Australian Open Opens This Week: The Norman Brookes Challenge Cup Up Close 🎾

The first Grand Slam of 2019 starts at Melbourne Park. The Norman Brookes Challenge Cup — a 2.7kg sterling silver loving cup — has been lifted since 1934. Three design lessons hidden in plain sight.

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.

Pineapple Finial Echoes Wimbledon

A small pineapple sits at the top — a Victorian symbol of hospitality borrowed from the Wimbledon Gentleman Cup. The cross-trophy reference connects Australia to the broader tennis tradition. For tournament organizers, borrowing a small visual element from a heritage trophy is a way to link your event to a longer story.