The WTA Auckland Open, known as the ASB Classic (sponsored by ASB Bank), 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'.Romanos (2013) 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 1886–1942YearChampionsRunners-upScoreAuckland Invitation 1956 Mary Bevis Hawton Thelma Coyne Long 8–6, 10–8 1957 Margaret Hellyer Ruia Morrison6–4, 6–4 1958 Angela Mortimer Ruia Morrison6–2, 6–1 New Zealand Invitation 1959 Ruia Morrison Betty Holstein6–4, 6–4 Auckland Invitation 1960 Ruia Morrison (2) Margaret Smith6–2, 6–4 1961 Jan Lehane Ruia Morrison6–0, 6–3 1962 Darlene Hard Ruia Morrison7–5, 7–5 Auckland Wills International 1963 Lesley Turner Ruia Morrison-Davy6–2, 6–1 1964 Margaret Smith Jan Lehane6–4, 3–6, 6–0 1965 Rita Bentley Jill Blackman6–4, 6–3 1966 Margaret Smith (2) Kerry Melville6–1, 6–1 1967 Rosie Casals Françoise Dürr6–2, 7–5 1968 Kerry Melville Gail Sherriff8–6, 6–1 ↓  Open Era  ↓New Zealand Open 1969 Ann Haydon Jones Karen Krantzcke6–1, 6–1 1970 Ann Haydon Jones (2) Kerry Melville0–6, 6–4, 6–1 New Zealand Centennial Open 1971 Margaret Smith Court (3) Evonne Goolagong3–6, 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, 7–5WTA 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  ↓ 1985 Anne Hobbs Louise Field 6–4, 6–2 1986 Not held1987 Gretchen Magers Terry Phelps 6–2, 6–31988 Patty Fendick Sara Gomer6–3, 7–6 1989 Patty Fendick (2) Belinda Cordwell 6–2, 6–0↓ Tier V ↓1990 Leila Meskhi Sabine Appelmans6–1, 6–0 1991 Eva Švíglerová Andrea Strnadová 6–2, 0–6, 6–1 1992 Robin White Andrea Strnadová6–0, 6–0 ↓ Tier IV ↓ 1993 Elna Reinach Caroline Kuhlman6–0, 6–0 1994 Ginger Helgeson-Nielsen Inés Gorrochategui7–6(7–4), 6–3 1995 Nicole Bradtke Ginger Helgeson-Nielsen3–6, 6–2, 6–1 1996 Sandra Cacic Barbara Paulus6–3, 1–6, 6–41997 Marion Maruska Judith Wiesner 6–3, 6–11998 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, 7–62 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 Zvonareva6–2, 6–2 2007 Jelena Janković Vera Zvonareva7–6(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 Pennetta2–6, 6–3, 2–0 Ret. 2013 Agnieszka Radwańska Yanina Wickmayer6–4, 6–4 2014 Ana Ivanovic Venus Williams6–2, 5–7, 6–4 2015 Venus Williams Caroline Wozniacki2–6, 6–3, 6–3Auckland Open 2016 Sloane Stephens Julia Görges7–5, 6–2 2017 Lauren Davis Ana Konjuh6–3, 6–1 2018 Julia Görges Caroline Wozniacki6–4, 7–6(7–4) 2019 Julia Görges (2) Bianca Andreescu2–6, 7–5, 6–1 2020 Serena Williams Jessica Pegula6–3, 6–4 2021 rowspan="2" colspan="3" align="center" 2022↓  WTA 250  ↓ 2023 Coco Gauff Rebeka Masarova6–1, 6–1 2024 Coco Gauff (2) Elina Svitolina6–7(4–7), 6–3, 6–3 2025 Clara Tauson Naomi Osaka4–6 retd. 2026 Elina Svitolina Wang Xinyu6–3, 7–6(8–6)

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 YearsEvent typeAuckland Invitation 1956–1958, 1960–1962combinedNew Zealand Invitation 1959 combinedAuckland Wills International1963–1968combinedNew Zealand Open1969–1979combinedAuckland Open1980–1981combinedWTA Auckland Open1982–2015women's Auckland Open2016–currentcombined

Sponsored The tournaments sponsored names have been as follows: Name YearsEvent typeBenson & Hedges Open1969–1970, 1960–1962combinedBenson & Hedges Centennial Open 1971 combinedBenson & Hedges Open1972–1981combinedevents separate (1982–2015) & no women events (1983–84, 1986)Nutri-Metics Open1987–1989women'sNutri-Metics International1990women'sNutri-Metics Bendon Classic1991–1992women'sAmway Classic1993–1996women'sASB Classic1997–2015women'sevents combine again (2016) ASB Classic2016–currentcombined

See also List of tennis tournaments Auckland Championships – precursor combined tournament to this one (1886–1942) revived in (1954). ATP Auckland Open – men's tournament.

References

External links Auckland Overview WTA Tour Tennis Official website