‘Good to be back’: Nick Riewoldt all smiles about return to Melbourne at Australian Open

Footy great Nick Riewoldt has been embracing Melbourne life after two years living in the US, hitting the airwaves on his new Triple M breakfast show and taking in the tennis — like “nothing ever changed”.

First Serve is your wrap-up of all the media gossip and banter from the 2025 Australian Open.

Footy great Nick Riewoldt has settled back into Melbourne life, starting a new job on radio and stepping out at the Australian Open.

Riewoldt and wife Catherine have returned from her home in Houston, Texas after two years away with their three sons.

The St Kilda legend was a guest of Tennis Australia on Tuesday night and on Monday hit the airwaves on his new Triple M breakfast show, Mick In the Morning, alongside Mick Molloy, Titus O’Reily and Rosie Walton.

“Good to be back in Melbourne,’’ Riewoldt said.

“It’s amazing how fast time goes. Really proud of us as a family for actually going and doing it, because we’d spoken about it for a long time.

“It was part of the nuptial agreement that we’d do a stint over there at some stage. And particularly for Cath and the boys, and particularly the boys, to get home and have that American experience.”

Nick Riewoldt (right) and wife Catherine enjoying the Australian Open. Picture: Supplied

Riewoldt said his sons had come back with accents.

“They loved it,’’ he said. “They’re into everything, which is great. My 10-year-old panicked at the moment because he’s trying to figure out how to kick a drop punt.

“Because he’s become very good at throwing a baseball and throwing a football, and lowering his helmet into other people’s solar plexes.

“He’s become very, very good at that. But kicking a footy is a bit of a struggle. So I might have to enlist someone’s help that was a good kick.

“He’s like, ‘Dad, you can help me’. I’m like, well, I wasn’t really my strong suit.

“We should have stayed over there because most of the kickers in the NFL these days are Australian.”

Riewoldt, who will also work on Channel 7’s footy coverage, said the family will always have a strong US connection.

“We always will because Catherine’s family is there, which was what was so great about it at the time, the time with them and to have sort of that side of the family and grandparents able to come to come to sport and pick them up from school and to have Fourth of July fireworks, go to the local rodeo,’’ he said.

Riewoldt says its great to be back in Melbourne. Picture: Michael Klein

“Cath’s family have a ranch down near the Mexican border near Del Rio. And it’s a small little town, but for Fourth of July, the entire town, about a thousand people goes to the local rodeo and people come in and the kids chase goats and calves.

“It was amazing. It was a great experience and good to get out of the bubble for a little while. So if anyone’s out there and actually thinking about, gee, we’d love to go and do that for a year — go and do it.

“Because the time goes like that. And now we’re back in Melbourne and it’s like nothing ever changed.”

Tyra Banks to attend the AO in style

Supermodel Tyra Banks will be a special guest at the Australian Open on Thursday.

The American beauty, creator and former host of America’s Next Top Model, has been living a low-key life for the past 18 months between Sydney and Los Angeles.

She’s been living Down Under to work on her new ice cream store chain, Smize & Dream.

Banks, 51, will attend the AO Inspirational Series event and then the women’s semi-finals matches.

“Coming here, I just can’t be like, ‘I love Australia, it’s so beautiful and it’s so wonderful and it’s (like magical) Hogwarts’. I have been here studying the culture, studying the tastes. I know a lamington honey, I know about my fairy bread,’’ Banks said recently.

Supermodel Tyra Banks will be a special guest at the Australian Open on Thursday. Picture: Noam Galai

Australian Open champion Caroline Wozniacki is the headline guest at the tennis event, which will also feature an interview with inspiring Australian Sophie Delezio, who at 23 has been in the public eye since she was the victim of a tragic accident when she was two.

Smize & Dream are words that hold deep meaning for Banks. She coined the term “smize” – a combination of “smile” and “eyes”– in 2009 to convey to contestants on America’s Next Top Model to express warmth in their eyes during modelling shoots while keeping the rest of the face neutral.

Despite gaining traction around the world, “smize” is yet to enter the dictionary.

The first official permanent Smize & Dream store globally is slated to open in Darling Harbour by mid year.

Banks said she’s still getting used to Australian delicacies like Vegemite.

“I had my first Vegemite, it was interesting,” she said.

“I took it straight to the mouth with a spoon. I wouldn’t say it was my most favourite thing but, because I am a super taster, I could taste the notes and I said this would be good with some damn ice cream. Salt and ice cream is fantastic so there just might be a Vegemite flavour coming.”

Originally published as ‘Good to be back’: Nick Riewoldt all smiles about return to Melbourne at Australian Open