Beyond the Baseline: Icons of Lawn Tennis and the Legacy of the Grand Slams

Total prize pool: AUD 96.5 million
Singles champions: AUD 3.5 million each
Runners-up: AUD 1.9 million
Semi-finalists: AUD 1.1 million
Quarter-finalists: AUD 665,000
First-round (main draw): AUD 132,000
Surface: Hard court (GreenSet acrylic)

A Personal Reflection on Lawn Tennis and the Grand Slams 🎾

As I grew up, besides football, I developed a deep affection for lawn tennis. Nigeria in my era had tennis greats like Nduka Odizor and Tony Mmoh. I vividly remember how the Davis Cup matches were highly anticipated events, and I’d stay glued to NTA Network News, eager for the results. Nduka Odizor once reached the fourth round at Wimbledon, and our tennis players, at one point, earned more than the Super Eagles—proof of how far Nigerian tennis had come.

My love for the sport was also shaped by global legends. I had a real fondness for players like Andre Agassi, Boris “Boom Boom” Becker, and Pete Sampras. Among the women, Monica Seles, Steffi Graf, and Martina Navratilova lit up the courts with their brilliance. In more recent times, the era of Roger Federer (my all-time favourite) and Rafael Nadal brought another golden age to the sport. Of course, Venus and Serena Williams also come to mind—they redefined power and elegance in women’s tennis.

In this article, I will explore the four major tennis tournaments—Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open—by breaking down their prize money and noting the court surfaces they are played on.