Australian Open: Fans frustrated by long queues, ticket sales to end on day one

Australian Open organizers came under fire on the opening day of the Grand Slam on Sunday (January 18, 2026) as frustrated fans sweated in long queues outside the gates of Melbourne Park and complained of confusion over the suspension of ticket sales.

Due to increased security at the event in the wake of Sydney’s Bondi Beach shooting last month, hundreds of spectators gathered outside the venue in warm weather before tournament officials stopped selling the cheaper ‘ground pass’ tickets within the first hour of play due to high demand.

Ground passes, which cost A$65 ($43) for adults during day sessions, provide largely unfettered access to the minor courts and are hugely popular during the first Grand Slam of the year.

Tournament director Craig Tiley confirmed in the morning that only the higher priced tickets for the main show courts were available, but fans were unaware of this as they queued outside the venue for long periods.

Josh Main, a visitor from the Netherlands, said the experience was a letdown 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 go in.

“They did say there were still 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 or something like that.”

Local fans also expressed their disappointment, with Melbourne resident Elton Yu surprised that ground passes were not available.

“I never expected that I wouldn’t have 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 tickets for the arena but were hoping to get in earlier.

“We tried to buy a ground pass and they just told us it was just tickets that cost $229 per person,” she said. “I didn’t want to spend that much money… So a little disappointed.”

Tiley said the sales freeze only applied to the Sunday session and ground passes were available for the evening.

“We had to interrupt them because obviously we want people to come on site and have a great time,” he told reporters.

“There are still ‘After 5’ (hours) ground passes available, costing $49, please come on site for those.”

Governing body Tennis Australia did not respond to requests for comment from Reuters.