Australian Open 2021: Nick Kyrgios’ second-round win spurred by John Cain Arena crowd
Empty stadiums have become all too commonplace as world sport deals for the COVID pandemic. Nick Kyrgios proved just what a difference fans can make, writes Chris Cavanagh.
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On Melbourne’s Chapel Street last Friday night, Nick Kyrgios was turned away from a restaurant because he did not have a booking.
Whether the front of house staff member recognised him or not — or even knew if the Australian Open was in town — is unclear.
Who could blame them if they didn’t?
The build-up to this year’s Australian Open was as flat as the baseline on Rod Laver Arena.
The discussion largely centred around whether the tournament should go ahead in the midst of Victoria’s hotel quarantine troubles — rather than what was on the cards on the court.
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Fan favourite and six-time Australian Open champion Roger Federer decided not to come Down Under, Rafael Nadal did make the trip but under a dark injury cloud and Novak Djokovic did not make any new fans after putting forward a list of player demands amid quarantine condition complaints.
Until the eve of the tournament, no one could even say with any great certainty whether crowds would be allowed – or in what numbers if they were.
Before the Boxing Day Test at the MCG last year, the few sporting events that had been played in Melbourne since the COVID-19 pandemic hit had been held in front of empty, soulless grandstands.
One major virus outbreak on the eve of the Australian Open and the tournament could have easily have suffered the same fate.
The build-up was the catalyst for an opening two days that at times felt more like a socially-distanced funeral than a Grand Slam.
Lowly and quiet crowds of just 17,922 and 17,381 attended the first two days respectively and television ratings were dreadfully down.
But this year’s Australian Open now has a spark — and Kyrgios is a big part of the reason why.
The sporting capital of the world woke on Wednesday night as tennis’ greatest showman pulled out all his tricks to beat France’s Ugo Humbert in a gripping five-set thriller.
The Australian spent much of last year at home in Canberra and played just nine matches.
He dropped to a world ranking of No. 47 entering the Australian Open, but the win over 29th seed Humbert was a statement that was spurred on by an adoring crowd.
The atmosphere at John Cain Arena was rowdy, more party-like than anything tennis is normally used to.
And without those fans in the stands, you could bet Kyrgios would never have come back from two sets to one down to triumph.
“This is the loudest crowd since the restart of tennis last August,” commentator Jim Courier said during the broadcast.
“And Nick loves that. He was riding the wave with the crowd and he was creating the wave.”
It was a win not only for Kyrgios, but also for Australian Open organisers.
Tennis Australia boss Craig Tiley and his team worked hard and put any number of protocols in place to help ensure this year’s first Grand Slam did not resemble the lifeless crowd-free scenes of last year’s US Open.
Spectators are part of the fabric of sport and athletes – who are, at their core, entertainers – thrive off their energy.
After a sluggish start, the 2021 Australian Open has arrived and you can expect the crowds and television ratings to begin to bulge.
As for Kyrgios, if he walked down Chapel Street again tonight, he would surely have little trouble finding a place to have a feed.
If he upsets third-seed Dominic Thiem on Friday, they will be rolling out the red carpet.
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Originally published as Australian Open 2021: Nick Kyrgios’ second-round win spurred by John Cain Arena crowd
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