Australian Open units Grand Slam attendance file

The Australian Open set a Grand Slam attendance file with greater than 900,000 spectators visiting over three weeks, organisers stated on Tuesday, regardless of the absence of some big-name gamers and schedule disruptions as a result of rain.

A file 839,192 followers flocked to Melbourne Park from Jan. 16-29 for the primary match in two years freed from COVID-19 restrictions, beating the earlier mark of 812,174 set in January 2020.

The figures eclipse final 12 months’s attendance numbers at different Grand Slam fundamental attracts – 515,164 visited Wimbledon, 613,500 had been on the French Open and 776,120 went to the U.S. Open.

Over 60,000 additionally watched the qualifying occasions in Melbourne, bringing the whole as much as 902,312.

The match, lacking the retired Serena Williams, Roger Federer and final 12 months’s homegrown champion Ash Barty, broke its single-day attendance mark with 94,854 followers visiting on Jan. 21. The earlier file was 93,709 set in 2020.

“It was reported that we didn’t have the greats any more, that it was going to be terrible. But people just want to be entertained,” Tennis Australia chief govt Craig Tiley informed the Melbourne Age.

“They want to have some fun, and tennis is a great option for them, and it’s become a summer thing to do for Melburnians and for Australians and also for our guests from around the world.”

Tiley has set his sights on breaching the a million mark subsequent 12 months.

“This year was the start of it,” Tiley stated. “It’s going to be a three-week extravaganza.

Novak Djokovic beat Stefanos Tsitsipas on Sunday to win his tenth Australian Open crown, drawing stage with Rafa Nadal on 22 majors, and reclaim the world primary rating Aryna Sabalena gained her first Grand Slam title with victory over Elena Rybakina on Saturday.