Push to expand Australian Open to a Saturday start

After the success of the first Sunday start in the Australian Open’s 119-year history, sponsors and stakeholders are already backing the idea of adding another day to give the tennis tournament three complete weekends.

This year, the Open is running over 15 days for the first time in a move designed to alleviate the pressure on late-night finishes on players and spectators by spreading the event over more days.

Fans flocked to Melbourne Park on Sunday for the opening day of the 2024 Australian Open.Credit: Chris Hopkins

The additional day has proved a boon for Tennis Australia’s finances, as a bumper crowd of 87,705 people attended on Sunday, and the success points to the potential for the Open starting on a Saturday next year.

Last year, 77,944 people attended the first day of the Open when it was held on a Monday.

“This is a historic day and huge occasion. It is the first day of the Australian Open. Woo-hoo!” said Tennis Australia chair Jayne Hrdlicka on Sunday night, acknowledging the earlier start date.

“That means three weekends of the Australian Open in Melbourne.”

Hrdlicka predicted that this year more than 1 million spectators would attend the event for the first time.

The tournament staged about 30 matches on Sunday and about 60 on Monday.

The extension gave the Open a chance to sell more tickets and shore up its books after it broke attendance records last year with 839,192 fans through the gates over the fortnight. The tournament will finish with the men’s singles final on January 28.

The French Open switched to a Sunday start and a 15-day tournament in 2006. However, the other grand slam tournaments – Wimbledon and the US Open – both start on a Monday and run for 14 days.

A bumper crowd of 87,705 people attended the Australian Open on Sunday.Credit: Chris Hopkins

A Tennis Australia spokeswoman said the extra day had been an “incredible success”, but she would not comment on the potential for extending the tournament beyond 15 days.

“As always, after the tournament, we’ll review everything we’ve done at AO 2024, in line with our strategy of continuous improvement and innovation,” she said.

Tourism, Sport and Major Events Minister Steve Dimopoulos said an extra day of play was a decision for Tennis Australia.

“This year’s Australian Open opened on a Sunday for the first time in the prestigious event’s history, extending the blockbuster tournament to 15 days in a boost for local jobs and Victoria’s economy,” he said.

Two sponsors of the Australian Open – sun care brand Bondi Sands and champagne house Piper-Heidsieck – have backed a potential extension of the tournament to include a Saturday.

“The ambition shared by Tennis Australia with us has always been to move from a two-week event into a three-week tournament event, with the first week the qualifying week,” Piper-Heidsieck managing director Benoit Collard said.

“It will be the decision of Tennis Australia and I know that they will first think of what makes sense for the player. I like the sound of the corks of Piper-Heidsieck popping on a Sunday and I would like it even more on a Saturday.”

Bondi Sands co-founder Shaun Wilson said there was a strong opportunity during the school holidays to extend the tournament to a Saturday start.

Piper-Heidsieck managing director Benoit Collard supports extending the length of the tournament.Credit: Eddie Jim

“Ultimately, if they could do that and make another ‘super Saturday’ ... it would be great for the event,” he said.

The big crowd at the first Sunday start were also a boon for businesses, said Chanelle Pearson, acting chief executive of the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

“Our members in the experience, hospitality and accommodation sectors could expertly cater to players and fans if Tennis Australia decides to commence the program on a Saturday, providing an even bigger boost to our economy,” Pearson said.

But last week, tennis great and commentator John McEnroe questioned the impact of a longer tournament on players and said the extension to Sunday was “a money grab, as far as I’m concerned”.

“They just found another way to make some money. I don’t agree with it,” he said. “The players, if they accept it and are getting something from it, like some money for their pensions or retirement for some players that don’t have insurance, I would say that’s a good thing that they have added an extra day.

“I don’t think that’s happened, just like it didn’t happen at the French Open. I completely disagree with it.”

The Kooyong Classic, a singles-only tournament that runs immediately before the grand slam, said it was unaffected by the Open’s Sunday start this year.

“We have to stay nimble as an exhibition event,” Kooyong Classic tournament director Peter Johnston said. “The players voted with their feet and we had a waiting list of players.”

But Johnston, who is also the director of ATP events in Zhuhai, China and Gijon, Spain, was sceptical about starting the Melbourne major on a Saturday.

“There is no way I see AO going to a Saturday start as you have to consider the impact on events even the week before, including offshore events in Hong Kong and Auckland, which are both tour events, and you are taking part of a tour week.”

The Open also holds a successful Kids Tennis Day on the Saturday before the tournament starts, when acrobats and circus performers take over Rod Laver Arena.

Brent Williams, the head of sport at broadcaster Nine (the owner of this masthead), said: “The AO is working hard to extend the first week.

“With the success of last night, they will probably bed that down for a little while into the future, but that is their call.”

Watch all the Australian Open action live on Nine, 9Gem, 9Now and Stan Sport.

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