Australian tennis veteran John Millman has defended the Australian Open's new 'party court', saying players must adapt to changing fan expectations. The court, featuring a two-storey bar on the eastern sideline, has drawn complaints from players including Stefanos Tsitsipas for its noisy and distracting atmosphere.
Millman, 34, played his first-round doubles match on court six alongside 19-year-old Edward Winter, winning 6-7 (3-7), 6-2, 7-6 (14-12) after a rain-interrupted match. The final-set tie-break drew raucous cheers from fans, who were drinking and close to the action. 'I think they spent the delays having a few drinks because it was pretty rowdy,' Millman said.
Tsitsipas, the men's No. 7 seed, played on the court with his brother and described the environment as distracting. 'You don't know until you're a tennis player, when you're trying to zone in... it's difficult when you see movement,' he said. However, he acknowledged that 'the times are changing' and players must accept it.
Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley has indicated the model could be expanded. Winter, a former top junior, supported the modernisation, comparing it to innovations in other sports. 'For the progression of the game, what Tennis Australia is doing is really important,' he said.
Millman, who retired from singles after the qualifiers, said this doubles run would be his last tournament. 'If we'd lost 14-12, that would have been the last point I'd played,' he noted. The pair will face the winner of James Duckworth and Marc Polmans against second seeds Rohan Bopanna and Matt Ebden.
