The ASB Classic, also called the Auckland Open, is a longstanding tournament held in New Zealand that features both men and women playing. It belongs to the 250 tier of events on both Tours, but it's generally not held in the same week. Women's tournament is generally held first, as the WTA event is played in the first week of the new year, while the ATP event is played one week after that.
The matches are played at the ASB Tennis Centre, in Auckland, New Zealand, which has stood since 1922 but has undergone renovations in recent years to expand the facilities. Tennis was initially played on grass but switched to hard courts in the 1970s, and they are still played on hard courts.
The first international event was held in 1956, and it's been a longstanding part of the tennis calendar since then. The ASB Classic wasn't held in 2021 and 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic but returned in 2023 and is planned to remain a part of the tennis calendar.
In the past, the tournament held many different names. At the start, it was called the Auckland Invitation, and in 1959, it was also named the New Zealand Invitation. Between 1963 and 1968, the tournament held the name Auckland Wills International, and for one decade after that, it was called the New Zealand Open.
Since then, it has mostly been called the Auckland Open, but the official name is currently the ASB Classic, as one of the biggest banks in New Zealand, the ASB Bank, sponsors the tournament.
Many greats have won the event in its history, including Australia's Roy Emerson, who is tied with David Ferrer as the ATP player with the most trophies at 4. When it comes to the WTA side of history, Australia's Evonne Goolagong has the most with three, as the list of former champions also includes the likes of Serena Williams.
The tournament is a popular destination for players at the start of the season because of New Zealand's proximity to Australia. Because of extremely strong fields at tournaments in Australia, some might opt to play in New Zealand, and then hop on a four-hour flight from Auckland to Melbourne.
In 2024, Gauff returned to defend her title, beating Elina Svitolina in a close final, 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-3 to claim her second consecutive trophy at the event. On the men's side, Alejandro Tabilo overcame Taro Daniel in the final of the 2024 edition.
Unfortunately for the tournament organizers, Gauff chose the United Cup instead of the ASB Classic in 2025, significantly weakening the field for the tournament.
