Australian Open Opens Next Week: Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup Up Close 🎾

The first Grand Slam of 2017 begins at Melbourne Park on January 16. The women’s trophy — Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup, sterling silver, lifted since 1934 — quietly outclasses many newer designs. Worth studying before round one.

Twin Handles Built for Two-Hand Lift

The Akhurst Cup has two ornate handles sized for a two-handed lift — exactly how every winner is photographed. Twin-handle cups read more ceremonial than single-handle versions and prevent the awkward single-arm strain visible in cheaper designs. For perpetual cups you commission, twin handles cost an extra ฿800-1,200 but transform the lift photo.

Engraved Plinth Tells the Long Story

Every Akhurst winner since 1934 is engraved into the silver plinth — Serena Williams, Margaret Court, Steffi Graf. A perpetual cup with a thick engravable plinth (not a thin nameplate) lets your event accumulate the same kind of multi-decade story. Specify 25mm+ plinth depth at commission time; retrofitting is impossible.