Tennis is weird. Honestly, it’s one of the only global sports where we basically ignore everything that happened before 1968 when talking about "greatest of all time" lists. You’ve probably seen the stats on TV—Djokovic, Nadal, Federer, Serena. All their records come with a little asterisk or a footnote that says "Open Era."
But what actually happened? Why did the tennis world decide to reset its own history books in the late sixties?
Basically, before 1968, tennis was a mess of "shamateurism" and secret payments. It was a sport divided against itself. If you were a top player and you wanted to actually make a living, you had to turn "professional," which meant you were immediately banned from the biggest tournaments like Wimbledon and the French Open.
The Open Era changed that. It was the moment the sport grew up.
The Hypocrisy of "Shamateurism"
For decades, the Grand Slams were strictly for amateurs. These were wealthy folks or students who supposedly played for the love of the game. No prize money. No contracts. Just a trophy and a handshake.
The reality was much dirtier.
Because you couldn't eat a trophy, tournament directors would pay stars "under the table." They’d cover "expenses" that were suspiciously high. It was a poorly kept secret. The International Lawn Tennis Federation (ILTF) kept the rules strict because they wanted to maintain the elitist, "gentlemanly" image of the sport.
Eventually, the best players got tired of it.
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Stars like Rod Laver and Ken Rosewall turned pro so they could play in "pro tours" managed by guys like Jack Kramer. The second they signed those contracts, they were dead to the major tournaments. They spent years playing in high school gyms and small arenas while the "official" world championships were being won by second-tier players who hadn't turned pro yet.
Imagine if the NBA banned anyone who made more than $50,000 a year. That was tennis before 1968.
1968: The Year the Dam Broke
Everything changed at a meeting in March 1968. The ILTF finally realized that their "amateur" tournaments were becoming a joke because the best players in the world weren't allowed to play.
The first "Open" tournament wasn't a Grand Slam. It was the British Hard Court Championships in Bournemouth.
It started on April 22, 1968. For the first time, the pros came back. Ken Rosewall beat Rod Laver in the final and took home a check for $2,400. That sounds like pocket change now, but at the time, it was a revolution.
The First Open Grand Slam
A month later, the 1968 French Open became the first major to go open. It was a bit of a chaotic start. Student riots were literally happening in the streets of Paris while Rosewall was winning the title.
Then came the first US Open later that year. This one was truly historic. Arthur Ashe won the men's singles, becoming the first Black man to win the title. But here’s a weird detail most people forget: Ashe was still technically an amateur because he was in the U.S. Army. Because of that, he couldn't accept the $14,000 prize money.
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The runner-up, Tom Okker, took the cash instead. Talk about a bad day at the office for Ashe.
Why the Open Era Still Matters Today
When you hear people debating if Novak Djokovic is better than Rod Laver, the Open Era is the central argument. Laver won the calendar Grand Slam (all four majors in one year) in 1962 as an amateur and then did it again in 1969 as a pro.
Between those years? He was banned from the Slams.
If the Open Era had started five years earlier, Laver might have 25 or 30 majors. We’ll never know. This is why "Open Era records" are the gold standard—they represent a time when everyone, regardless of their bank account or contract status, was actually on the court together.
The Explosion of Prize Money
The financial shift was insane.
- 1968 US Open Total Purse: $100,000
- Modern US Open Total Purse: Over $75 million
It wasn't just about the money, though. It was about equality. Billie Jean King used the momentum of the Open Era to push for the WTA and equal prize money. In 1973, the US Open became the first major to pay men and women the same amount. It took until 2007 for Wimbledon and the French Open to finally catch up, thanks to a massive push from Venus Williams.
What Really Changed for the Fans?
Honestly, the quality of the game just went through the roof. Before 1968, you might go to Wimbledon and see a "great" amateur, but you knew deep down that the actual best player in the world was probably playing a pro match in a different city.
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The Open Era unified the rankings. It gave us the ATP (1972) and the WTA (1973). It gave us the computer rankings we use today. It turned tennis from a country-club hobby into a global industry.
How to Understand Open Era Records Now
If you're looking at tennis stats, here’s how to navigate the "Open Era" noise:
- Pre-1968 stats are "all-time" but messy. They include players who were often playing against limited competition.
- The 1968-1973 window was the "transition." Some pros still skipped certain tournaments because the prize money wasn't high enough yet.
- 1973 onwards is the "modern" Open Era. This is when the rankings became official and the tour looked like what we see today.
Actionable Insight: Looking Beyond the Slams
If you really want to be an expert on the Open Era, don't just look at Grand Slam counts. Look at "Title Totals." Jimmy Connors still holds the record for the most titles in the Open Era (109), even though he doesn't have the most Slams.
The Open Era is about the grind of the whole year, not just the four big ones.
Next time you see a highlight reel of a legend from the 50s, remember that they were likely playing for a voucher or a "travel stipend" while the pros were barnstorming on the road. The Open Era didn't just open the tournaments; it opened the door for tennis to become the sport we love today.
Your Next Steps for Deep Diving into Tennis History:
- Check out the International Tennis Hall of Fame's digital archives. They have the original 1968 tournament programs that show just how small the prize money really was.
- Read "Levels of the Game" by John McPhee. It’s widely considered the best book ever written about a single match (Ashe vs. Graebner at that first 1968 US Open).
- Compare "Pro Slam" titles vs "Grand Slam" titles. Look up Ken Rosewall's record—he won 15 "Pro Slams" that many people think should count toward his total legacy.
The Open Era isn't just a category on Wikipedia; it's the heartbeat of the modern game.