‘What the f***?’: Aussie Max Purcell baffled by new Australian Open uniforms

Australian crowd favourite Max Purcell could not believe the uniforms staff are wearing at this year’s Australian Open.

Australian Open staff doing crowd control are dressed in fluoro yellow this year. Picture: news.com.au

Australian Max Purcell wants to know why security in the arenas at Melbourne Park are dressed in the same colour as the tennis balls this Australian Open.

Speaking after his round one win against Máté Valkusz on Tuesday, the crowd favourite vented his frustration at the organisers’ decision to dress the security in fluoro yellow t-shirts.

“People were throwing up balls on serve. I’m like, ‘What the f*** are you doing? I can’t see the ball’,” Purcell said. “Any other colour, please.”

The uniforms certainly stand out and can be spotted easily from the opposite side of even the biggest arenas. The workers wearing them are in charge of crowd control and stand at the entrances.

Purcell won 3-6 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 7-5. He will now face 11th seed Casper Ruud for a shot at making his first ever third round appearance at a major.

Australian Open staff doing crowd control are dressed in fluoro yellow this year. Picture: news.com.au

In the first few days of the tournament players have been complaining about people being able to move more freely in the stands, but Purcell said he had no issue with the change – just the new uniforms.

Fans are allowed to move into seats between games, where previously they had to wait to enter or leave their seats during a change of ends.

Australian Max Purcell won against Mate Valkusz in round one of the Australian Open on Tuesday. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

Aussie Jordan Thompson slammed the Australian Open as the “wokest tournament ever” over the new rule on Monday.

As he prepared to serve while 3-1 up in the second set against fellow Aussie Aleksandar Vukic, fans continued to walk into Court 3.

“You’re kidding me, really? Oh my god,” he said. “This is the wokest tournament ever.”

After defeating Vukic 3-6 7-6 (7-3) 6-2 3-6 6-4, Thompson admitted he made the remark in the “heat of the battle” and “probably shouldn’t have said it”.

He told reporters there were “a few things” that concerned him, but he didn’t want to go into it.

During further questioning, Thompson said he “had no idea” about the rule change.

“How many years have we been playing tennis, and then all of a sudden they spring on us that they can come in between not even a sit-down. So it just disrupts everyone’s rhythm,” he said.

“I mean, if someone is walking at the back and you are throwing the ball toss up, it’s impossible to see it because you have a moving person behind it.”

Australian Jordan Thompson slammed a new rule allowing fans to move more freely in the stands. Picture: Lillian Suwanrumpha / AFP

The 29-year-old compared the act to barging into someone’s office during a meeting.

“We are out there working, that’s our job, we’re tennis players. We don’t come in and storm into an office while someone is in a meeting,” he said.

“Like someone is just barging through the door, making a nuisance. Even though it doesn’t seem that way, but it is. It’s very off-putting.”

Men’s world No. 1 Novak Djokovic said on Sunday he did not know about the change and was “divided” on it as it was intended to improve the experience for fans.

“It’s hard, I must say. I understand that and I support it to some extent, but at the same time all my career, all my life I’ve been used to some kind of atmosphere. When that changes, it kind of messes up, distracts you a bit,” he said.

“Today we lost quite a bit of time when they were letting people in to come to their seats, even though it was not a changeover. My opponent would wait for them to sit down. It dragged a lot.”

Serbia's Novak Djokovic spoke about how the change affected his match. Picture: William West / AFP

Russia's Daniil Medvedev said the crowd moving bothered him. Picture: William West / AFP

Russian star Daniil Medvedev said he wasn’t a fan either and suggested longer changeover times were the answer.

Australian Open boss Craig Tiley responded to the criticism surrounding the rule change.

“What we’ve said is we want fans to sit in their seats when play is on – that’s the expectation coming into the stadium and that’s always been the case. And that hasn’t changed this year either,” Tiley told Channel 9.

“What we have done is try to get their fans into their seats quicker – the worst situation you can have as a fan is waiting outside the stadium for three games, for five games, you could be waiting for up to 20-30 minutes before you get in.

“We don’t want that for the fans either.

“There’s been no rule change other than trying to get the fans into the stadium as quickly as possible.

“The fans know, that come and watch tennis, when you’re in your seat the idea is not to disrupt play.”