The Australian Open is a tennis tournament held annually at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia. The first edition was held in November 1905 and was contested by four players who competed in a single knockout tournament. The tournament was won by American Maurice McLoughlin who defeated Australasian player Tony Wilding in the final. In subsequent years the tournament grew and attracted more entrants from around the world, with the number of participants peaking at 22 in 1932. The tournament was cancelled from 1940 to 1945 due to the outbreak of World War II, and resumed in 1946. The Open Era of tennis began in 1968 with the introduction of professional players who were then allowed to compete alongside amateurs. Since then, the tournament has been held every year except for 1986 when it was again cancelled due to the outbreak of World War II. The Australian Open is played on hard courts and is the first of four Grand Slam tournaments held each year, preceding the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open. It is the only Grand Slam tournament to be played in Australia and forms a part of the Australasian Swing on the tennis calendar. The tournament is owned and organised by Tennis Australia and was first played at the Warehouseman's Cricket Ground before moving to its current home at Melbourne Park in 1988. The tournament has grown to become one of the largest sporting events in the world, with over 700,000 spectators attending the event in 2019. The prize money for the men's and women's singles champions is AUD$4 million, making it the richest tennis tournament in the Southern Hemisphere. The event also holds the record for the highest single-day attendance at a tennis tournament, with 190,000 people attending the men's singles final on 14 January 2019. The Australian Open is also notable for being one of only two Grand Slam tournaments (the other being the US Open) to have a retractable roof on one of its main courts, the Rod Laver Arena. The tournament is broadcast live on television in over 200 countries and receives extensive global media coverage. It was also the first Grand Slam tournament to introduce live streaming of matches in 2007. The Australian Open is managed by Tennis Australia, the governing body for tennis in Australia, and is staged in Melbourne, Victoria. The tournament is played on hard courts and takes place over two weeks in late January or early February each year. It is preceded by a week of qualifying matches and is followed by the Davis Cup tie between Australia and Germany. Australian Open tickets are on sale now at Yadara! We have the best selection of Australian Open tickets at the best prices. So what are you waiting for? Buy your Australian Open tickets today at Yadara!