The event 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 not held at the same time. Women generally go 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, 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 '70s, 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 event wasn't held in 2021 and 2022 due to the Coronavirus pandemic but returned in 2023 and is planned to remain a part of the tennis calendar.
Many greats have won the event in its history, including Australia's own 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 includes also the likes of Serena Williams.
