Between lookalike competitions and aerobatics demonstrations, when the Australian Open becomes an amusement park to attract its audience

When the public comes to the Australian Open, it's not just to see Tennis. In Melbourne park, everything is done to ensure that spectators are entertained. The Australian Open, nicknamed theAustralian summer or the Happy Slamdoes not have these nicknames by chance. Beyond the numerous bars and restaurants located in every corner of the sports venue, several activities follow one another.

Almost everywhere between the courts, there are spaces where you can practice table tennis or turnball (racket sport). An area, called Topcourt, located at the west end of the stadium, is even entirely dedicated to these “fan experiences”. Without much connection with tennis, you can also find stands with the latest fashion and beauty trends or even DJ sets in the aisles. Here, the padel and mini-basketball courts are always full. Conferences on tennis, dance tutorials and lookalike competitions are in full swing, while an acrobatics demonstration delights spectators present when the doors open on Friday January 17.

“Everything is done for families, with a fun and festive side. Without all these activities, there would be far fewer people,” assures Luc, a regular at the tournament, between two exchanges with his daughter at table tennis. Amber, a resident of Geelong, the second largest city in the state of Victoria after Melbourne and also a regular at the tournament, is coming for the first time with her twins, sound asleep in the stroller. “I like the atmosphere here, and with children, there are lots of things to do to spend the day. Because you can't take them to the courts all day,” admits this young mother, who will spend more time here than watching the matches.

Every day, on one of the central squares of the site, several artists take turns on a small stage installed near a giant screen, a few colorful beanbags and high tables. The groups alternate between soft melodies in the morning and more festive rhythms at the end of the day. “A skewer of stars”, mainly Australian, also performs certain evenings on the Rod Laver Arena, before the night sessionin order to offer “even more added value for fans”, proudly communicate the organizers. “This year’s line-up of pre-game shows at Rod Laver Arena is the largest ever and will bring even more excitement, atmosphere and entertainment to the AO,” rejoiced Craig Tiley, tournament director.

For those who want to mix up the pleasures, court number 6 has had a bar attached since last year, with a breathtaking view of the court. Under the parasols, the white and sky blue striped sofas, located just behind the court railing, were stormed by spectators, who came to watch the match between Frenchwoman Varvara Gracheva and German Eva Lys, Thursday January 16 .

Cocktails and beers in hand, these spectators are even closer to the pitch than the public seated in the stands, just opposite. If the front rows are attentive, the consumers located further back and upstairs are less disciplined. The hubbub is incessant, when the stands only exult at the end of a point. In the middle of the match, a smell of grilling invades the court, while a small group, seated in the front row, launches a cover of the famous song by Bruce Channel, Hey baby !, to encourage the German Eva Lys. “I love this new conceptrejoices Julia, a resident of Sydney who makes the trip every year. We can see the players very well and the atmosphere is festive with music. Even if I come primarily for tennis, I like these relaxed places.”

The ambition of tournament director Craig Tiley is to make it a new attraction. “We hope it will quickly become known as the 'party court'. This is a model we would like to expand further on the site in the future,” he estimated in 2024 for its inauguration with our colleagues at Forbes. The players are divided by the idea. While many ignore the noise, others admit to being sometimes disturbed. Varvara Gracheva had to adapt during her first match on this court: “90% of the time it doesn't bother me, but when someone starts shouting during the point, it's a bit hard. The audience is very close, but that's how it is, we can't eliminate the bar, she smiled. There just needs to be a little more respect for the game.”

“Each Grand Slam is representative of a style of tennis, of a surface, and brings to its tournament the local culture and way of being, slips François Thomazeau, writer, journalist, and former head of press at Roland-Garros. You can feel it. Australians have a more relaxed and festive mindset, and sport is an integral part of their lives.”

The bet is proving to be a winning one, according to the organizers, who send their attendance figures to the press every morning. Just six days after the start of the main draw, the Australian Open already has 449 070 visitors, and even 565 598 if we add the qualifying week. For comparison, at Roland-Garros, 670,000 places were sold across the entire tournament in 2024, according to the French Tennis Federation (FFT).

Thanks to a much larger location than in Paris, the Australian Open relies on the volume of spectators. “They don't have the same audiences, with less knowledgeable spectators here than in London or Paris”, confirms Lionel Maltese, sports marketing specialist and former member of the FFT executive committee. Wimbledon and Roland-Garros are about tradition, the economy of scarcity and high-end business. The US Open is based on American entertainment, where everything is allowed, with lots of concerts. “L'Australian Open is in an 'amusement park and festivals' model, with as many people as possible, with many partners offering outdoor activities. It is the only one to really focus on tourism and the notion of destination marketing, supported by the State of Victoria. analyzes Lionel Maltese, lecturer at the University of Aix-Marseille.

“This is where they will stand out to seek other income and different exposure.”

Lionel Maltese, sports marketing specialist

at franceinfo: sport

This economic model, which is different from the other Grand Slams, can also be explained by its market, which is smaller than the other three. “They are limited because they are geographically eccentric. Their economy is not comparable to the other three Majors, which are in large cities, remarks Lionel Maltese. Above all, continues this specialist, they do not have the same TV rights. Today, the TV rights for the other three Grand Slams are well above the Australian Open because the market is not the same [notamment à cause du décalage horaire important].”

To obtain international TV rights, the tournament had to adapt its programming, especially with European and American ultra-domination among the best players in the world. This is why two matches are placed on the main courts during evening hours, in order to correspond to as many time zones as possible, in addition to offering double ticketing. “They also have little hospitality, which is the second source of income at Roland Garros, and which is also very important in London, and even in New York, detailed Lionel Maltesse. They don't have many big companies, and the big groups will prefer to go to Paris or London.”

Their economic model, more fragile than the other three, does not prevent them from investing widely. They were the first to install a roof on the main court at Rod Laver Arena in the late 1980s. “They have no choice, tranche Lionel Maltesse. Unlike the others, they do not own their stadium. They thus depend on the State of Victoria [les autres sont indépendants]which invests enormously because it tournament is the spearhead of Oceania. It's their only big event with the Formula 1 Grand Prix. It's a brand for the continent, while we are on a nation brand.” The tournament also seeks to attract an Asian audience, another continent close to its borders, in order to continue to further grow its exposure. It remains to be seen whether, in the long term, this model will not become a reference, or even the standard, for all sporting competitions.