09/30/2026
The Open Era starts in 1968. That is when professional tennis got structured and started running like an actual tour.
A player who won in 1937 and again in 1938 sits outside it. Not diminished, just outside.
Every record conversation runs on Open Era numbers, because before 1968 you had scattered tournaments, amateurs restricted to the Grand Slams, and wars cutting through the calendar.
That is why the record books start where they start.
Share this with your tennis bestie.
mpl-309