When spruiking a summer starting on Thursday with the heavily promoted United Cup, Tennis Australia opted for a mantra pointing to an optimistic future for the sport. The story, the national federation proclaimed, starts here and over the past week the world’s best players have begun arriving for the country’s annual festival of tennis.
While there is no exclamation mark to punctuate the slogan for the 2023 Australian Open, local officials are hoping for a positive summer that serves as a full stop to an absurd run of shocking luck for the tournament.
A trilogy of terrors has caused significant trouble over the past three years: catastrophic bushfires saw Melbourne Park engulfed in smoke in 2020; the pandemic delayed the 2021 edition to February and forced TA to borrow heavily to cover costs including charter flights and quarantine for players; and then nine-time champion Novak Djokovic was detained and then deported before the 2022 Open in an ugly episode that sparked violent protests in the city and placed administrators, including tournament director Craig Tiley, under pressure.
Reigning Australian Open champion Ash Barty and legends Serena Williams and Roger Federer have since retired, and the pandemic continues to cause death and disease. But Djokovic has reportedly arrived back in Australia, photographs of stars alongside koalas and quokkas will soon be published and, importantly, the signs are promising that another special chapter of what is a storied grand slam will unfold by the end of January.
Remarkable triumphs by Rafael Nadal and Barty, along with the Special Ks’ success in the men’s doubles helped change the narrative associated with this year’s Australian Open, though the saga is not forgotten. Several compelling stories are possible in January, among them Djokovic’s quest for a 10th Australian Open that would see him join Nadal as a 22-time major winner.
The legends arrive as the past and present of tennis but Australia will play host to stars of the present and future as well in youthful world No 1s Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek.
The new chapter begins with the inaugural United Cup, with group stages to be held in Sydney, Perth and Brisbane from Thursday before the finals are hosted in the New South Wales capital from 6-8 January. The A$22.4m tournament featuring 18 nations expands on the mixed-teams concept that made the Hopman Cup a popular event and shapes as an intriguing gamble for tennis.
In a landscape where unique teams events are becoming a feature, the scope and price of the United Cup is hefty and comes with no certainty of success. But the new event should prove a hit for broadcasters locally and abroad given the quality of those competing, with the prospect of a deciding mixed doubles alluring in an event that carries official rankings points. This is a significant point of difference to the old Hopman Cup and should further motivate players to produce their best.
The Australians, led by Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios and Alja Tomljanovic, are based in Sydney and will face Great Britain in a tie to be played on Thursday and Friday nights. They will also play a Spanish team led by reigning Australian Open champion Nadal and Paula Badosa in the group stages at Ken Rosewall Arena.
Elsewhere, Swiatek begins her summer leading Poland in Brisbane, while Greek pair Stefanos Tsitsipas and Maria Sakkari are among the talents playing in Perth.
The return of professional tennis to Perth and Brisbane is a cause for celebration in itself after Covid-19 cancelled play there for the past two years. Part of the gamble is whether the elongated ties, with four singles rubbers and a mixed doubles played over two sessions on consecutive days, will draw significant attendances.
The short-lived ATP Cup, a precursor to the United Cup featuring only men, proved popular in Brisbane in the group stages and also in Sydney during the finals rounds in 2020. Kyrgios and Alex de Minaur drew strong crowds to Pat Rafter Arena, where there was cause for embarrassment with the world’s best women led by Barty were forced to play on outer courts. But Perth, where the Hopman Cup had a rich history, struggled to draw significant crowds during that event and are again without Australian representation this summer.
The Guardian understands ticket sales for the Australian Open are stronger than the pre-pandemic rate. But two-for-one ticket deals were on offer for the United Cup leading into Christmas, an indication sales have been slow.
That aside, the introduction of the mixed-teams event is shaping as a positive for other lead-in events as well, with Hobart also returning to the international calendar. Djokovic will spearhead the Adelaide International, with the South Australian capital set to host two strong weeks of normal tournaments prior to the Australian Open. Thanasi Kokkinakis, who kissed Memorial Drive’s Centre Court after claiming a maiden ATP Tour title on home soil last year, adds local flavour to the fortnight.
Kooyong Classic tournament director Peter Johnston, is delighted with the quality of a field headed by Alcaraz. He believes the United Cup has helped the exhibition because leading stars will require additional match play after the tournament and before the Australian Open.
