Though known as a "premier event," it was not so long ago that the Australian Open was "considered a backwater," according to Jacqueline WIlliams of the N.Y. TIMES. Played on grass courts -- and offering "little" in the way of ranking points or prize money -- it was "seen by some as a poor copy" of Wimbledon. Now, the Australian Open reflects a "decades-long shift" in Australian identity and politics, which reoriented the country away from Europe and toward its neighbors in Asia. Though called the Australian Open, it is "effectively the Grand Slam of the Asia Pacific Region." In the '90s, the Australian Open "really found its stride." Aussie Open officials knew they "needed to embrace Asia in order to expand and grow." They hired a full-time manager to work on the Asia strategy. On the court were not only more players from Asia, but ball boys and girls from there, as well. Kia Motors of South Korea took over as the tournament’s major sponsor. Ganten Water, a Chinese company, had the exclusive concession on selling bottled water -- imported from China -- at the tournament this year. In China, there are 330 million tennis fans, and 220 million Australian Open fans, according to Tennis Australia. Tennis "found" thousands of new fans in China after Li Na won the Australian Open in '14 and became a household name. TA CEO Craig Tiley said, "Countries in Asia we see as the largest growth area. We have offices in China. We promote the sport in China" (N.Y. TIMES, 1/26).
