Why is the Australian open starting on Sunday for the first time in its 119-year-long history?

This change is intended to help viewers in North and South America, making it a Saturday night start.

Why is the Australian open starting on Sunday for the first time in its 119-year-long history?

Credits: Imago

A few months ago, the executives of the Australian Open announced that, for the first time, the Grand Slam would begin on a Sunday. 

This move has led to a stir of reaction on the internet, with a mix of criticism and excitement. The decision was made to suit the different time zones of viewers residing all over the world. 

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This change is intended to help viewers in North and South America, making it a Saturday night start. In addition, the Grand Slam will be extended to a 15-day event, similar to the French Open.

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Due to this, the first round will last three days rather than the typical two. As per the chief executive, Craig Tiley, these moves are supposed to be player-centric.

The move apparently will ease the burden on the players by minimizing matches that will go on until late at night. The first round will consist of 128 matches. More interestingly, the change was brought in after there were tons of criticisms when Andy Murray played until early morning at 4 AM. 

John McEnroe expressed his skepticism about the changes, calling it a ‘money grab‘. According to him, the decision is motivated solely by commercial considerations rather than a real concern for the players. He contended that the extra day was simply a ploy to sell more tickets, maximizing revenue for Tennis Australia.

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A profit-driven move?

Critics believe that the decision appears to be profit-driven, capitalizing on the potential to sell more tickets.

The Australian Open, which had a record attendance of 839,192 last year, could collect more than $11 million. This was additional income from the extended event. 

Credits: Mega Style Apartment
Credits: Mega Style Apartment

This approach also allows Tennis Australia to renegotiate licensing payments with media partners while leveraging the increased content.

While the tournament’s prize money has climbed by 13% to $57.9 million this year, players remain dissatisfied.

They claim that their portion does not reflect their standing as the sport’s top attractions. Despite the financial benefits, many players see the longer tournament as an added workload rather than a reward, questioning the notion that they are getting more leisure days.

The schedule change involves a reduction in the number of matches on the major courts over the opening several days, reducing the likelihood of marathon matches causing delays and stretching night sessions into early morning.

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