By Dave Worsley*
Comments made about Novak Djokovic by Channel Nine reporter Tony Jones struck a raw nerve, Dave Worsley writes. Photo: JAMES ROSS
Analysis - From a viral rant about robots to those derogatory Djokovic comments, there was plenty to chew on at this year's Grand Slam in Melbourne.
Here are 12 main takeaways.
The winners: Madison Keys beat the defending champion, top-ranked Arnya Sabalenka, in a dramatic three set women's final. Keys also beat number 2 Iga Swiatek in the semifinals. Jannik Sinner defended his title and won his third Grand Slam against Alexander Zverev, who has now lost three Grand Slam finals.
The New Zealanders: For the first time since Marina Erakovic in 2017, there was a New Zealander in the singles. However, Lulu Sun didn't last long, beaten in the first round in a winnable match. She also lost in the first round of doubles, albeit against the top seeds. Erin Routliffe reached the semifinals of the doubles and mixed with Gaby Dabrowski and Michael Venus respectively. Venus lost his first round doubles with Nikola Mektic.
The crowd: A total of 1,102,303 people went through the gates of the Australian Open over the 15 days of the main draw. Now beat that US Open... and they'll try everything to do so, as bigger is better in the United States.
The crowd (again): At times there were issues with crowd behaviour, but overall the French fans, Croatians, Brazilians, Poles and other nationalities livened up the tournament and created a fun type of mayhem. Most noticeable were the numbers who came just to be part of fan zones. Only 15,000 fit into Rod Laver Arena, yet between 40,000 and 50,000 people came through the gates on ground passes in the final few days, all paying around AU$70 (NZ$77) and over for a ticket - the tournament was absolutely humming.
The weather: There was only one day into the 30s and it was surprisingly quite humid. There was a little early rain and at night it was particularly cold and windy. .
The players: A ball girl struggled with the humidity on court three during a doubles match and was wobbly on her feet. German doubles player Tim Puetz and he raced to her side catching her before she collapsed and helped court officials with treatment. Aside from the odd racquet abuse, most players were engaged with the crowd.
Most players were engaged with the crowd, Dave Worsley says. Photo: AFP
The viral moments: Routliffe made headlines and garnered support from fellow players with her outburst about a lack of electronic judges at the tournament. Routliffe was convinced a ball caught the top of the net, but the umpire did not rule a let, leading her to exclaim: "Oh my God, we have robots everywhere and we don't have them for the net?" Later, Routliffe posted a self-deprecating message on social media after her rant made headlines: "I feel like I have a point, but why so dramatic."
The celebs: There were plenty of celebrities spotted in the crowd, including actor Eric Bana, fashionista Tyra Banks, regular visitor Rebel Wilson, singer and actor Harry Connick Jr, Jackie Chan, Australian F1 driver Oscar Piastri and former driver Mark Webber as well as plenty of international sportspeople.
The media: Unfortunately, there were several cases of cringe on TV from Channel 9 and on-court interviews. It's never easy fronting live, but the derogatory Novak Djokovic comments hit a raw nerve and some courtside interviews soured the event. Ben Shelton commented that perhaps some respect is needed to be shown for players winning a match.
The food: It's not cheap eating out for the public at the Australian Open, but at least some food can be brought in - otherwise, the cheapest meal (aside from hot chips) is over AU$20 (NZ$22). The best value beer is AU$14.50 (NZ$16) while the official champagne is Piper Heidsieck at AU$25 (NZ$27.50) per glass.
The venue: The Upper Court is ideal for teens or children with indoor computer games (both modern and older), a sponsors' area where free make-up and hair can be done, padel tennis courts and more. A great addition to the venue.
The excitement: There are plenty of young players to watch out for over the next couple of years - strangely, just one teenager in the WTA top 100, but multiple teens in the men's ATP top 100
* Tennis journalist Dave Worsley has been covering the Australian Open and is an RNZ contributor.
