For the first time ever, the Australian Open will be a 15-day tournament next year which will bring hundreds of thousands of people to Melbourne.
An additional day of play will be added to the first round of the Grand Slam, meaning more people will have the opportunity to watch players from around the world.
Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos today joined Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley to reveal the news and announce that tickets for the annual sporting event will be on sale from tomorrow.
“Melbourne’s blockbuster calendar of major events is heating up for summer with tickets to the Australian Open 2024 on sale from tomorrow, giving fans the chance to see the world’s best tennis players in action,” Dimopoulos said.
“The extra day of play means more visitors will spend more time in Melbourne, enjoying everything this vibrant city has to offer while backing local jobs and the economy.”
Last year, an Opening Week was introduced, making it a three-week festival, with two weeks of play.
Tiley revealed that in 2024, this will be expanded further with more programs and opportunities for fans to get close to the action.
The government has invested almost $1 billion into the hosting venue Melbourne Park, and its redevelopment, while also securing the Australian Open in Victoria until 2046.
The number of fans expected to file in could break last year’s record 839,192 total audience across the two week competition that saw Novak Djokovic defeat Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final.
With big names like Rafael Nadal being confirmed to return, there remains doubt over Nick Kyrgios, as the local fan-favourite recovers from injury.
