From the purest amateurism to the most demanding professionalism, tennis underwent every intermediary shade of change.....and nearly "went under"! The old-time champions remember how it was back then when professionals would roll out massive rugs and play tennis on them, at Madison Square Garden....as for the amateurs, money was passed under the table. In 1968, the Open reunifies a torn apart sport: it is the beginning of the tennis boom. Prize money in the Grand Slam tournaments multiplied by 100 in the space of 25 years....yet it is only the visible part of that financial iceberg. From now on, tennis is so linked to business and sponsoring, that special private "villages" are a part of the Grand Slam scene. At Flinder's Park, where the Australian Open is held, they even incorporated special sponsors suites right into the new stadium. The Tournaments themselves have put together marketing services to sell their own image the world over. Tennis is now big business. 53 minutes. 1992

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