These are the 4 Grand Slam tournaments!

If you’re a tennis fan – or even just a casual one – you’ve probably heard the term “Grand Slam”. But what does it mean? In tennis, the Grand Slam refers to the four biggest and most prestigious tournaments on the tennis calendar. If a player wins all four in the same calendar year (season), they complete a Grand Slam. Winning all four at any point in a player’s career is known as a career Grand Slam. The Grand Slam tournaments consist of: 

The ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) World Ranking is used to rank professional tennis players based on their performance and organizes major tournaments. The four Grand Slam tournaments are the most prestigious events in tennis and offer the highest ranking points. The winner of a Grand Slam receives 2000 points, while the runner-up receives 1200 points. Players can earn up to 1500 points at the ATP Finals.  

There are 9 ATP Masters 1000 tournaments each year, with the winner of each tournament receiving 1000 points. In the ATP 500 tournaments the winner gets 500 points and in the 250 tournaments the winner gets 250 points.  

The WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) ranking system is similar to the ATP, but with a slightly different number of tournaments and some variations in the points awarded for each event. Currently, Jannik Sinner has the most ATP points and is therefore ranked number one in the men’s singles. On the women’s side, Iga Swiatek is ranked number one. 

The Australian Open, the first Grand Slam tournament of the year, has been held annually since 1986 at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia. Located in the heart of Victoria’s capital city, this world-renowned sporting complex becomes the epicenter of tennis for the last two weeks of January. The tournament is played on the iconic Rod Laver Arena, formerly known as Flinders Park. This 14,800-seat stadium is the centerpiece of the Australian Open. Due to Melbourne’s unpredictable weather, including extreme heat or rain, the tournament has a retractable roof on both the main stadium and side courts to ensure play can continue in all conditions.   

Historically, tennis at Flinders Park has been played on grass, but this changed in 1996 when the surface was changed to a rubber and fiberglass mix, commonly known as hardcourt. The change in surface came after the event moved from Kooyong, a Melbourne suburb, where tennis had been played on grass since 1983. By then, Kooyong could no longer cope with the growing demands of such a prestigious tournament. The move to hardcourts and the opening of Melbourne Park gave the Australian Open its current identity. The distinctive light green background of the hardcourt has since become synonymous with the tournament and it remains an important part of the Australian summer sporting scene. 

Australian open: winners and prizes 

The 2025 Australian Open, which took place at Melbourne Park from 12 to 26 January, ended with significant results in both the men’s and women’s singles. In the men’s final, Jannik Sinner successfully defended his title by defeating Alexander Zwerev to secure his second consecutive Australian Open crown. On the women’s side, Madison Keys won her first Grand Slam title, beating two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in a nail-biting final.  

In terms of prize money, the 2025 Australian Open maintained its status as one of the most lucrative tournaments in tennis. The tournament offered a total prize pool of 96.5 million Australian dollars, with the singles champions taking home 3.5 million Australian dollars each. 

The Roland-Garros Tennis Championships are traditionally held in late May and early June at the Stade Roland-Garros in Paris, France. This historic venue, named after French aviator and war hero Eugène Roland-Garros, has been the home of the French National Tennis Championships since 1981. The complex has a capacity of approximately 38,000 spectators and provides a first class setting for top level tennis competition.  

Roland-Garros is famous for its clay courts, which were introduced in 1928. The courts are made up of white limestone and a thin layer of gravel, which allows water to drain easily. This distinctive red clay surface requires daily maintenance during the tournament. In 2025, the tournament will run from 19 May to 8 June, continuing its tradition of providing top-level tennis on one of the sport’s most iconic surfaces. 

Rolland-Garros: Winners and prizes 

As of 2025, Rafael Nadal holds the record for most men’s singles titles at Roland-Garros with 14. At the 2024 tournament, Carlos Alcaraz won the men’s singles title by defeating Alexander Zverev in a five-set final. On the women’s side, Chris Evert remains the record holder with seven Roland-Garros singles titles. Over the past five years, however, Iga Swiatek has dominated the tournament, winning the title four times in that span.  

In terms of prize money, the 2024 Roland-Garros tournament offered a record total of 53.3 million euros, an increase of 7.8% on the previous year. Both the men’s and women’s singles champions received €2.4 million each. The prize money for the 2025 Roland-Garros has not yet been announced. 

Wimbledon is the world’s oldest and most prestigious tennis tournament, held annually at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London. As the final Grand Slam of the first half of the tennis season, it takes place in late June and early July. The main matches are played on Centre Court, which holds around 15,000 spectators.  

Tickets for Wimbledon have been sold online since 2020. Previously, since 1924, fans had to apply for tickets by post to secure a seat on Centre Court. Despite its modern advancements, Wimbledon retains many of its long-standing traditions, including the strict all-white dress code for players.  

As the largest and most prestigious grass court tournament in the world, Wimbledon is renowned for its unique playing conditions. Matches can be delayed or postponed due to rain, although Centre Court and No. 1 now have retractable roofs to minimize disruptions. Wimbledon remains a blend of tradition and innovation, preserving its rich history while constantly evolving to enhance the experience for players and fans alike. The 2025 Championships will run from 30 June to 13 July. 

Wimbledon: Winners and prizes 

In 2020, the Wimbledon tournament was cancelled due to the restrictive policy put in place at the time of the coronavirus, but since then it has seen some remarkable champions pass through its doors. In the men’s singles, Carlos Alcaraz won back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024, beating Novak Djokovic in both finals. Before Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic had won four consecutive titles (2018-2019, 2021-2022).     

In the women’s singles, Barbara Krejcikova won the 2024 edition, defeating Jasmine Paolini. Elena Rybakina secured the titles in 2022 and 2023, while previous winners include Ashleigh Barty (2021), Simona Halep (2019) and Angelique Kerber (2018).  

The 2024 Wimbledon tournament set a new record with a total prize fund of £50 million, an increase of 11.9% on the previous year. The men’s and women’s singles champions each took home £2.7 million. Players eliminated in the first round still received £60,000. The prize money for 2025 has yet to be officially announced, but it is expected to continue to increase, reflecting Wimbledon’s status as one of the richest tournaments in tennis. 

Every year, as summer fades, the world’s best tennis players gather in New York for the US Open, the final Grand Slam of the season. Held in late August and early September, the tournament is famous for its electric atmosphere, late-night matches and passionate crowds.  

The Arthur Ashe Stadium, the tournament’s main stage, seats approximately 23,700 spectators, making it the largest tennis venue in the world. Named after Arthur Ashe, the first black American to win a Grand Slam, the stadium has witnessed some of the most iconic moments in tennis history.  

The US Open dates back to 1881, when the men’s national singles championship was held at the Newport Casino in Rhode Island. The women’s tournament followed in 1887 at the Philadelphia Cricket Club. Over the years, these events moved to different venues before merging in 1968, marking the birth of the modern US Open. Originally played on grass at Forest Hills, the tournament moved to clay in 1975. Today, the tournament is played on hardcourts. The 2025 championship will be held from 18 August to 7 September. 

US Open: Winners and prizes 

The last five male US Open champions have been a mix of rising stars and established names. In 2024, Jannik Sinner won his first US Open title, marking a major milestone in his career. The 2023 champion was Djokovic, while Carlos Alcaraz took the 2022 title. On the women’s side, Aryna Sabalenka beat Jessica Pegula to win her first US Open title in 2024. Previous winners include American Coco Gauff in 2023, Iga Swiatek in 2022, Emma Raducanu in 2021 and Naomi Osaka in 2020.  

The total prize money for the 2024 US Open has been set at $76.5 million. This represents an increase on the 2023 prize pool and further cements the US Open’s position as the Grand Slam with the largest payout. The prize money for 2025 is yet to be announced.  

The Grand Slam tournaments last 14 days and are played simultaneously for both men and women. A total of 128 men and 128 women play 7 rounds of singles, 64 men and women doubles pairs and 48 mixed pairs play 6 rounds each. Players at Grand Slam tournaments can expect to receive more money for their performances than at other tennis tournaments. Tennis is one of the richest sports in the world. Moreover, this is one of the tournaments that provide the most ranking points, public attention and media coverage. 

Of all the Grand Slam winners, Novak Djokovic is the man with the most Grand Slam titles as of January 2025. Rafael Nadal is a close second with 22 trophies. Michael Chang is the youngest male tennis player to win a Grand Slam, Chang was just over 17 years old when he won the title in 1989.  

Novak Djokovic currently holds the men’s record with no fewer than 24 Grand Slam titles. Margaret Court holds the women’s record, also with 24 titles, but is no longer an active player, having retired in 1977. Because of her successful career as a tennis player, she has an arena named after her: Margaret Court Arena in Melbourne Park, Victoria. After Court, Serena Williams is the most decorated female tennis player with 23 Grand Slam titles. She is followed by Steffi Graff with 22 titles, Helen Wills with 19 and Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova with 18. The youngest Grand Slam winner of all time was Martina Hingis in 1997, who won at the age of 16!