My Aus Open Review

The Australian Open remains one of the best-run events in sport, and after several days at this year's tournament, here's a look at the fan experience across four areas: atmosphere, partnerships, food and drink, and digital.

Fan experience

From the moment fans walk through the gates, the atmosphere feels closer to a festival than a tennis match, and Rod Laver Arena remains the standout venue with fast access to food and drink. New additions like the two-storey Courtside Bar on Court 6 and the ticketed Finals Festival concert series add hours of entertainment beyond the tennis itself.

Partnership activations

Brand activations were everywhere, from sunscreen and misting stations to Aperol and Peroni bars, a New Balance pop-up, and an InfoSys VR booth letting fans play against their favourite players.

Getting fans through faster

Long drink queues from previous years were noticeably shorter this time, helped by an expanded points-of-sale rollout. The tournament's official app, with Ticketmaster-powered scheduling, live scores and venue navigation, was a standout, though there's a clear opportunity to layer in real-time offers the moment a fan scans into the gate — something that depends on the kind of real-time ticketing integration sports organisations are increasingly investing in.

Overall, it's an event run with real attention to detail from front to back, and one worth studying for anyone thinking about the modern live-event experience.