Ambitious Australian Open 2021 plan could see crowds of 28,000
Packed crowds of tennis fans flocking to the Australian Open is synonymous with summer in Melbourne, apparently even in the midst of a pandemic. Ambitious organisers are hoping to put on a show to remember at its revamped venue. Here’s how.
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The fantastic future look of Melbourne Park has been revealed as Australian Open chiefs pull out all stops to get fans onsite at the Melbourne grand slam event this summer.
New images show a 5000-seat show court and state-of-the-art function centre that will put the finishing touches on a 10-year redevelopment of the world’s best tennis precinct.
It comes as AO boss Craig Tiley reveals organisers are willing to charter planes to fly the world’s best players to Australia and set up quarantine hubs across the nation to ensure the show goes ahead in January.
But he said the federal and state governments had to help by opening borders, grant visas and offer biosecurity support if the world’s best players were to help kickstart the economy.
“Ultimately we are going to invest multi-millions of dollars in offering our community, our city, state and country something that is going to be a contributor to economic rejuvenation,’’ he said.
“But also our whole attitude and confidence and optimism.’’
Mr Tiley told the Herald Sun crowds of up to 400,000 could attend the two week event — up to 28,570 a day.
The Grand Slam could be used as an economic springboard for Victoria’s coronavirus recovery as the event sells Melbourne to the world.
“We are going to use the Australian Open as a complete celebration of local business and as an event that supports local business financially,’’ he said.
While he expected Melbourne’s lockdown “would be a thing of the past’’ by January and February, Mr Tiley said crowds and profits would be down.
“Our costs will be far greater this year than our revenue and that is not a sustainable position for the future,’’ he said.
“We are willing to do that for 2020-21 because of the situation we are in but we are going to need help.
“We are going to particularly need help from the Victorian government.’’
Tennis Australia will seek border force and federal government help and pitch AFL- style quarantine hubs to states and territories keen to host “global superstars’’.
“We would hope that the border restrictions have been lifted and if not, is there a way to manage it?’’ he said.
“Because if not, then we just can’t be in that state.’’
Works on the new show court “centrepiece of the site” were “coming along nicely’’ and it would be ready for AO 2022. The function centre with ballroom, auditorium and terrace would be open for shopping and food for the 2021 Open.
“We’ve been a construction zone for 10 years and by 2022 it’s all finished,’’ Mr Tiley said.
“We’re really excited about that.’’
He said the size of the AO site — stretching from Richmond to the CBD — would help socially distance fans during the two-week tournament.
And a global TV audience of more than a billion people would be used to pitch Victoria to “aspirants’’ wanting to attend the Open.
“I think Victoria has managed our outbreak well but we are now at a point where the real test is managing our economic recovery,’’ he said.
“I think we have the first and only opportunity to really broadcast that in a really sustainable way over several weeks to the world.’’
But with overseas fans unlikely, Mr Tiley said last year’s economic benefit of $387m to the state economy would not be matched.
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