Tennis is defined by moments of brilliance and excitement, and if you’re one of those fans who doesn’t want to miss a single ace or break point, then you should definitely expand your Grand Slam knowledge. The Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open, also known as the majors, are the four tennis tournaments that all players wish to conquer; they’re also the ones awarding the most points for the ATP rankings. But what does that actually mean? The ATP rankings are the points accumulated over 19 tennis tournaments and determine the entry and seed of players in upcoming tournaments. At a Grand Slam, the winner receivers 2,000 points and the runner-up 1,200. Even the semifinalists get 720 and quarterfinalists receive 360. Even by simply being in the field players receive 10 points. On the other hand, the winners of the ATP Finals and the Masters 1000 receive max 1,500 and 1,000 points respectively, while the runner-ups can get up to 1,000 and 600 points.
ATP winners
Roger Federer has won the most Grand Slam tournament titles with 20 – Rafael Nadal trails closely with 19 – but the prestige of winning all 4 Grand Slams in a single year currently belongs to only 5 players. The feat was achieved by Don Budge (1938) and Rod Laver (1962, 1969) in men’s singles. In women’s singles, Maureen Connolly (1953), Margaret Court (1970), and Steffi Graf (1988) have the honour of winning all the top Grand Slams titles in a single year. But there’s no lack of talent in tennis’ future – Cori Gauff on the women’s side and Denis Shapovalov from the men’s game are the leading young lights – and the opportunity to witness sports history may not be that far away. So, what is it about the Grand Slams that makes them so appealing for both players and fans?
Australian Open: the season takes off in Melbourne
The intense competition among tennis’ best starts with the first major tennis tournament of the year, and the first of the Grand Slams, the Australian Open. Also known as the Aussie Open, it began in Melbourne in 1905 as the Australian Championship and wasn’t even considered a Grand Slam until 1924. Throughout its 115 years history many other cities have hosted the tennis event including Sydney and Adelaide. Since 1972 though Melbourne has been the sole home of this two-week tournament which is hosted in Melbourne Park from late January until early February. It is the highest attended Grand Slam with 812,000 fans rushing to the stands of the Australian Open 2020 while it also recorded 900 million viewers worldwide. The quest to conquer all four Grand Slams begins here with 745 players from 72 nations battling it out on 16 courts for huge prizes, also worth noting is its record-breaking 2020 prize pool of $71 million. The Australian Open is played on a hard-court surface, and its most recent champions in 2020 were Novak Djokovic in men’s singles and Sofia Kenin in women. Djokovic has won the tournament eight times since 2008, holding the record of most men singles titles, while Margaret Court holds the record for women’s singles titles with 11. The high temperatures may increase the difficulty for the players but bwin aims to keep you cool with our Australian Open betting odds.
French Open: top tennis clashes at the city of love
The second Grand Slam of the year, the French Open, also known as Roland-Garros, starts in May and concludes at the beginning of June. Held over two weeks at the Stade Roland-Garros, the French Open has taken its name after the French aviator Roland Garros. As the only Grand Slam played on clay, it’s physically demanding for players and produces a high bounce, favouring mostly players used on slower surfaces unlike those that excel in the faster surfaces of grass and hard courts. The French Open 2019 winner, Rafael Nadal, currently holds the record in men’s singles wins with 12 in total, with Chris Evert having won 7 for women’s singles. The current champion in women, Ashleigh Barty, passionately aims for the same record. Currently celebrating 123 editions, the tennis tournament has unique rules as it was always played in a knockout format in a best-of-five set matches. Known as the French Championships when it began in 1891, Roland Garros was originally only reserved for members of French tennis clubs and finally opened to international players in 1925. Hosted in the beautiful Paris with a prize pool close to 40 million euros, the French Open gives you the chance to enjoy a charming culture, clever backspins, and dominating serves, as the likes of Simona Halep and Serena Williams are gripping the rackets on either side of the court. Add to your Roland Garros enjoyment with bwin’s French Open betting odds.
Wimbledon: prestige amongst the royals
Now into its 133rd year since it was founded 143 years ago in 1877, Wimbledon is the oldest tennis tournament in the world. Also known as the Championships, the tournament takes place over two weeks from early July until mid-July, in Wimbledon, London. The only Grand Slam to be played on grass (mowed down to 8 millimeters), Wimbledon is perhaps the most popular tennis tournament amongst fans, and regularly considered as the most prestigious of the Grand Slams; expect appearances by both top celebrities and the Royal Family. Consumption of strawberries and cream have become associated with it alongside longstanding traditions such as the all-white dress code and the lack of sponsor advertising around the courts, except Rolex – the timekeepers of the event. For several years, it only featured men’s singles until men’s doubles and women’s singles were finally introduced in 1884. Since it started featuring professionals, at the beginning of the ‘Open Era’ in 1986, its grass-courts host over 608 players. Over the years, the tournament has been vital for the emergence of big tennis stars; Borg, Sampras, and McEnroe all considered greats after their iconic clashes in Wimbledon’s Centre Court. Wimbledon may also be referred to as SW19, the venue’s post code, and its most recent a prize pool in 2019 was £34 million. Wimbledon has been dominated by Federer in men’s singles with 8 titles, and by Martina Navratilova in women’s singles with 9. The current reigning champions winning in 2019 Wimbledon Championships in men is Novak Djokovic while the women’s singles were dominated by Simona Halep. Who’ll be the player sipping tea with the royals in 2020? Make your choice with bwin’s Wimbledon betting odds.
US Open: the curtain falls at the Big Apple
Currently into its 139th edition, the United States Open Tennis Championships, simply known as US Open, is the fourth and final Grand Slam of the year. The tennis tournament begins in August and concludes in September for 14 days of irresistible tennis betting surprises at Flushing Meadows in New York, USA. First founded in 1881 as the US National Championship, the US Open takes place at the US National Tennis Center, often in the presence of numerous celebrities. With an average attendance of 800,000 fans, the tournament has also been played on grass and clay surfaces in the past. Now played on acrylic hard courts, its unique rules make it stand out from the rest of the Grand Slams. The US Open features tiebreakers played in the deciding sets, so players have to adopt a more methodical approach. Many players have cemented their legacy by winning the US Open such as Andre Agassi and Stefan Edberg. Expect a tennis extravaganza with 128 players in both the men’s and women’s singles tournaments, in addition to 64 teams competing across the doubles competition . Richard Sears, William Larned, Bill Tilden all hold the record of 7 total wins in Men’s singles while Molla Mallory holds the record in US Open women singles with 8. The current reigning champion of US Open 2019 is Rafael Nadal in men and Bianca Andreescu in women. Watch out for the US Open men’s finals taking place in the iconic Arthur Ashe Stadium, the largest tennis stadium in the world. Wrap up your summer with top tennis action and thrilling US Open betting odds.
There are other big tennis tournaments that are often mistaken as Grand Slams in terms of prestige and their great tennis betting odds such as the various ATP tournaments, the ATP Tour Finals, the WTA Finals, the Paris Masters, the Shanghai Masters, the Rome Masters, Monte Carlo, and ATP and WTA Indian Wells.
When it comes to the Grand Slams, you’ll find various versatile tennis betting options. From guessing the number of sets in a match to predicting a match’s possible duration, and of course picking the athlete to reach the top in one of the majors, bwin even allows you to pick upcoming tie-breaks and the final set score in a specific match. If you have a soft spot for crazy backspins, powerful serves, and unstoppable aces, then you shouldn’t miss bwin’s latest tennis predictions.
