Drinks and tunes, but not everyone is having fun on the ‘party court’

The Australian Open’s new “party court”, which is complete with a courtside bar and DJ, is a smash with fans at the tournament, but organisers are keeping a close eye on proceedings after players raised concerns about the initiative.

Tennis purists and advocates of a “quiet please” approach may baulk at the pumping beats and buzzed crowd, but punters have voted with their feet and packed the courtside bar at court six so much that on Wednesday night it was operating like a nightclub with a queue to get in, and a ‘one in, one out’ policy.

Spectators cheer John Millman and Edward Winter in their doubles match on court six on Thursday.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

While some players, like France’s Arthur Rinderknech, praised the court’s “nice atmosphere”, Russian player Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova on Wednesday raised alarm bells at the crowd’s “disturbing” behaviour.

“It was super loud, like in the restaurant basically, people talking and eating and drinking. I don’t know if they even watched the match,” Pavlyuchenkova told inews.co.uk after her loss to Spain’s Paula Badosa.

“There were a couple of guys, I think they got drunk and they started to scream and meow [at me], I think maybe because I have this tattoo on my leg [that says ‘meow’] or just because, of course, they had some drinks and so it was really disturbing.”

Former Australian tennis champion Alicia Molik said tennis had to keep progressing with initiatives like the party court, but said Pavlyuchenkova’s concerns needed to be resolved.

“I wasn’t aware of that. That’s something the tournament would have to address, definitely,” Molik said. “The tournament organisers, are making sure that whoever they schedule on that court they’re aware of the surrounds.”

When he launched the courtside bar before the tournament, Australian Open boss Craig Tiley tipped court six would “quickly become known as the party court”.

The name has stuck and Tiley also foreshadowed multiple party courts in coming years, as “it’s a model we’d like to expand further across the site in the future”.

Despite players’ concerns, Australian Open organisers remained tight-lipped when asked whether the party court should be reviewed.

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova says some fans were “meowing” at her during her match.Credit: AP

WHERE THE PLAYERS REST THEIR RACQUETS

Hotel rooms across Melbourne are booked out for the tennis and many of those are booked by the players and their entourages.

Australian hope Alex de Minaur’s hotel of choice is the Ovolo in South Yarra, from where he eats his way around the suburb, fuelling up on spaghetti bolognese at Thirty Eight Chairs and pasta with veal ragu at Cucinetta.

“It’s a funky little art hotel, and what I love is that you don’t feel like you’re in a sterile environment, you can just relax there and you feel like you’re at home,” de Minaur told an Ovolo event last week.

Australian star Alex de Minaur stays at the Ovolo in South Yarra. Credit: Eddie Jim

Hilton Melbourne Little Queen Street is hosting Danish sensation Holger Rune, the men’s world No.8; American Alycia Parks, No.31 in the women’s rankings; and French veteran Nicolas Mahut, who is ranked 37 in the men’s doubles and lured by the hotel’s pickleball court on its rooftop terrace.

Former Open champion Ash Barty is rumoured to stay at Marriott hotels, where she is an ambassador.

The brand’s luxury hotel, the Ritz-Carlton, is completely booked out while its other 11 hotels are at 82 per cent capacity.

Crown is also a favoured destination for tennis players with its rooftop tennis court.

“Guests love staying with us throughout the AO tournament because they never know who they might be dining next to, or who they will walk pass around the complex,” a Crown spokeswoman said.

The spokeswoman would not detail exactly who was staying at Crown, but Andy Murray, Alexander Zverev, Caroline Wozniacki, Grigor Dimitrov, Leylah Fernandez, Linda Noskova, Sloane Stephens and Matteo Berrettini have all been spotted dining there during the tournament, including at Nobu, Koko and Bistro Guillaume.

Airbnb’s Australian head Susan Wheeldon hosted a corporate box at Rod Laver Arena on Thursday, and said several Australian Open stars had booked entire homes on Airbnb, and those with tennis courts were in high demand.

“Having a house with your own tennis court but also if you’re travelling with a coach, your family, a partner, and some of them have children, you want a kitchen that gives you that space,” she said.

Dane Sweeny in action earlier this week.Credit: Eddie Jim

Lower down the rankings it’s not all about luxury and privacy, as Queenslander Dane Sweeny, who is 257th in the world, staying in an Airbnb with friends to keep costs down.

“It’s also just about affordability if you are not sponsored,” Wheeldon said.

CHEERING PIGS, HOUSEWIVES AND HUMMERS

Wine brand Squealing Pig hosted a gaggle of celebrities and influencers at its rooftop bar overlooking Grand Slam Oval on Thursday night.

Guests including comedian Joel Creasey, drag queen Rian Difuntorum (aka Aysha Buffet) and former footballer Brodie Holland first had lunch at Bells Hotel, and then were transported in a stretch hummer and water taxi to the tennis for drinks.

Joel Creasey at the Australian Open on Thursday evening.Credit: Flat Pack PR

Creasey, who is an ambassador for the wine brand, said he was a “mad tennis fan” and was an elite junior playing state mixed doubles for his home state of Western Australia.

“I was a ballboy at the Hopman Cup in Perth for several years,” Creasey said. “I have had a ball served into my stomach by Serena Williams which was an honour. Tennis and Real Housewives are the two sports I am into.”

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