Aussie Open 2019 launch debuts on-court mural

The Australian Open may not feel like it's around the corner, but it's just over three months away. With the impending new year closing in, the tournament hosted an AO Launch event in Melbourne, complete with a mural on Court No. 3.

“The design I’ve made for the court is very much in line with my current body of work which is focusing on human intervention wth nature,” artist Bradley Eastman said. “Basically this sort of loose theme of man vs nature, and it’s about how as humans we’re currently altering landscape, we’re drastically altering the planet.”

The 2019 launch was also celebrated at the ATP 1000 stop in Shanghai, with two-time major finalist Kevin Anderson taking part.

The "Happy Slam" announced an increased prize money pool of 10 percent (in local currency) to 60.5 million Australian dollars and a new associate sponsor in Chinese distillery Luzhou Laojiao. The Australian Open will also follow in the US Open's footsteps and use the 25-second countdown clock in the main draw.

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