Well, of course, Wimbledon is it – and we would say that, because we are very biased indeed. However much Grand Slams are the biggest points and revenue earners (with the most grandest cups to display in to your guest loo), there are plenty of fascinating tournaments in the European calendar, so visit the ATP online to find out about the next tournament highlight in the calendar
Grand Slams and the ATP Tour
Game, Set, and Match! Congratulations are in order for Novak Djokovic on winning his sixth Wimbledon crown in a grand slam final against Italian opponent Matteo Berrettini on Saturday 11th July 2021 (which proved to be a busy Sunday for the sport world). His younger opponent having been on an 11-match winning run before this head-to-head, meant this historical final match was unmissable! His win brings Djokovic into an exclusive group of tennis players joining the world-famous Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, equalling their records of achieving 20 grand slam titles. With many seeing this as the beginning of the end of an era for this unique group of pros. At TA-DAH.TV we are certainly looking forward to the future of tennis as grand slams welcome new and upcoming names in the world of tennis.
Grand Slams
For those unfamiliar with tennis, the four grand slam tournaments are the most renowned events in the sport. These tournaments offer the most ranking points, prize money, public and media attention. These are also the longest matches for men basing the match on the best of 5 sets! Putting to the test the strength and stamina of the greatest pros. The four Grand Slams consist of The Australian Open, The French Open, Wimbledon, and The US Open.
The Australian Open
Each year the Australian Open is held over the last 2 weeks of January at Melbourne Park. This is the first of the four annual majors. The open features men’s and women’s singles, mixed doubles, junior championships, and wheelchair tennis. It is now held on hard court surfaces as opposed to grass courts which it updated from in 1988. Famous winners include:
- Rod Laver
- Andy Murray
- Ken Rosewall
- Martina Navratilova
- Martina Hingis
- Monica Seles
- Novak Djokovic
The French Open
Officially known as Roland Garros, this major tennis tournaments is held over a two week period at the Stade Roland-Garros in Paris. Named after the French Aviator Roland Garros. This is the second of the four annual Grand Slam tournaments. The French Open is played on clay courts and is considered to be one of the most physically demanding of the tournaments played across the world of tennis. Clay courts are notoriously difficult for some of the worlds very best tennis players to win tournaments. The surface will slow down the ball and produce a high bounce, different to that of hard and grass courts. This is why you will often notice the winners varying slightly from the other famous names of the other 3 grad slams.
Famous winners include:
- Rafa Nadal
- Noval Djokovic
- Sergi Bruguera
- Martina Navratilova
- Gustavo Kuerten
- Monica Seles
Wimbledon
Wimbledon Is the oldest tennis tournament in the world and regarded as the most prestigious. There aren’t many people who haven’t heard of Wimbledon. Beside from the strawberries and cream and English garden party fashion, the tournament is rich in history. Each year The Wimbledon Championships are held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London. It is the only major still played on the traditional tennis playing surface of grass.
Famous winners of Wimbledon include:
- Roger Federer
- Serena Williams
- Martina Navratilova
- Chris Evert
- Boris Becker
- Venus Williams
- Bjorn Borg
- Billie Jean King
US Open
The US open is a hard-court tennis tournament and since 1987 has been the fourth and final Grand Slam tournament of the year. Usually starting on the last Monday of August and continuing for two weeks. Since 1978 this Grand Slam has been held at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens, New York City.
Famous winners of the US Open include:
- Dominic Thiem
- Bruno Soares
- Mate Pavić
- Vera Zvonareva
- Laura Siegemund
- Naomi Osaka
European ATP Tournaments
Along with the famous annual Grand Slams, there are a whole host of other important ATP tournaments. This includes the Rolex Monte Carlo Masters, hosted on the border of swanky Monaco in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin in France, this is an annual tennis tournament for male professionals, held at the Monte Carlo Country Club. The ATP tournaments also feature the Mutua Madrid Open, the Hamburg European Open, the Swiss Open Gstaad, the European Open in Antwerp, and the ABN Amro World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam. Following the ATP tournaments across Europe could take you to some fabulous cities of culture, all in the name of spectating professional tennis tournaments. Every year there is a real buzz around both the famous faces and young, upcoming pros, looking for a big break in these heated competitions.
At TA-DAH.TV we can’t help but be invested as we’re always on the look-out for the next bright young star to light up the tennis courts.