In 2007, when Roger Federer dubbed the Australian Open the “Happy Slam,” he crystallized a sentiment that tennis players and fans had been feeling for years. Sure, maybe it’s the fresh outlook of a new season or the Aussie summer sun in the middle of the Northern Hemisphere’s cold winter. But it’s more than that. What transpires over the course of two weeks at Melbourne Park has a vibe the other majors just can’t beat. This fortnight is not just a competition — it’s a celebration of all things tennis. Yes, the Australian Open just hits different.
But it wasn’t always that way. Throughout the 1970s, top players routinely skipped the major Down Under — the trip too far, the money too low, and the courts too unplayable. Even the grass-savvy like Martina Navratilova and John McEnroe, who flatly said at one point the surface was “not good enough to play tennis on,” took a pass on the wild courts of the Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club for most of their early careers.
For fans, the experience at Kooyong was a mixed bag. It was peak Aussie casual, but that wasn’t always a compliment. Seats were few, which put most fans on blankets in the grass or behind a rope in standing room only. To view other courts, a bit of a hike was required. As Australian photographer Roger Gould recalled to Racquet, “To watch matches on some of the outside courts you had to sit up on a mound at the edge of the railway and look over the top of the court wire enclosure.”
By the early 1980s, the ITF warned Tennis Australia that their tournament was falling too far behind the other majors. And that was all they needed to hear. In 1985, the organization began to build not only an entirely new facility, but a completely different tournament with new stadiums, a new surface, and a new mentality. The formula was simple: investing in the happiness of players and fans would make for good business. If Wimbledon was the most prestigious, Roland-Garros the most romantic, and the U.S. Open the most dramatic, the slam at Melbourne Park would become the most loved.
Over the last few years, Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley and his team have almost reflexively upped the stakes for players. Another $10 million has been added to the prize money pool. The already extremely rare player travel stipend has doubled, and then some. A post-workout and post-match recovery spa awaits players after they log their hours on the court in the Australian summer. They’ve asked players to name their favorite chefs — and then flew them in from around the world. And, if that’s not enough, Tennis Australia is taking care of their coaches, too, with their own lounge, as well as complimentary meals and laundry service.
For the fans, more shaded spaces throughout the grounds so fans can watch on-court action on the big screen and catch a break from the sun. Courtside bars are a fan favorite (perhaps less so among players). The three-day Finals Festival is filled with music, art, and fun (bonus: these tickets also double as a grounds pass). They’ve taken inclusion to another level with All Abilities Day and thought about the needs of their neurodiverse community with calming sensory rooms. Misting fans, water fountains, and filling stations throughout the park are designed to make fans that much more comfortable. And you can get a craft beer for about $9? Yes, please. The list goes on. In other words, it’s hard to not feel loved by the Australian Open.
Now it’s time for the other majors to play catch up. Sure, they’ve engaged in a prize money race and thrown a concert or two. Could the USTA not press New York City to finally follow through on its plans to revamp the New York State Pavillion so that it serves the U.S. Open beyond the Unisphere as a broadcast backdrop? Would it kill the All England Club to collaborate with artists who are interested in this century? And if Roland-Garros is bent on night sessions under the lights, how about more than a showcase for men’s tennis? But make it quick The Other Three: The Australian Open is about to lap you with a $1 billion influx of cash to Melbourne Park.
This year’s Australian Open has no shortage of incredible storylines. History will be made when Hady Habib takes the court as the first Lebanese player to qualify for a major main draw. Young American wild card Nishesh Basavareddy will face off in the first round against his idol and the inspiration for his game, Novak Djokovic. Many will keep an eye on new coaching arrangements for Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Naomi Osaka, Donna Vekic, Hubert Hurkacz — but perhaps none more than Elena Rybakina and Goran Ivanisevic and Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray. Jannik Sinner will battle his opponents and a doping appeal as he attempts to defend a major for the first time. Aryna Sabalenka will look to cement her place as the Queen of Melbourne Park by winning her third consecutive Australian Open.
However, only one outcome is guaranteed: no matter who wins, the Happy Slam always retains her title.
A previous version of this article was published in conjunction with Racquet.
