events held each year.

As the largest annual sporting event in the southern hemisphere, the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne since 1972 — a location that was chosen because it was considered by many as the most attractive city in Australia. The event has been held in the Melbourne Park complex since 1988, which also was the year the Open switched from grass to hard courts.

Today, blue Plexicushion is used as the surface of the tournament's three primary hard courts: the Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Arena, and the Margaret Court Arena. In its early days, few non-Australians competed because the continent was so remote; a boat trip from Europe, for example, would have taken about 45 days. Now, people come from all over the world to play for the title, the prestige, and the $60 million in prize money.