What Is the Open Era in Tennis?

In the sport of tennis the term open era refers to the period—beginning in 1968 and continuing to the present day—in which both amateurs and professionals are allowed to compete in all tournaments. Before the open era the sport was divided between amateurs, who played in the prestigious Grand Slams (now called the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon Championships, and U.S. Open) and other official tournaments, and professionals, who were limited to barnstorming tours and exhibition matches.

In the first decades of tennis as an organized sport, virtually all competitions were restricted to amateurs and did not have monetary prizes for the winners. In the 1920s professional tours began emerging, first in the United States, in which promoters signed well-known former amateur players to contracts. For the next 40 years pro tennis consisted primarily of traveling tours held in major arenas. Over time, however, the distinction between amateur and professional status grew blurrier. Leading amateur players were often paid substantial guarantees under the table in addition to expenses. This led to discussions about having “open” competition and ending the hypocrisy of “shamateurism,” but for many years proposals were voted down by the sport’s governing body, the International Lawn Tennis Federation (ILTF)—now the International Tennis Federation (ITF).

The tide shifted in the late 1960s when two new professional groups formed and began signing a significant number of the world’s top players, both professional and amateur. Facing this external threat to its hold over the sport as well as increasingly restive internal dissent, in March 1968 the ILTF voted to approve 12 open tournaments. The dam had broken, and thereafter open professionalism was the ruling format.

The introduction of the open era had a profound effect on tennis. It led to the creation of a more unified and competitive environment where the best players, regardless of their professional status, could compete against each other. The change also brought about significant financial opportunities for players, as prize money in tournaments increased dramatically. In the 2020s major championships offer multimillion-dollar purses, and top players earn substantial incomes from their on-court performances.