Tennis Australia reveals major scheduling change for 2025 that will leave comformist dumbfounded

After a record breaking 2024 edition, Tennis Australia is aiming a new high for next year.

Tennis Australia reveals major scheduling change for 2025 that will leave comformist dumbfounded

(L) Jannik Sinner and Craig Tiley; (R) Aryna Sabalenka (Credits: Imago)

Tennis Australia is considering introducing a historic Sunday night women’s final, including a format tweak on the table during the Australian Open. While the move is likely to begin in 2025, changing the women’s and men’s finals would be viewed as a win-win for tennis fans, especially those watching the event on TV.

During the 2024 men’s Australian Open finals, tens of thousands of TV viewers went to bed when Daniil Medvedev was leading Jannik Sinner by two sets. Eventually, the Italian came from behind to win the remaining three sets. But the viewers woke up the following morning to hear that Sinner had won the Melbourne title, making him the youngest after Novak Djokovic to win the Australian Open.

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Midnight finishes have become a burden to CEO Craig Tiley, and he is willing to fix it immediately, having earlier talked about it in late 2019. The decision taken by Tennis Australia will see the women’s category decider go to a maximum of three sets than the earlier five. In addition, it will be on a Sunday night, offering tennis lovers a definitive 10:30 pm finish on Australia’s coast.

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Craig Tiley and Australian Open
Craig Tiley and Australian Open (Via Open Source/X)

The men’s final would be on Saturday night, making it more appealing for fans to stay up and watch. The extension of the Australian Open to a 15-day tournament attracted more than a million spectators for the first time. However, the Australian Open would need the approval of the men’s tennis governing body ATP, or the women’s organizers, the WTA, in order to implement these new improvements.

2024 Australian Open recorded the highest brand sponsorship and revenue

The 2024 Australian Open recorded more than 45 brands that sponsored the tournament. This is a sign of the dynamics the Melbourne competition has taken to make sure that top players compete.

Craig Tiley - Director of the Australian Open
Craig Tiley – Director of the Australian Open (Via Open source/X)

The sponsorship increased by 43% against the 2023 edition. The revenue surged from $499m to $542m backed by funds from the Australian Sports Commission, the Department of Foreign Affairs, and state tourism bodies.

There were options for us from a financial point of view. In the last year, we’ve done an incredible amount of work ensuring that we had sufficient funds to launch 2024 and 2025.
Tiley had said before 2024 AO (H/T: The Guardian)

Tennis Australia also revealed that the state government forgave a $43 million loan that accrued during the COVID-19 pandemic period.

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