The new Australian Open ‘party court’ made a successful debut on Sunday, but not everyone is excited about playing tennis in front of a two-storey bar.
Tournament organisers unveiled the ‘Courtside Bar’ alongside Outside Court Six ahead of the start of the grand slam.
The bar is a two-story structure capable of holding 400 fans and boasts bars on both levels as well as food.
Tournament Director Craig Tiley said the courtside bar idea is an ‘elevated experience’ for fans.
‘We’re gonna give this a go on outside court six and basically, what it is, we just wrapped the court with a two-storey structure where fans can actually lean over, watch the tennis, sit down,’ he told foxsports.com.au.
‘[They can] enjoy a bit to eat, enjoy a drink and the feedback we get is that the fans want to get closer to it, so we bring them closer to it at the same time.
A new Courtside Bar has been erected at the Australian Open, overlooking Outside Court Six – and not everyone is happy about it
Tournament Director Craig Tiley said the courtside bar idea is an ‘elevated experience’ for fans
‘As entertainment, I think it’d be a hit. I think it’d be very popular and will be something where everyone wants to go.
‘You get to see a great view of the tennis. We do want to create an environment where the fans can get as close to the actual play as they possibly can. And we know we have the best environment anyway.’
The bold move is somewhat similar to LIV Golf’s Adelaide event, which last year featured a raucous party hole at the 12th on the Grange Golf Club, which became known as the ‘Watering Hole’.
French tennis player Arthur Rinderknech was far from impressed with the atmosphere at the party court on Sunday, and claimed he was verbally abused by ‘drunk’ fans during his defeat by Pavel Kotov in the first round.
Rinderknech was visibly affected by incessant sledging from the crowd, and made a ‘shush’ gesture towards a group of fans seated in the bar when he denied a Kotov break point.
Reflecting on that monent, he said: ‘Some stupid – I won’t even say the country – guys that were drunk were shouting at me every time I was missing my first serve, and I don’t think that’s really correct.
‘Only in the fifth [set]. I don’t think that was really correct and the ref didn’t say anything about it; maybe once. But I don’t think it was really fair, so I told them nicely to stay quiet and not do this kind of thing, because I don’t think that’s respect.’
Rinderknech did receive huge support from a French contingent seated at the court, not the bar, but he was not pleased with the contributions from those sat in the bar.
Arthur Rinderknech was far from impressed with the atmosphere at the party court
‘I know I had some French fans also in the stands, but I think they were always really correct with my opponent, never did anything against him,’ he added.
‘The bench of just three or four guys next to the court, drinking alcohol probably for quite a long time, and just shouting at me every time I was missing a first serve, especially the game I got broken as well, the whole fifth set. It doesn’t matter about this, I’m used to it, I’m fine. I should have been able to handle it.
‘But I don’t think it was really classy.’
The Frenchman added that he felt as though he was playing tennis in a nightclub, not at one of the most prestigious venues on the calendar.
‘I mean, we’re playing in a nightclub! That’s okay. I thought it was only in the US Open we could play in a nightclub. It happened today for four (hours) – I don’t even know how long we played.
‘It was just food, drinks, laughing, talking, music, different music. Everything was happening on the court!’