Grand Slam Tournaments
The grand slam tournaments also go by the name majors, and they are the most significant opportunities for tennis players to battle it out for the ultimate prize. They fall under the watch of the International Tennis Federation.
The Australian Open
This tournament came to be in the year 1905, thus being the first of the grand slam tournaments, and it has its base in Melbourne in Australia. Activities for the competition take place in Melbourne Park where hundreds of thousands of fans get to witness the crowning of winners. Winners got to walk away with fifty-five million Australian dollars in 2018.
Overview
Both men and women take place in the activities with categories on singles, doubles and juniors tournaments. In addition to these, there are events featuring exhibitions, legends, and wheelchairs.
The men’s category currently boasts of Roger Federer as the singles champion and Mate Pavic for the doubles category. Roger (Switzerland) has won twenty grand slam titles and is now number two in the ATP ranking. Mate (Croatia) has a gift in doubles and is currently a grand slam champion owing to his performance in the tournament’s 2018 edition.
The French Open
This tournament also goes by the name Roland-Garros, and it takes place towards the end of May in Paris, France. It is the most challenging tournament of all grand slams owing to the clay playing surface and the number of rounds. It started back in 1891, and it has gone on to attract a large number of participants over the years. The prize money as at 2018 stood at thirty-nine million Euros.
Overview
The men’s category has Rafael Nadal as the champion for the singles while Pierre Hugues Herbert dominates the doubles category. Rafael (Spain) holds the number one spot in the ATP rankings and currently has 17 titles from the grand slam tournaments. Pierre (France) has won medals at the 2015 US Open and the 2016 Wimbledon before bagging this prize.
In the women’s category, Simona Halep leads the singles division while Katerina Siniakova dominates the doubles section. Simona ranks first in the ATP rankings while Katerina has three doubles titles to her name.
Wimbledon
This tournament is the oldest of all existing championships, and it came to be in 1877. Players get to play on outdoor grass courts, and many look to it as a prestigious event. The prize money as at 2018 stood at thirty-four million sterling pounds.
Overview
The event takes place in London, and 132 editions have taken place so far. Current champions in the men’s category are Novak Djokovic (singles) and Jack Sock (doubles). Novak (Serbia), has thirteen grand slam titles to his name and Jack (USA) holds position 14 in the men’s singles category across the globe. In the women’s group, Angelique Kerber (Germany) holds the singles title while Katerina Siniakova (Czech) holds the doubles title. Katerina has seven singles awards to her name while Angelique is fourth on the WTA Tour Championships.
US Open
This match is a modern version of the US National Championship, and it came about in 1881. It has had 138 editions to date, and it comprises sixteen qualifiers. The event takes place on a hard surface in New York City. The prize money for the 2018 winners was fifty-three million US dollars.
Overview
The men’s category singles division has Rafael Nadal as the champion while the doubles division has Horia Tecau. Rafael (Spain) ranks first in the ATP rankings, and he has seventeen grand slam wins to his name. Horia (Romania) ranks eighth in the world regarding doubles, and he won the 2017 US Open. In the women’s category, we have Sloane Stephens for the singles division and Martina Hingis for the doubles section. Sloane (USA) ranked third in the WTA summer rankings, and she has six titles to her name. Martina (Switzerland) has five grand slam wins to her name.
