Yes, the Australian Open should shift the timing of the singles finals
The first time I covered the Australian Open, in 2001, the final started at 2 p.m. Andre Agassi defeated Arnaud Clement in a lopsided final that lasted one hour and 46 minutes. This year was my 18th visit and on a Sunday I wondered out loud (on the internet) why since 2005 the men’s final of the Australian Open has been played in the evening, while Wimbledon, the US Open and Roland-Garros start all afternoon.
Overseas broadcast rights are obviously incredibly lucrative. Tennis Australia has invested millions of dollars in expanding and improving Melbourne Park and the Australian Open, paying players far more prize money than in the past. That money needs to be recouped, so it makes sense to hold the men’s final in the evening, where fans can be in the grounds and spend money for hours.
European TV and Asian TV, the latter being a particularly big source of income for Tennis Australia, like to start the evening as the time zones work well. However, in the US, the time of 7:30 PM in Melbourne corresponds to 3:30 AM in New York.
Many people talked about the heat. Well, the Australian Open has a heat rule, so if it’s too hot, they close the roof and the players and crowd are air-conditioned. The on-site fans watching on big screens do indeed need more shade, but the tournament has promised to improve that in coming years.
What about 6pm News, an institution in Australia? How many people watch just one thing these days in this age of 24-hour news and streaming? Younger people, which Tennis Australia wants to attract, watch TV in different ways, and even watch TV and their phone at the same time. And now that the children went back to school today, many young people could not watch, while staying up late was also a problem for parents.
Coincidentally, the final ended around 11pm on Sunday, which is much earlier than it could have been. If Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic had gone to a fifth set, it would have been well past midnight. Many, including support staff and media, will have to stay at least a few more hours after the final ends.
The US Open moved the men’s final even earlier last year, from 4:15 p.m. to 2 p.m. Wimbledon starts at 4:00 PM and Roland-Garros at 3:00 PM. The AFL grand final is still an afternoon start. No one is saying the Australian Open should set its schedule for the US, but why not start a little earlier, like 5pm? Simon Cambers
No, the Australian Open should not shift the timing of the singles finals
Certainly, there are reasons why this should be the case. But very simple: that is not necessary. And more importantly, that shouldn’t be necessary.
You’ve probably seen the social media posts that started this whole debate – a (largely good-natured) musing from an American that “they should have found a way” to play the men’s final at a time more convenient for television audiences on the US East Coast. The poor guy didn’t stand a chance. The knee-jerk reaction when it is perceived that an American is dictating how to run things is one of the few remaining facets of Australian life that unites us – and that is especially true when it comes to institutions like the Australian Open, an event that has become as much a cultural event as a sporting event.
But such a visceral reaction does provide some insight into why organizers don’t want to upset locals, especially considering they just set a new record of 1,150,044 fans coming through the gate for the main event and 1,368,043 during the tournament. Add to this the significant investment from Australian rights holders looking to broadcast primetime events, as well as the dangers of the intense summer heat for visitors not in the air-conditioned interior of Rod Laver Arena, and there are plenty of practical reasons for organizers to maintain the status quo.
Additionally, the US has a grand slam tournament called the US Open. There’s also Wimbledon and the French Open, which serve Europe but also take place at times that suit the American palate. The French Open final was moved to 3pm last year, giving them a much friendlier 9am start time in New York, but keeping a hostile 11pm start time in Melbourne.
The Australian Open is not just about Australia either. It is the grand slam of the Asia-Pacific. If you add in China, Japan, Korea and much of Indonesia, almost a quarter of the world’s population falls within the UTC +8 and UTC +10 time zones – billions of viewers (and potential consumers) in a good spot for the final. Bearing in mind that Melbourne already offers comfortable primetime morning viewing in Europe, why should Australia’s usually sleepless sports fans, who have consumed the World Cup finals, Formula 1, the Tour de France and more in a haze of caffeine and fatigue, largely without complaint, make the switch?
And perhaps in a global sport – China last August unveiled a plan to “vigorously develop tennis” after Zheng Qinwen’s Olympic gold – perhaps this should be seen not just as fair, but as an opportunity. Joey Lynch
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