In professional tennis, how many Grand Slam tournaments (Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open) are held each year on the international calendar?

Introduction / Context:

The Grand Slam tournaments are the four most prestigious events in professional tennis, and they are central to the sport's history and rankings. Knowing how many Grand Slam events are played each year is basic sports general knowledge and often tested in competitive exams. This question asks you to recall the total number of such tournaments held annually on the global tennis calendar.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The term Grand Slam refers to the four major tennis tournaments.
• These tournaments are the Australian Open, French Open (Roland Garros), Wimbledon and US Open.
• They are held once each year in different countries and on different surfaces.
• The options suggest several possible counts: 2, 4, 5, 6 and 3 tournaments per year.

Concept / Approach:

In tennis, the Grand Slam events are fixed as four tournaments held annually. The Australian Open is played in Melbourne, the French Open at Roland Garros in Paris, Wimbledon in London and the US Open in New York. Each of these events is organised once per year, so the total number of Grand Slam tournaments on the calendar is four. Other events like ATP Masters tournaments or WTA Premier events do not count as Grand Slams, even though they are important. Recognising the strict definition of Grand Slam tournaments allows you to choose the correct count.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:

Official tennis calendars published by the ATP, WTA and ITF show exactly four Grand Slam events per season: January (Australian Open), late May to early June (French Open), late June to early July (Wimbledon) and late August to early September (US Open). No other tournaments are categorised as Grand Slams. This confirms that the correct count is four and rules out any higher or lower number.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

Option A (2): There are more than two major tournaments; tennis has four Grand Slams, not two.

Option C (5): There is no fifth Grand Slam officially sanctioned at the same level.

Option D (6): Six would include additional tournaments that are not classified as Grand Slams.

Option E (3): This underestimates the number of Grand Slams and is incorrect.

Common Pitfalls:

Sometimes students confuse Grand Slam tournaments with other series, such as ATP Masters 1000 events or the year ending championships. Remember that the term Grand Slam in tennis is reserved for these four traditional major tournaments only. A simple memory trick is to associate the four events with the four seasons of the tennis year: start in Australia, then Paris clay, then London grass, and finish in New York hard courts.

Final Answer:

There are 4 Grand Slam tennis tournaments held each year.