The model for the Sydney International was formed in 1885 when colonial officials decided there was a need to discover the best tennis player in each of the colonies and to use the tournament to assist with selection to the Australasia Davis Cup team, however the first time the tournament was played as a permanent annual event was in 1935.

The tournament was not included on the men's or women's schedule for the 2020 and 2021 seasons, as the new ATP Cup took place in the same period.

[3] The tournament briefly returned in 2022 as the Sydney Tennis Classic, before being replaced by the mixed-gender event, United Cup since 2023.

[5] In 1908 control of the tournament was handed over to the NSW Tennis Association and the event moved to its location at Double Bay.

[6] From 1922 until 1999 the event was hosted at the White City complex, close to the Sydney central business district.