It was held annually in January at the Queensland Tennis Centre, between 2009 and 2019 before reverting to a WTA only event for 2020 to accommodate the ATP Cup which would be played in Brisbane, Sydney and Perth.
The inaugural tournament was staged in January 2020 and took place at the upgraded Memorial Drive Park facility.
Held since 1994, it forms a part of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Tour and is classed as an International tournament (previously Tier IV).
It is competed on outdoor hardcourts, and is held in the run-up to the first Grand Slam tournament of the year, the Australian Open.
The format for the Classic altered in accordance with the number of players participating, though in most years it featured both men's and women's singles matches.
The ATP Cup was initially supposed to be an annual tournament played across the cities of Sydney, Brisbane and Perth.
It has featured several of the top players, including Roger Federer, who won the last edition for Switzerland with compatriot Belinda Bencic.
[9] The World Tennis Challenge was a three-night exhibition tournament held in the week before the Australian Open in Adelaide, South Australia.
In 2021 most of the usual tournaments were either relocated to Melbourne Park or not held at all, as a result of international and domestic travel restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
An additional WTA tournament, the Grampians Trophy was later added for players who had to undergo strict quarantine measures upon arrival in Australia, serving as preparation for the Australian Open.