Modern Day History Of Tennis

The long history of tennis boasts many legendary players and while the modern era represents a small portion of that long story, it's a segment of tennis lore that stands out for memorable individuals and exciting events. In order to begin an examination of modern day tennis, however, we need to begin with 1968 and the dawn of the Open Era.

The Open Era

World class tennis changed dramatically in 1968 as the Open Era began. Prior to that time, professional tennis players were barred from the sport's most prestigious events, according to Isport.com. Consequently, the best players in the world would no longer have to choose between making a living at the game and competing at Wimbledon and the U.S. Championships -- later renamed the U.S. Open. The level of competition increased immediately and set the stage for some of the best tennis ever played.

The Grand Slam

Australian Rod Laver accomplished one of the most extraordinary feats in the game not once, but twice. Laver won all four major championships -- Wimbledon, and the French, Australian and U.S. opens -- in the same year. Known as the Grand Slam, Laver first did it in 1962, as an amateur. He repeated the accomplishment in 1969 as a pro. The only other players to win the Grand Slam during the Open Era were Australian Margaret Court in 1970 and German Steffi Graf in 1988.

Virginia Slims Circuit

Peter Bodo, in his book "Courts of Babylon," addresses the consolidation of female tennis pros in the early years of open tennis to create a new circuit designed to address the disparity in prize money between men and women. Billie Jean King led eight other players in protest of the unbalanced pay and found an ally in Gladys Heldman, founder of World Tennis magazine. Together they forged ahead with the Virginia Slims Tour, which compensated female players in a far more equitable manner.

Return to the Olympics

Tennistheme.com reports on the return of tennis to the Summer Olympics following a 60-year hiatus. The 1984 games in Los Angeles offered tennis as a demonstration sport, with full-fledged return following in 1988. The 1988 women's gold medal victor -- Steffi Graf -- created history with her combination of the Olympic championship and Grand Slam. Often referred to as the Golden Slam, it is widely regarded as the finest one-year performance by any player in the Open Era.