2012 in tennis
This page covers all the important events in the sport of tennis in 2012. Primarily, it provides the results of notable tournaments throughout the year on both the ATP and WTA Tours, the Davis Cup, and the Fed Cup. Important Events. The Entire Year. The 2012 Australian Open was held from January 16 to January 29. Defending champion Novak Djokovic defeated Rafael Nadal, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7(5), 7-5, to win the longest final in history. The second Grand Slam event of the year was won by Nadal who defeated Djokovic 6-4 , 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 to win a record seventh French Open title. At Wimbledon, Roger Federer would equal this record, held by Nadal and Pete Sampras, by winning the final 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 against Andy Murray. Murray went on to win the last Grand Slam event of the year, by defeating defending champion Djokovic, 7-6(10), 7-5, 2-6, 3-6, 6-2. At the ATP World Tour Finals, Djokovic won against defending champion Federer, 7-6(6), 7-5. ITF. Grand Slam events. Australian Open. The 2012 Australian Open is a tennis  tournament that is taking place in Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia from January 16 to January 29, 2012. It is the 100th edition of the Australian Open, and the first Grand Slam event of the year. The 2012 Australian Open will take place from the January 2012 and is to be held at Melbourne Park. The Men's singles will be staged for the 100th time. There have been different 59 previous winners and the 100th staging of the event was marked by a special coin and the 2012 Champion will receive a special medallion. The tournament will also mark  50 years since Rod Laver won his first Grand Slam. For the first time Hawk eye will be used on the Margaret Court Arena, while Ken Fletcher will be inducted into the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame. French Open. The French Open ( or Tournoi de Roland-Garros, , named after the famous French aviator Roland Garros) is a major tennis tournament held over two weeks between late May and early June in Paris, France, at the Stade Roland Garros. It is the premier clay court tennis tournament in the world and the second of the four annual Grand Slam tournaments – the  other three are the Australian Open, US Open and Wimbledon. Roland Garros is the only Grand Slam held on clay and ends the spring clay court season. Wimbledon Championships. The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon (25 June – 8 July in 2012), is the only Major still played on grass, the game's original surface, which gave the game of lawn tennis its name. The tournament takes place over two weeks in late June and early July, culminating with the Ladies' and Gentlemen's Singles Final, scheduled respectively for the second Saturday and Sunday. Each year, five major events are contested , as well as four junior events and three invitational events. US Open. The US Open, formally the United States Open Tennis Championships, is a hardcourt tennis tournament held annually in August and September over a two-week period (the weeks before and after Labor Day weekend). Davis Cup. The 2012 Davis Cup (also known as the 2012 Davis Cup by BNP Paribas for sponsorship purposes) is the 100th edition of the tournament between national teams in men's tennis. The draw took place on 21 September 2011 in Bangkok, Thailand. World Group Draw Fed Cup. The 2012 Fed Cup (also  known as the 2012 Fed Cup by BNP Paribas for sponsorship purposes) is the 50th edition of the most important tournament between national teams in women's tennis. The final will take place on 4–5 November. World Group Draw 2012 London Olympics. The tennis competitions of the 2012 Summer Olympics were staged at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London, from 29 July to 5 August 2012. 172 tennis players competed in five events; singles and doubles for both men and women and for the first time since 1924 mixed doubles were officially included. ATP World  Tour. The 2012 ATP World Tour is the global elite professional tennis circuit organized by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) for the 2012 tennis season. The 2012 ATP World Tour calendar comprises the Grand Slam tournaments (supervised by the International Tennis Federation (ITF)), the ATP World Tour Masters 1000, the ATP World Tour 500 series, the ATP World Tour 250 series, the ATP World Team Championship, the Davis Cup (organized by the ITF), the ATP World Tour Finals, and the tennis event at the London Summer Olympic Games. Also included in the 2012 calendar is the Hopman Cup, which  is organized by the ITF and does not distribute ranking points. ATP Challenger Tour. The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Challenger Tour is the secondary professional tennis circuit organized by the ATP. The 2012 ATP Challenger Tour calendar comprises 15 top tier Tretorn SERIE+ tournaments, and approximately 150 regular series tournaments, with prize money ranging from $35,000 up to $150,000. WTA Tour. The 2012 WTA Tour is the elite professional tennis circuit organized by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) for the 2012 tennis season. The 2012 WTA Tour calendar comprises the Grand Slam tournaments (supervised by the  International Tennis Federation (ITF)), the WTA Premier tournaments (Premier Mandatory, Premier 5, and regular Premier), the WTA International tournaments, the Fed Cup (organized by the ITF), the year-end championships (the WTA Tour Championships and the Tournament of Champions), and the tennis event at the London Summer Olympic Games. Also included in the 2012 calendar is the Hopman Cup, which is organized by the ITF and does not distribute ranking points. Retirements. Following is a list of notable players (winners of a main tour title, and/or part of the ATP Rankings Top 100 (singles) or Top 50 (doubles) for at  least one week) who announced their retirement from professional tennis, became inactive (after not playing for more than 52 weeks), or were permanently banned from playing, during the 2012 season: