Tens of thousands of tennis fans are expected to stay away from the Australian Open on Tuesday as temperatures climb above 40C, but the Melbourne Park grand slam has largely been able to insulate itself – physically and commercially – from the effects of extreme heat.
The daytime attendance for the heat-affected Saturday was 51,048, down more than 10,000 compared with the previous and following days, and an even greater decline is expected on Tuesday given widespread publicity of the Victorian heatwave. Sales of $35 ground passes have been slow and queues at security appeared shorter than usual shortly after gates opened at 9am.
Those who do attend are also less likely to spend as long at the precinct. On Saturday, Melbourne Park was largely empty when play resumed shortly after 7pm, leaving food and beverage vendors twiddling their thumbs at dinnertime when they would usually be run off their feet.
Yarra Jones, 20, from Melbourne, arrived just before 10am with a friend, having bought a ground pass a few days ago. They planned to rely on the misters and frequenting the air-conditioned areas around the main arenas to stay cool, but were not planning to stay all day. “We just figured we’ll come for only a few hours and then we can leave when it gets too hot,” she said.
Tuesday represents a commercial downturn for the tournament which is still on track to break attendance and revenue records. Tennis Australia does have insurance to cover major interruptions, but Tuesday’s lower-than-expected take – potentially costing an estimated $1m – will not warrant a claim.
Even with declines in ticket, food and beverage revenue linked to lower attendance, the tournament is still able to deliver on its major broadcast, sponsorship and ticket obligations thanks to Melbourne Park’s three roofed arenas. Closing the roof, as happened on Saturday, brings the temperature down to below 30C, ensuring play can continue and valuable contracts are fulfilled.
Michael Coghlan, 80, had come to Melbourne from Sydney with his wife, Marion, for the tournament, having bought tickets for Tuesday in Rod Laver Arena. “We prepared a lot last night, we got some water and put it in the fridge and froze that a bit, got some other food to save us going in and out, and we’re prepared just to stay in Rod Laver Arena for the day,” he said.
They specifically chose tickets in the shade, but were anticipating the heat stress scale climbing above five, which triggers a suspension on outside courts and a closure of the roof on the main arenas. “I’m sure they will close the roof today, so we’ve brought a jumper along in case,” Coghlan said, with Marion adding: “In the air-conditioning I get cold.”
Officials have already made changes to limit the effects of heat on Tuesday, including delaying the start of the wheelchair tennis draw and allowing ground pass holders into Margaret Court Arena. Ball kids will have reduced rotations and increased recovery times, in addition to their normal access to an air-conditioned lounge, with electrolyte-loaded icy poles.
There is also ongoing work to make Melbourne Park more comfortable for patrons on hot days. “Increasing shade across the precinct is a priority – we add more and more shade every year,” a Tennis Australia spokesperson said.
Major changes this year include increased shade coverage on Grand Slam Oval, a large shade structure between the courtside bar and ANZ Arena (the old court three), as well as a new, shaded second storey “highline” offering elevated viewing for the outside courts.
“We’ve always spoken about having more shade onsite, and every year we bring in more temporary structures to create comfortable areas for our fans to enjoy the tennis,” the spokesperson said.
The tournament had also pursued a range of environment and sustainability initiatives. Its 120-strong vehicle fleet is now more than one-third fully electric, and the remaining vehicles hybrid. Five more electric vehicles were added this year. The tournament also boasts it is “powered by SEC with 100% renewable electricity products”.