Tournament director Craig Tiley has strongly dismissed concerns about inappropriate crowd behavior, saying the Australian Open remains the “Happy Slam” despite recent events.
The 2025 tournament has been marked by troubling instances of spectator misconduct, including whistles directed at Novak Djokovic after his forced withdrawal during his semi-final against Alexander Zverev. Additionally, vulgar remarks were directed at Danielle Collins during her second-round match against Australia’s Destanee Aiava, leading Djokovic to comment that some fans may have crossed a line.
However, Tiley stressed in a statement that no alcohol restrictions or changes to the event schedule will be introduced, despite dissatisfaction from some spectators who felt disappointed after paying premium prices for sessions on the court, notably the withdrawal of Djokovic and the one-sided victory of Jannik Sinner over Alex de Minaur.
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-“Changing the schedule because you think someone might opt out would not be a wise decision,” Tiley said. He expressed confidence about the crowd’s overall behavior, recalling a previous experience at the Davis Cup in Malaga, where the atmosphere was just as intense. “I was at the Davis Cup a few months ago in Malaga and no one complained about the behavior of the crowd there, and you couldn’t hear yourself talking,” he noted.
When asked whether fan behavior had crossed any lines at this tournament, Tiley defended the majority of the crowd: “99.9% of fans behaved appropriately. I fully expect “With a million people coming through the gates for three weeks, if nothing happens it would be a bit strange.” He added that the number of expulsions remained consistent with previous tournaments.
He also responded to a headline suggesting the Open had become “The Bogan Slam”, saying event organizers had managed to balance entertainment with respect for players. “The people writing this probably weren’t even here or have a score to settle with slam,” he said. “Whatever people say about the term ‘bogan’ or that it’s not a ‘Happy Slam,’ they definitely aren’t here. The energy and fun among the participants is at a high record.”
Tiley concluded by reaffirming the Australian Open’s esteemed position in the tennis calendar. “The way I evaluate the tournament is by listening to the feedback from the fans, the players and our team – and again, everything has been exceptional. From a fan perspective, we had record crowds. We “We focus on the quality of the experience and all of our customer satisfaction scores are equal to or better than last year, and players continually express their gratitude for the tournament, presenting it without a doubt as the best event in tennis.”
