Tennis has come a long way since its modern stages and has turned out to be one of the famous serving sports. From the humble beginnings of lawn tennis in Birmingham to the All-England Championship essentializing lawn tennis as Wimbledon, from the Australian Championship to the French Championship, and then to the US Championship; the history of lawn tennis is full of significant moments that left great impressions. This blog provides information about the development of tennis concerning the important events up to 2024.
Historical Background
Modern tennis was arguably developed in the late nineteenth century in Birmingham, England where “lawn tennis” was probably created. The first championship of Lawn Tennis at Wimbledon conducted in the year 1877 is considered the earliest modern tennis competition. It was in 1890, that the rules of tennis were standardized, with only sticking some points, like taking up the position of the server and bringing into the use the tiebreak rule starting from the US Open in 1970. The development of international lawn tennis for men (now the International Tennis Federation) in 1913 also boosted the sport. Today, the four Grand Slam tournaments—Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open—are the most prestigious events, each offering unique challenges with their distinct surfaces: there are three major types of surfaces used in professional tournaments including hard courts, clay courts, and grass courts.
The Australian Open
Introduction and History
First ever conducted in 1905 with the name Australasian Championships, the Australian Open is the newest competition in the series of Grand Slam tournaments. Refereed to as ‘the Happy Slam’, it has developed into the most attended Grand Slam championship, attracting over 1.1 million people in 2024. An increase in the number of annual attendees to 1 million in 2024. Notably, it was the first Grand Slam to introduce indoor play during extreme weather conditions, thanks to its retractable-roof courts: Rod Laver Arena, John Cain Arena, and Margaret Court Arena.
2024 Highlights
The Australian Open was slated for January 14 and the end of January 28 showcased close-knit matches and unpredictable results. Jannik Sinner of Italy emerged as a winner against Daniil Medvedev of Russia in the men’s singles while Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus emerged as the winner against China’s Zheng Qinwen in the women’s singles. The men’s doubles were won by Rohan Bopanna of India and Matthew Ebden of Australia while the women’s doubles title was won by Hsieh Su-wei of Taiwan and Elise Mertens of Belgium. The winners in the mixed doubles category were Hsieh Su-wei, a Taiwanese player as well as Jan Zieliński, a Polish player. The biggest upset was closely associated with Jannik Sinner’s win against Novak Djokovic in the semifinals where Djokovic was defeated after remaining unbeaten in the Melbourne Park semifinals. In another notable surprise, Iga Świątek, supported by many people, was eliminated in the third round by unseeded Linda Noskova.
The French Open
Introduction and History
Organized for the first time in 1891, the French Open is also distinctive from other Grand Slams as it is completed on the clay courts. This surface can pose certain difficulties, which entail the strength of the power players while weakening their stamina and strategic skills. Thus, fewer players—like Pete Sampras, who has won 14 Grand Slam championships but never the French Open—can play effectively on it even when they have won several trophies in the other three Grand Slams.
2024 Highlights
The 2024 French Open, scheduled to take place from 26 May to 9 June, has witnessed great talent and some of the biggest victories. In the men’s singles, Carlos Alcaraz clinched the trophy to become the champion of the French Open for the first time as well as for the third major title while, for the women’s singles, Iga Świątek emerged as a champion after winning her fifth major and fourth French Open title. In the men’s doubles Marcelo Arévalo and Mate Pavić emerged as the winners and in the women’s doubles event the winners were Coco Gauff and Kateřina Siniaková. In addition, Laura Siegemund and Édouard Roger-Vasselin have won the mixed doubles title. One of the highlights happened when 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva defeated the No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka, which promoted Andreeva to the semifinals of the Grand Slam as the youngest.
Wimbledon
Introduction and History
The first tennis tournament was the Wimbledon which started as early as 1877 and was a classic. Organized by the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, it only comprised amateur players initially before professionalism was made possible as a result of the Open Era in 1968. The queen of all Grand Slams–Wimbledon–is famed for its dedicated surface, players’ attire, and patronage.
2024 Highlights
The 2024 Wimbledon between July 1 and July 14 also provided fans with rather intense and memorable games and noteworthy wins. In the men’s singles Carlos Alcaraz triumphs for the second year in a row, he beat Novak Djokovic in the final to claim his second Wimbledon championship and fourth grand slam title. In Women’s Singles, Barbora Krejčíková defeated Jasmine Paolini, acquiring her first Wimbledon and the second Grand Slam singles title. Finland’s Harri Heliövaara and Britain’s Henry Patten claimed the title, which was the first time a men’s doubles pair outside the top seed ranking had been successful since 2014 in the pairs’ event. Kateřina Siniaková and Taylor Townsend won the women’s doubles titles while in the mixed doubles, Hsieh Su-wei and Jan Zieliński won the titles. As for the others, some quite unusual names are worth mentioning. Namely, Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, Yulia Putintseva, Lulu Sun, and Barbora Krejčíková were upset over several high-ranked players in the matches which gave a sort of color to their careers. Furthermore, fans also expressed their disappointment in Andy Murray’s retirement and his seven-game loss at 2024 Wimbledon.
The US Open
Introduction and History
The US Open, beginning in 1881, is the year-end Grand Slam tournament played usually in late summer in New York. It comprises singles, doubles, mixed doubles as well as the junior events for both male and female players.
2024 Preview
The first entry list for the 2024 US Open scheduled for August 26 to September 8 confirms the participation of Sinner, Swiatek, Djokovic, and Gauff among others. Sinner is the Australian Open champion and tops the current ranking while Świątek is the French Open champion. Also expected are 3-time Grand Slam winner Carlos Alcaraz and Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova.
Conclusion
Overall, the progression of the sport of tennis from its origins through the years up to the year 2024 remains living proof of how traditions mix with technology and great physical accomplishments. Every tournament that is associated with the Grand Slam presents different features and special moments that make a fan of tennis forever. The prospect of the future carries simple assurance during the soar and the determination of both players and fans guarantees that tennis will sustain to bear and encourage others in the day ahead.
