The four Grand Slams, explained.
Running a sweepstake for people who don't follow tennis? This is the two-minute education: what the Grand Slams are, how the draws work, and the handful of facts that make you sound knowledgeable by the kettle.
What makes a Slam a Slam
The Grand Slams are the four biggest tournaments in tennis, each run over roughly two weeks with singles draws of 128 players. They carry the most ranking points, the biggest prize money and all of the history - careers are measured in Slam titles. Men play best-of-five sets at Slams (best-of-three everywhere else on the main tour); women play best-of-three. Win seven matches in a row and you're the champion.
The calendar
- Australian Open - January, Melbourne, hard courts. The season opener, famous for brutal summer heat and late-night finishes.
- Roland Garros (the French Open) - late May to early June, Paris, clay courts. The slow red clay produces the longest rallies and rewards patience and stamina above raw power.
- Wimbledon - late June to mid July, London, grass courts. The oldest tournament in the sport, the only Slam still on grass, and the one with the all-white dress code and the strawberries.
- US Open- late August to early September, New York, hard courts. The season's last major: night sessions, noise and a stadium that holds more than 23,000 people.
How a 128-player draw works
Each singles draw starts with 128 players: direct entries by ranking, a handful of wildcards picked by the tournament, and qualifiers who battled through a preliminary event the week before. The field is bracketed knockout-style - seven rounds from first round to final.
The top 32 players by ranking are seeds, spread through the bracket so they can't meet each other early - the top two seeds can only meet in the final. That's why a sweepstake ticket with seed 1 is gold, and why the unseeded names are where the fun is: qualifiers occasionally go deep, and every Slam seems to produce one nobody-saw-it-coming semi-finalist.
Draws are published a few days before play starts - typically the Thursday or Friday before - which is exactly when you should set up your sweepstake, while every name is still in and hope springs eternal.
Slam words your sweepstake group will ask about
- Seed - a ranked player placed in the bracket to avoid early blockbuster clashes.
- Qualifier - a player who won three matches the week before just to get into the main draw.
- Lucky loser - a player who lost in qualifying but got in anyway when someone withdrew.
- Wildcard - a free pass into the draw, often a local favourite or returning star.
- Walkover - winning a match without playing because the opponent withdrew.
- Retirement - a player stopping mid-match, usually through injury. Their opponent advances.
Why Slams make perfect sweepstakes
A 128-player field means even a big office can give everyone their own player. Two weeks is long enough to build proper drama and short enough that people stay interested. And upsets are guaranteed - the colleague who drew an unknown qualifier is never quite out of it, which is the whole point. Pick the current Slam below and see for yourself.