# WTA Auckland Open

The WTA Auckland Open (currently sponsored by ASB Bank and called the ASB Classic) is a professional women's tennis tournament in Auckland, New Zealand. The tournament is played annually, in the first week of January, at the ASB Tennis Centre in the suburb of Parnell, just east of the Central Business District. It is an International level tournament in the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) World Tour. The equivalent men's event, the ATP Auckland Open, is played in the following week, immediately ahead of the first Grand Slam tournament of the season, the Australian Open.
The ASB Classic returned in 2023 after the 2021 and 2022 events were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic owing travel restrictions for international visitors to New Zealand.

## History

In 1886 the first open tournament held in Auckland was the Auckland Championships it was the precursor event to this one, but was not always staged. In the 1920s major new tennis venues were built in Auckland for the Auckland Lawn Tennis Association (now called Tennis Auckland), as well as Wellington and Christchurch comprising both grass and hard courts. In 1920 when the Auckland Lawn Tennis Association was looking for a permanent base, the only available site was a tip in Stanley Street. Undeterred, the local clubs raised the-then enormous sum of 1,800 pounds to prepare the site and build new courts. For the next 30 years the Tennis Centre in Stanley Street was home to local tennis matches. In 1942 the Auckland Championships were discontinued. In 1954 a second version of the Auckland Championships was revived that is still being staged today.
In 1956 Auckland hosted its first new permanent international tournament, known as the 'Auckland Invitation'. In 1959 the tournament was renamed as the New Zealand Invitation before returning to its former name in 1960. By the 1960s the shuttle bus fare from town to Stanley Street was sixpence. Admission was five shillings for the first three days and 7/6 for finals and semifinals – a whole tournament for the equivalent of $4. By the 1970s, 25 cents got you all-day parking next door at Carlaw Park. The tournament was played on outdoor grass courts from its inaugural edition in 1956 until 1977, switching to hard courts in 1978.
In 1963 this event was rebranded as the Auckland Wills International tournament. In 1969 its official name was altered again to the New Zealand Open. In 1971 its official name was changed to the New Zealand Centennial Open for one year only before returning to its former name until 1981 when the event was separated into the ATP Auckland Open for men and the WTA Auckland Open for women. Between 1979 and 1989 the men's editions of the tournament were part of the Grand Prix tennis circuit.
From 1969, the first edition in the open era of tennis, until 1981 the joint tournament was known under its sponsored name 'Benson and Hedges Open'. When the event was split into two tournaments the men's sponsorship continued as the Benson and Hedges Open. Then from 1998 until 2015 it was named the 'Heineken Open'. There was no women's events for the years 1983 to 1984 and 1986. In 1987 the women's event resumed and its sponsorship name was the Nutri-Metics Open until 1989, then called the Nutri-Metics International in 1990, then the Nutri-Metics Bendon Classic from 1991 to 1992, then the Amway Classic from 1993 to 1996. In 1997 it was branded as the ASB Classic a women's tournament.
After being separated for 34 years, the WTA and ATP merged the event in 2016 and both tournaments are now known collectively as the ASB Classic. Heineken will still be a sponsor but will have a diminished role in anticipation of new tennis regulations restricting alcohol sponsorship.
Both the 2021 and 2022 Auckland Open were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In regards to the 2022 cancellation, organizers cited New Zealand's strict quarantine rules as making it intractable for players, officials, and all other required staff to be admitted into the country.

## Finals
### Singles

For historical winners of this event see Auckland Championships 1886–1942 :
| Year | Champions | Runners-up | Score |
| Auckland Invitation ||||
| 1956 | Mary Bevis Hawton | Thelma Coyne Long | 8–6, 10–8 |
| 1957 | Margaret Hellyer | Ruia Morrison | 6–4, 6–4 |
| 1958 | Angela Mortimer | Ruia Morrison | 6–2, 6–1 |
| New Zealand Invitation ||||
| 1959 | Ruia Morrison | Betty Holstein | 6–4, 6–4 |
| Auckland Invitation ||||
| 1960 | Ruia Morrison (2) | Margaret Smith | 6–2, 6–4 |
| 1961 | Jan Lehane | Ruia Morrison | 6–0, 6–3 |
| 1962 | Darlene Hard | Ruia Morrison | 7–5, 7–5 |
| Auckland Wills International ||||
| 1963 | Lesley Turner | Ruia Morrison-Davy | 6–2, 6–1 |
| 1964 | Margaret Smith | Jan Lehane | 6–4, 3–6, 6–0 |
| 1965 | Rita Bentley | Jill Blackman | 6–4, 6–3 |
| 1966 | Margaret Smith (2) | Kerry Melville | 6–1, 6–1 |
| 1967 | Rosie Casals | Françoise Dürr | 6–2, 7–5 |
| 1968 | Kerry Melville | Gail Sherriff | 8–6, 6–1 |
| ↓ Open Era ↓ ||||
| New Zealand Open ||||
| 1969 | Ann Haydon Jones | Karen Krantzcke | 6–1, 6–1 |
| 1970 | Ann Haydon Jones (2) | Kerry Melville | 0–6, 6–4, 6–1 |
| New Zealand Centennial Open ||||
| 1971 | Margaret Smith Court (3) | Evonne Goolagong | 3–6, 7–6, 6–2 |
| New Zealand Open ||||
| 1972 | Kerry Melville | Rosie Casals | 6–2, 6–0 |
| 1973 | Evonne Goolagong | Marilyn Pryde | 6–0 6–1 |
| 1974 | Evonne Goolagong (2) | Ann Kiyomura | 6–3, 6–1 |
| 1975 | Evonne Goolagong (3) | Linda Mottram | 6–2, 7–5 |
| 1976 | Sue Barker | Helga Niessen Masthoff | 6–5, rained out title shared |
| 1977 | Heidi Eisterlehner | Karen Krantzcke | 6–4, 6–4 |
| 1978 | Helena Anliot | Marilyn Tesch | 6–4, 6–3 |
| 1979 | Pam Whytcross | Brenda Perry | 6–3, 7–5 |
| WTA Auckland Open ||||
| 1980 | Janet Newberry | Judy Connor Chaloner | 6–2, 6–1 |
| 1981 | Pam Whytcross (2) | Chris Newton | 3–6, 6–4, 6–1 |
| 1982 | Susan Hagey | Belinda Cordwell | 6–4, 6–2 |
| ↓ Category 1 ↓ ||||
| 1986 | Anne Hobbs | Louise Field | 6–4, 6–2 |
| 1987 | Gretchen Magers | Terry Phelps | 6–2, 6–3 |
| 1988 | Patty Fendick | Sara Gomer | 6–3, 7–6 |
| 1989 | Patty Fendick (2) | Belinda Cordwell | 6–2, 6–0 |
| ↓ Tier V ↓ ||||
| 1990 | Leila Meskhi | Sabine Appelmans | 6–1, 6–0 |
| 1991 | Eva Švíglerová | Andrea Strnadová | 6–2, 0–6, 6–1 |
| 1992 | Robin White | Andrea Strnadová | 6–0, 6–0 |
| ↓ Tier IV ↓ ||||
| 1993 | Elna Reinach | Caroline Kuhlman | 6–0, 6–0 |
| 1994 | Ginger Helgeson-Nielsen | Inés Gorrochategui | 7–6$^{(7–4)}$, 6–3 |
| 1995 | Nicole Bradtke | Ginger Helgeson-Nielsen | 3–6, 6–2, 6–1 |
| 1996 | Sandra Cacic | Barbara Paulus | 6–3, 1–6, 6–4 |
| 1997 | Marion Maruska | Judith Wiesner | 6–3, 6–1 |
| 1998 | Dominique van Roost | Silvia Farina | 4–6, 7–6, 7–5 |
| 1999 | Julie Halard-Decugis | Dominique van Roost | 6–4, 6–1 |
| 2000 | Anne Kremer | Cara Black | 6–4, 6–4 |
| ↓ Tier V ↓ ||||
| 2001 | Meilen Tu | Paola Suárez | 7–6$^{(10–8)}$, 6–2 |
| ↓ Tier IV ↓ ||||
| 2002 | Anna Smashnova | Tatiana Panova | 6–2, 6–2 |
| 2003 | Eleni Daniilidou | Cho Yoon-jeong | 6–4, 4–6, 7–6$^2$ |
| 2004 | Eleni Daniilidou (2) | Ashley Harkleroad | 6–3, 6–2 |
| 2005 | Katarina Srebotnik | Shinobu Asagoe | 5–7, 7–5, 6–4 |
| 2006 | Marion Bartoli | Vera Zvonareva | 6–2, 6–2 |
| 2007 | Jelena Janković | Vera Zvonareva | 7–6$^{(11–9)}$, 5–7, 6–3 |
| 2008 | Lindsay Davenport | Aravane Rezaï | 6–2, 6–2 |
| ↓ International ↓ ||||
| 2009 | Elena Dementieva | Elena Vesnina | 6–4, 6–1 |
| 2010 | Yanina Wickmayer | Flavia Pennetta | 6–3, 6–2 |
| 2011 | Gréta Arn | Yanina Wickmayer | 6–3, 6–3 |
| 2012 | Zheng Jie | Flavia Pennetta | 2–6, 6–3, 2–0 Ret. |
| 2013 | Agnieszka Radwańska | Yanina Wickmayer | 6–4, 6–4 |
| 2014 | Ana Ivanovic | Venus Williams | 6–2, 5–7, 6–4 |
| 2015 | Venus Williams | Caroline Wozniacki | 2–6, 6–3, 6–3 |
| Auckland Open ||||
| 2016 | Sloane Stephens | Julia Görges | 7–5, 6–2 |
| 2017 | Lauren Davis | Ana Konjuh | 6–3, 6–1 |
| 2018 | Julia Görges | Caroline Wozniacki | 6–4, 7–6$^{(7–4)}$ |
| 2019 | Julia Görges (2) | Bianca Andreescu | 2–6, 7–5, 6–1 |
| 2020 | Serena Williams | Jessica Pegula | 6–3, 6–4 |
| 2021 | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic |
| 2022 | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic |
| ↓ WTA 250 ↓ ||||
| 2023 | Coco Gauff | Rebeka Masarova | 6–1, 6–1 |
| 2024 | Coco Gauff (2) | Elina Svitolina | 6–7$^{(4–7)}$, 6–3, 6–3 |
| 2025 | Clara Tauson | Naomi Osaka | 4–6 retd. |

## Event names

This tournament had just its official names from 1956 to 1968 with no sponsorship. In 1969 following the start of the open era sponsorship begins and the event carries both its official designation and its sponsorship title.

### Official

| Name | Years | Event type |
| Auckland Invitation | 1956–1958, 1960–1962 | combined |
| New Zealand Invitation | 1959 | combined |
| Auckland Wills International | 1963–1968 | combined |
| New Zealand Open | 1969–1979 | combined |
| Auckland Open | 1980–1981 | combined |
| WTA Auckland Open | 1982–2015 | women's |
| Auckland Open | 2016–current | combined |

### Sponsored

The tournaments sponsored names have been as follows:
| Name | Years | Event type |
| Benson & Hedges Open | 1969–1970, 1960–1962 | combined |
| Benson & Hedges Centennial Open | 1971 | combined |
| Benson & Hedges Open | 1972–1981 | combined |
| events separate (1982–2015) & no women events (1983–85) |||
| Nutri-Metics Open | 1987–1989 | women's |
| Nutri-Metics International | 1990 | women's |
| Nutri-Metics Bendon Classic | 1991–1992 | women's |
| Amway Classic | 1993–1996 | women's |
| ASB Classic | 1997–2015 | women's |
| events combine again (2016) |||
| ASB Classic | 2016–current | combined |