The Australian Open (AO) is a major tennis tournament held annually in Melbourne. I had not watched tennis before I moved to Melbourne, but I learned it because it is a big thing in Australia.

It was Ben’s dream to watch Australian Open at Rod Laver Arena (the main court), so we bought the stadium tickets for $195 per person for the fourth round. We did not know who would be playing until 2 days before the game, and it turned out to be Rafael Nadal vs Nick Kyrgios. Then, the tickets got sold out quickly as they are popular players so we were very lucky.

This would be our first time to the Australian Open (2020) and we could not wait to explore it!

 

What’s inside Melbourne Park

Our AO stadium tickets include entry to Melbourne Park and all outdoor courts from 5pm, as well as a night session at Rod Laver Arena at 7pm. We entered the Melbourne Park at 5pm sharp so we had more time to explore it.

Melbourne Park is like a carnival. It is full of booths, clubs, shops and restaurants. It also has TV screens for us to watch the tennis and feel the lively vibe. We enjoyed it a lot. It was fun to watch the game with the crowd while having snacks and beer.

If you just want to enter the Melbourne Park without going inside the Rod Laver and Margaret Court Arenas, you can just buy the Ground Pass. It is a much cheaper option and has no time constraint (can enter anytime from 2pm).

Grand Slam burgers from Grill’d

There are so many things to eat here. We ate Grand Slam burger from Grill’d because it is special for this tournament. Melbourne Park was so crowded that we could not find a seat so we had to sit on the stairs. We also bought 2 T-shirts for us to remember the AO experience.

 

The crazy vibes at Rod Laver Arena

The ‘big players’ usually play at Rod Laver Arena or Margaret Court Arena in the night session. That is why these tickets are more expensive, and it is a very good experience as it might have a very exciting vibe.

Since the Australian Open is held in summer, it can sometimes get unpleasantly hot at over 40 degrees. We were very lucky as the weather was just nice when we were there. The stadium roof was open.

Chicken tender, fries and beer 👍🏻

We were shocked at the moment we entered the court as it looked like a disco! Perhaps it was a special event effect on that day. Rod Laver gave a trophy to Margaret Court (real person) for her achievement as the ceremony marked 50 years since she won the Grand Slam, so it was a special night. They are very famous as both the main arenas are named after them.

The stadium was very full and we could hardly see any empty seat. But what I did not expect was the quietness – the crowd was huge but was silent as death when the players were playing; the whole stadium was quiet and no one was allowed to go out. Tennis is a sport that requires a lot of focus. I was amazed by the respect of such a big crowd – none of them talked or breathe heavily… I feel if someone farted we would hear it.

It only has a short break (1 to 2 minutes) after a few games for people to go out, and then everything is closed again until the next break for people to come back to their seat. I wanted to pee but was worried that I will have to wait outside the door till the next break so I did not go. It was a very different and interesting experience!

 

Rafael Nadal vs Nick Kyrgios

It was an exciting game! Initially, we thought the match would finish very fast but it hung on for quite a while. We originally supported Nadal, but then were moved by Nick’s effort as he almost made it. Nadal won in the end. We left the stadium at about 11.10pm.

Usually, there are 2 single games before quarter-final, one for men single and one for women single. But this time was different as it only have one men single and the next one was the doubles. Since the first match took such a long time, the doubles only started at 11.30pm. Most people were gone by then. We took a few selfies when the stadium cleared up but did not watch the doubles as it was too late.

This is the end of our first time to the Australian Open and we enjoyed it very much. We want to come again in the future year. Next time we might bring a mat so we can have a picnic at Melbourne Park.

By the way, we placed $30 bet each on Roger Federer, Simona Halep and Dominic Thiem to win the tournament with TAB. All of them lost. We hope to do better next time!