Find out what is the open era in tennis
The tennis you see today is not how it has been forever. There was a massive change in the format of Tennis in 1968. Which made Tennis take shape of the sport it is today.
Before 1968, Only amateur tennis players were allowed to participate in the Grand Slams including the Olympic games. Now, the question arises that how to differentiate between Amateurs and Professionals, so for this let us have a look.
Who are Amateurs and Professionals?
Amateurs were those players who are not supposed to make money by playing the sport. They also don’t take the prize money for winning the tournament. Moreover, they can’t sign sponsorship deals.
Professional players were those who had a successful amteur career and decided to make money off the sport. They were initially a small group of players who participate in exhibition matches with the main motive of earning in a way.
The tennis authorities banned Professional players from participating in the Grand Slams because they have been big in maintaining the fair play norms of the sport. They felt like pro players had an advantage and would spend more time playing tennis because they earn money while doing so.
How was the Open Era was introduced?
Before 1968, The players who competed in the Grand Slams hardly made any money. This proved to be a lack of motivation for the players. The players could not depend on Tennis for their livelihood. Many players also started to move away from Tennis in order to earn money while doing something else. Some players signed pro contracts to turn professionals and make money while playing.
The fans also were making their voices heard. They wanted to see the top talents compete at the highest level. And because of the rules many high ranked amateurs were starting to go away from the sport.
This started to become an issue and the first one’s to act on it were the Wimbledon Championships. It was organized by the All-England Tennis Club and they allowed professional players to also compete in the Wimbledon. This marked the introduction of the Open Era in 1968.
This was approved by the International Tennis Federation and the rest of the Grand Slams followed the same.
The benefits of the Open Era
The Open Era brought a good change in the sport of Tennis. The tournaments started to introduce cash prizes for the winners. This motivated the players and Tennis became their career rather than just a part time activity. They were now able to depend on the sport to earn their livelihood.
There was an overall improvement in the game of Tennis. The fitness level of the players, the equipment and everything was drastically improved.
The Open Era played a massive role to make Tennis what it is today.
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