Down Under the Radar: Australia Day

Nina Pantic reports from the 2016 Australian Open on second-week matches—and, in Down Under the Radar, aspects of the tournament that go beyond the court.

MELBOURNE, Australia—It’s a challenge to sum up what Australia Day is like in Melbourne because it’s more of a feeling and an atmosphere than anything tangible. But this we know: For the Australian Open, Australia Day means higher attendance and louder crowds. And for Australians, that means a reason to celebrate a day out of the office.

"It was a different vibe out there today," said Serena Williams after her Australia Day win over Maria Sharapova. "It was just really fun and really cool. I don’t always get to play on Australia Day, but I’m excited I got to play today."

Face paint, flags and color-coordinated outfits glittered the grounds on Tuesday. A normal day at Melbourne Park brings in exuberant, vocal fans, especially if a beloved Australian is in action. On Australia Day, the energy is tenfold regardless of the fact that no Aussies are left in either singles draws.

Tournament organizers designated a public speace near the Yarra river for the Australian Open Festival, which includes music, food and activities for children. Inside the tournament grounds, a designated area requiring IDs (the drinking age here is 18) lets in a steady stream of giddy patrons to populate the Heineken Live Stage and Beer Garden.

Here the youthful and the thirsty can convene to sip on mixed spirits or plastic cups loaded with cold beer, snack on local delicacies (think sausage rolls), and listen to a constant barrage of alternative rock pouring in from the live stage. If you weren’t occasionally glancing up at the big screen showing matches, you’d think you were at a music festival, rather than a tennis tournament.

"It’s cool," said Williams. "Everyone’s so excited. Everyone is pumped. It’s a fun day to play on. I’ve been on both sides. It’s a fun day to just kind of hang out."

A group of fans said they came to the Heineken Live Stage to see The Rubens, the day’s featured band from South Wales. For the younger population, Australia Day is synonymous with the Triple J’s Hottest 100 countdown, which is one of the world’s largest independent polls, gathering well over a million votes. The Rubens’ hit song “Hoops” is one of the many favored options for No. 1, which would be a huge deal, and means a live broadcast from Melbourne Park.

Another group of fans decked out in Australian flag hats and face paint said they came simply for the atmosphere in the beer garden, and didn’t have any interest actually settling into a stadium seat (although everyone has to pay for grounds passes to get into the garden).

But let’s not forget there’s actually a more serious reason for Australia Day. On January 26, 1788, a fleet of 11 British ships arrived at Port Jackson, New South Wales, and raised the flag of Great Britain at Sydney Cove. The founding day has evolved to become a celebration of diversity, but for some, it is also tinged by loss, since it signaled the invasion of Aboriginals, the original inhabitants of Australia. Only since 1994 has the date been nationally recognized as a public holiday.

In any case, in Melbourne Park, Australia Day is full of happy people replacing the stereotypical summer grilling and beach cricket with some great live music, a couple schooners and sausages, and a side of tennis.

The U.S. Open has celebrity power, Wimbledon has tradition, the French Open has artsy vibes, and the Australian Open has summer parties. As the warm, sunny day wears on, the empty beer cups get stacked higher and higher, and the Top 100 Countdown gets lower and lower. There’s simply no place better to be on January 26 than in Melbourne.