The Australian Open has dramatically reinvented itself, stretching into a 21-day sporting and entertainment extravaganza. The tournament's traditional qualifying period, now branded as 'Opening Week', is packed with music, exhibitions, and wellness activations – but for the first time, fans must pay to attend.
A New Era for the Summer Slam
Tennis Australia's chief executive, Craig Tiley, has a clear ambition: to own the month of January. Speaking on a record-breaking first day of the 2026 tournament, which attracted 29,261 spectators, Tiley outlined his vision. "We're intense, and we're intense because we're 21 days, every day," he stated, contrasting his sport's summer dominance with cricket's December schedule.
This marks a significant evolution from the event's former two-week format. After expanding to 15 days in 2024 by starting the main draw a day earlier, the focus has now shifted to monetising and supercharging the week leading up to it. Where fans once watched qualifying matches for free, a ground pass now costs $20 per day, edging closer to the $65 price for the main draw.
Entertainment and a Million-Dollar Point
The new-look Opening Week is designed to be a festival. It features sold-out concerts by acts like Hot Chip and The Presets, charity exhibitions with top players, and a new opening ceremony headlined by Roger Federer. The centrepiece, however, is the $1m One Point Slam showcase. This event, trialled last year, pits professionals like Carlos Alcaraz and Nick Kyrgios against celebrities and qualifying amateurs for a seven-figure prize.
"It doesn't feel like it's the first day of qualifiers, it feels in many ways like it's the first day of the event," Tiley observed on Monday, as crowds enjoyed sunny weather despite premium prices for food and drink. The strategy appears successful commercially; Tennis Australia's annual revenue surged by $102m to $693m last year.
Fan Experience and Future Ambitions
While the cost of entry and concessions has risen, fan feedback on the overall experience remains positive. Alan Preston, a visitor from Ireland who has also attended Wimbledon, praised the Melbourne Park setup as "a million miles better," highlighting good signage and the chance to see top players training.
Tiley acknowledges the challenge of maintaining that experience as crowds grow, with over 116,000 attending Opening Week last year and ambitions to reach half a million. Melbourne Park has added more shaded areas to combat the heat. Looking ahead, Tiley floated an ambitious idea to sink the outside courts further into the ground and raise the grandstands, creating a continuous elevated walkway – a potentially costly next phase for the recently redeveloped precinct.
Despite rumours of a potential move to the US Tennis Association, Tiley remains focused on his philosophy of growth that promotes the game. "We are an event about getting people to pick up a racket and play," he insists, as the Australian Open cements its status as a prolonged, premium January fixture.
