Australian Open Opens Next Week: Norman Brookes Cup Up Close 🎾

The first Grand Slam of 2016 starts at Melbourne Park on January 18. The Norman Brookes Challenge Cup — 2.7kg sterling silver, lifted since 1934 — carries design lessons worth studying before Djokovic chases title number six.

Twin Handles for Two-Hand Lift

The Norman Brookes Cup has two ornate handles intentionally sized for two-handed lifting — exactly how champions are coached to hold it for the iconic photo. For perpetual trophies you commission, twin handles read more ceremonial than a single handle and prevent the awkward single-arm strain visible in cheaper trophy designs.

Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup for Women

The womens trophy is a fully separate cup with its own century of history — not a smaller version of the mens. Pairing two distinct heritage trophies of equal weight and prestige is itself the message. For mixed-gender tournaments you organize, commissioning two equally substantial trophies (not a big-and-small pair) is the modern standard.