Jake Michaels, Senior Writer
MELBOURNE, Australia — In the 1970s and early ’80s, Tennis Australia and Australian tennis were on life support.
At the time, the Australian Open felt like a Grand Slam in name only. At the time, the tournament, held in a cramped facility in the Melbourne suburb of Kooyong, offered little prize money or ranking points, making the decision to sit out the tournament an easy one for many of the world’s top players. As a result, the Australian Open has consistently featured markedly weaker areas, only fueling the narrative that it is “just another tournament” stratospheric away from the more famous Wimbledon, US Open and French Open.
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It was in 1993 that Geoff Pollard, then head of Tennis Australia, called on recently retired professional and five-time major doubles champion Paul McNamee to shed the tired stigma. Mr McNamee has agreed to take over as both the association’s CEO and Australian Open tournament director. It was the first of two important appointments that helped transform the tournament from a clumsy, misplaced major tournament into a spectacle widely regarded as the Southern Hemisphere’s premier annual tournament. sporting event.
“We had to find a way to change it from the ‘Ford Australian Open’ to the Ford-sponsored Australian Open,” Pollard told ESPN in 2019. “We had to make it sound like a slam tournament instead of sounding like a biweekly tournament.”
Under McNamee’s leadership, the Australian Open began to flourish in its new home at Flinders Park, a sports complex known today as Melbourne Park. Through a combination of creative marketing strategies and solid negotiations between local governments and ATP, he was able to change the public’s perception of the tournament.
In the early 2000s, the Australian Open became known as the “Grand Slam of Asia-Pacific,” a paradigm shift that allowed it to tap into a vibrant market long overlooked by the world sport. Its buzz and viewership quickly grew, leading to more lucrative broadcast contracts and greater state and federal funding. As a result, prize money has skyrocketed (from $13.9 million in prize money in 2001 to $25 million in 2011) and ranking points are now on par with tennis’ other major tournaments, making it easier for the world’s top players to go down. I was tempted to play in the under.
Along with Pollard, McNamee will also play a key role in getting the green light for construction of Rod Laver Arena, the world’s first tennis stadium with a retractable roof. He realized his vision of the first overnight Grand Slam singles final in 2005, when Australian heroes Lleyton Hewitt and Marat Safin battled it out for supremacy. The match was and remains the most-watched sporting event in Australian television history. .
By the time McNamee resigned from his position in 2006, the Australian Open had become on par with tennis’ other major tournaments on measures of popularity, appeal and recognition. He successfully brought Australian tennis and its premier tournament out of its doldrums and regained global relevance, laying the foundations for decades of future success. However, Tennis Australia’s work was not yet complete. Avoiding complacency is now a top priority, which has led to a second major appointment.
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In his early days as CEO of Tennis Australia, Craig Tiley built on McNamee’s ‘Happy Slam’ legacy to ensure the Australian Open remained an annual success story. The first major of the tennis season grew like any other Grand Slam tournament, all benefiting from the sport’s most talented and best era. But in order to become a frontrunner and trendsetter in the field of sports entertainment, we needed to take a new direction. And it was at a board meeting at Melbourne Park in 2014 that Tyree realized exactly what the long-term vision for Tennis Australia should be.
“It’s an experience. That’s what it meant,” Tyree explained during the 2024 Australian Open. “How can we ensure the best experience for both players and fans? Every decision Tennis Australia ultimately makes had to put the fan or player experience first.”
For the players, that attitude has led to the establishment of a world-leading facility at Melbourne Park. In 2019, Rod Laver Arena underwent a $225 million redevelopment that included the construction of the impressive Eastern Pavilion. The event space was transformed into a haven for players during the two weeks of Australian Open competition. From the popular all-day sushi bar to the children’s playroom, cocktails on the balcony and private gym, players will be treated to luxury from the moment they arrive in Melbourne, ensuring their every desire is met. Need a car? No problem. Would you like to have a massage? end. A day trip to see Australian wildlife? got it.
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Even more was done for the fans. While tennis is, and will continue to be, a central element of the Australian Open, there has been a concerted effort to sprinkle in other elements to enhance the experience of attending the event. Today, the Australian Open is more of a festival than a tennis tournament.
Perhaps the most notable aspect of the relaunch is the enhanced food and beverage offering. Gone are the lukewarm pies and soggy chips that were synonymous with Australian sporting events, and in their place are some of Melbourne’s best-loved restaurants. This year, French favorite Entrecourt is setting up shop in Garden Square, while DOC Pizza, Stalactite, Yeezy’s and A1 Bakery are all on the Grand Slam Oval roster.
The Australian Open also hosted AO Live, one of the country’s biggest music festivals. Each day of the tournament, the world’s top bands, solo artists, and DJs will perform. Tiley believes this is “what sets it apart from other sporting events, especially tennis events.”
Twelve months ago, the tournament introduced a polarizing “party court.” This is a two-story entertainment venue overlooking Court 6, allowing up to 400 fans to wine, dine, laugh and clink glasses, all while being located just meters from the match venue. Other notable changes for 2024 include a significant relaxation of traditionally strict rules, including allowing spectators to move from and between seats during games. This year’s Australian Open saw the amount of shaded areas within the Melbourne Park grounds almost doubled and a top court introduced, including the area with the Digital Gaming Pavilion.
Last year’s Australian Open drew a record 1,020,763 spectators to the gates. This figure shaved 22% off the tournament’s previous record, making it the most attended Grand Slam tournament in history. However, this record may not last long, as attendance has increased again throughout the first week of this year’s tournament.
But despite this, Tennis Australia has a bold five-year plan to further differentiate itself from the competition in terms of both fan and player experience.
“Each year we push the boundaries of what the Australian Open can offer,” Tiley says. “Demand continues to grow and we are expanding our operations to meet it.”
