The Grand Slam tournament that was once hosted in the courts of a zoo

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As always, the Grand Slams added plenty of drama to the latest tennis season, even if dominated by a handful of players.

Jannik Sinner won the Australian Open and the US Open, with Carlos Alcaraz winning the French Open and Wimbledon.

Aryna Sabalenka meanwhile mirrored Sinner by winning the first and last Grand Slam of 2024, with Iga Swiatek and Barbora Krejcikova winning the French Open and Wimbledon respectively.

But some of the current stars certainly weren’t the first to dominate, with Richard Sears winning the first seven US Opens from 1881-1887.

The Australian Open kicks off the 2025 season, with a few familiar faces set to return to Melbourne in January.

When the Australian Open was hosted in the courts of Perth Zoo

WTA Tour veteran Simona Halep has received an Australian Open qualifying wildcard, with her ATP Tour compatriot Stan Wawrinka heading straight to the main draw.

It is a tournament with a storied past, with a long list of different venues having hosted the Australian Open since its inaugural edition in 1905.

READ MORE: The five players with the most Australian Open main draw appearances after Stan Wawrinka handed wildcard

But undoubtedly the most intriguing of all was the 1909 edition of the tournament, which was held at the courts of Perth Zoo.

It was jack-of-all-trades Ernest Albert Le Souef, Director of Perth’s Zoological Gardens, who should be remembered for the move.

In a bid to provide visitors with a memorable experience on their visit to the zoo, the qualified veterinarian also served as architect, animal collector and landscape designer during his tenure, with his introductions including rides, a museum, mineral baths and tennis courts.

Where has the Australian Open been hosted since 1905?

Along with a trip to Perth Zoo, several intriguing venues have played host to the iconic competition, which was initially known as the Australasian Championships.

Interestingly, it did start out in Melbourne, with the 1905 tournament taking place at Warehouseman’s Cricket Ground.

That venue, now called Albert Reserve, currently serves as a player practice facility during the current version of the Australian Open.

READ MORE: The time Novak Djokovic suffered his heaviest ever Grand Slam defeat at the Australian Open when he won just three games

In just its second year, the competition headed to Christchurch in New Zealand but quickly returned to Australia in the years that followed.

Brisbane, Sydney and Adelaide all got their turns to play host, before organisers eventually made the move to Flinders Park in Melbourne in 1988.

Renamed Melbourne Park in 1996, that is where the Australian Open has been played ever since, with its 15,000-seat centre court renamed Rod Laver Arena in 2000.

Over one million fans attended the 2024 Australian Open, with the Grand Slam now set to celebrate its 120th anniversary in 2025.