Fans frustrated by long queues, ticket sales halt on first day of Australian Open
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Fans of Argentina's Tomas Martin Etcheverry cheering him on during his Australian Open first-round match against Serbia's Miomir Kecmanovic, whom the Argentinian beat 6-2, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in Melbourne on Jan 18.
PHOTO: REUTERS
MELBOURNE – Australian Open organisers came under fire on the Grand Slam’s opening day on Jan 18, as frustrated fans sweated in long queues to the gates of Melbourne Park and complained of confusion over the suspension of ticket sales.
With heightened security at the event in the wake of the Bondi Beach shooting in Sydney in December
Ground passes, which cost A$65 (S$56) for adults during day sessions, allow largely unfettered access to the minor courts and are hugely popular at the year’s first Grand Slam.
Tournament director Craig Tiley confirmed in the morning that the more expensive tickets to the main show courts were the only ones available, but fans were oblivious as they queued for extended periods outside the venue.
Josh Main, a visitor from the Netherlands, said the experience was a let-down during a family trip that coincided with the Grand Slam.
“We went to look for tickets but there was a big line, so I thought, are we in the right line?” he told Reuters. “They told us there are no tickets left, so we can’t get in.
“They did say there were tickets left for Rod Laver (Arena) but we’re not going to sit there today and it’s expensive... I think they said it was 300 bucks or something.”
Local fans also voiced disappointment, with Melbourne resident Elton Yu surprised to find ground passes unavailable.
“Never expected to not have any tickets for the ground pass which I always do,” he told Reuters.
Susan Walsh, another Melbourne resident, said she and her group had already purchased arena tickets but hoped to enter earlier.
“We tried to buy a ground pass and they just told us it was only tickets that were A$229 per person,” she said. “Didn’t want to spend that much money... So, a bit disappointed.”
Tiley said the sales halt was just for the Jan 18 day session and that there were ground passes available for the evening.
“We’ve had to pause them because obviously we want people to come on site and have a great time,” he told reporters.
“There’s still the ‘After five (o’clock) ground passes’ available, which is A$49, come on site for that.”
Governing body Tennis Australia (TA) said fans were encouraged to book in advance and that crowd numbers were constantly monitored at Melbourne Park.
“Tickets will become available as capacity allows,” a spokesperson said in a statement to Reuters.
Since suffering huge losses due to Covid-19 restrictions, the Australian Open has recovered to become a commercial juggernaut generating hundreds of millions of dollars to fund the local game.
A record 1.28 million fans attended the tournament in 2025, up from 1.11 million in 2024.
Organisers expect another record total attendance in 2026.
Former US Open champion Emma Raducanu also criticised the organisers, taking aim at the scheduling, saying “it does not make sense”.
The 2021 winner at Flushing Meadows began her Melbourne campaign in the last match of the first day on Margaret Court Arena, following a men’s clash.
If Kazakhstan’s 10th seed Alexander Bublik had taken five sets to beat American Jenson Brooksby, Raducanu could have been looking at a start close to midnight but Bublik prevailed 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.
The 23-year-old Briton, who beat Mananchaya Sawangkaew of Thailand 6-4, 6-1, said: “I think it’s very difficult to be scheduling women’s matches after a potential five-set match.
“To me, it doesn’t really make as much sense. But I think after seeing it, you know, the initial reaction is probably, oh, it’s a late one. Then you deal with it, and you try and shift your day and adjust.”
REUTERS, AFP
