He was the first ever winner of the Australian Open when the tournament was still held on grass courts

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The Australian Open is famously held on the outdoor hard courts at Melbourne Park, but that wasn’t always the case.

Intriguingly, the opening Grand Slam of the season was once held on grass courts, just like Wimbledon currently is.

Wimbledon is iconic for its lush grass surfaces, with the clay courts of the French Open held in a similarly high regard among tennis fans and indeed players.

Meanwhile, the equally iconic Australian Open and the US Open are both played on hard courts, starting and ending the Grand Slam season.

When Rodney Heath won the first Australian Open on grass courts

Warehouseman’s Cricket Ground was once the host venue of the Australian Open, at a time when the Grand Slam was known as the Australasian Championships.

And it was Rodney Heath who emerged as the first winner of the tournament in 1905, defeating Albert Curtis on grass.

The former beat the latter 4–6, 6–3, 6–4, 6–4, and repeated his triumph with a win over Horace Rice in the 1910 Australasian Championships final.

Heath also enjoyed fantastic doubles success at the tournament, winning on two occasions and also finishing as runner-up on two occasions.

The Australian ace, who sadly passed away back in 1936, also lost the doubles final at Wimbledon in 1919.

READ MORE: Four-time Grand Slam singles champion’s daughter has been awarded wildcard for the Australian Open next year

Rodney Heath helps Australia top Australian Open all-time wins list

Heath enjoyed a superb tennis career, having played his part in helping Australia top the all-time list of Australian Open men’s titles per country.

The home nation, undoubtedly boosted by its fans, has produced 50 winners across the amateur and open eras.

Second in the list with 18 titles is the USA, followed by Serbia in third with 10, all of which were clinched by Novak Djokovic.

He is the most successful player in the history of the Melbourne Grand Slam, with Djokovic eyeing another Australian Open title in 2026.

Melbourne Park’s iconic Rod Laver Arena currently hosts the finals, with Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club having previously played host after various different venues from the tournament’s inception.