Sydney International

The Sydney International, sponsored as the Apia International Sydney as of 2012, is a professional tennis tournament in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The tournament is played annually at the Sydney Olympic Park Tennis Centre in Homebush. It is one of the oldest tennis tournaments in the world, dating to 1885. The tournament is currently noted as an ATP 250 point event on the men's tour and a WTA Premier event on the women's tour. The tournament is held annually in January immediately prior to the Australian Open as a lead up tournament as part of the Australian Open Series.HistoryThe model for the Sydney International was formed in 1885 when colonial officials decided there was a need to discover the best tennis player in each of the colonies and to use the tournament to assist with selection to the Australasia Davis Cup team, however the first time the tournament was played as a permanent annual event was in 1935. Between 1970 and 1989 it was part of the Grand Prix tennis circuit and an Grand Prix Super Series tournament from 1970–1971.Tournament locationsThe inaugural edition of the tournament was played in May 1885 at the "Association Ground" in Moore Park, part of the Sydney Cricket Ground. In 1908 control of the tournament was handed over to the NSW Tennis Association and the event moved to its location at Double Bay. From 1922 until 1999 the event was hosted at the White City complex, close to the Sydney CBD.