It used to be that the Australian Open was effectively the four majors' fifth wheel, a quaint Down Under hit-and-giggle that didn't measure up to Roland Garros, Wimbledon or the US Open. Hall of Famer Bjorn Borg played the Aussie Open just once. In his more than a decade-and-a-half on the pro tour, John McEnroe played it just five times. Even Andre Agassi skipped the event between 1987 and 1994. But all that's changed. Boasting no fewer that three retractable-roofed show courts (Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Arena and Margaret Court Arena), a venue that's walking distance from the center of the city, and perpetually-sunny skies, Melbourne Park, home to the Australian Open since 1988, has become a favored destination for both players and fans. In fact, the two-week tennis showdown has become known as The Happy Slam. First held in 1905 and now the largest annual sporting event in the Southern Hemisphere, the AO pulls in more than 700,000 tennis-lovers each year. The 2019 Australian Open is scheduled for Jan. 14-27, smack dab in the midst of the Australian summer. Catch the sport's leading lights as the Grand Slam season gets underway; grab your Australian Open tickets at StubHub.
The Australian Open has called Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth home, but the fortnight has sure found a permanent home in Melbourne, which comes to life each summer amidst the sound of serves, forehands and backhands. Some of the most sought-after tennis tickets of the year, the two-week on-court extravaganza brings together the best ATP and WTA players in the world for competition in men's and women's singles; men's, women's and mixed doubles; boys' and girls' singles; and wheelchair, legends and exhibition events. Aussie legend Roy Emerson and current-day stars Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic have each won a record six men's singles titles Down Under, while stadium namesake Margaret Court set the standard on the women's side, winning 11 titles. The Open Era mark (post-1968) is held by American Serena Williams (seven). In 2018, Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki captured her first Grand Slam title in Melbourne, defeating Romania's Simona Halep, 7-6(2), 3-6, 6-4. Federer took the men's title, claiming his record 20th major title overall, with a 6-2, 6-7(5), 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 win over Croat Marin Cilic.