Australian Open organisers are celebrating a record number of fans flooding into Melbourne Park, but some spectators have blasted the Aussie Grand Slam for becoming a victim of its own success.
A staggering 73,235 people crammed into the sporting precinct for the day session on Sunday, with the night session audience likely pushing that attendance over the 100,000 mark.
That broke the previous record of 70,000 set in 2019, but that was in the middle of the tournament, not on the opening day.
Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley said the surge in popularity came because organisers had worked hard to create an event that was a spectacle, not just a tournament, and featured ‘more entertainment’ for tennis fans.
But the reality for average tennis fans was very different on Sunday, with ground pass tickets suspended for the first time in the event’s history.
Day-session ground passes are a popular, cost-effective option for tennis fans that go for about $65 and grant entry to the outer courts.
A record crowd of nearly 73,000 people flooded Melbourne Park for Day 1 of the Australian Open on Sunday
By the time the night crowd rolled in for the night time match between Carlos Alcaraz and Aussie Adam Walton the crowd had surged to around 100,000
Demand was so intense that officials were forced to halt sales of the budget-friendly tickets within the opening hour of play.
That meant fans were left sweltering for hours outside the venue, with many of them turned away due to the excessive demand.
For those who had secured their tickets already, long lines, increased security because of the recent Bondi shooting, and a lack of proper organisation meant long waits to get into Melbourne Park.
‘This is horrendous. We have been (and still are) in a cue [sic] to get in at the John Cain with movement at a snails pace!! Meanwhile matches have started – gets progressively worse each year but this is ridiculous,’ one fan fumed on social media.
‘Terrible queue and entry management at the Australian Open today. Huge lines for all,’ posted another.
‘Way too crowded, nearly 2 hours to get in. Yikes,’ added another.
That left some fans demanding refunds, while others had their day cut short by the effects of the sweltering Melbourne sun.
‘Closing in on 1.5hrs in this queue to get into #AO. Absolutely ridiculous! No proper planning. Someone just passed out standing in the queue. What a joke,’ one fan posted.
Tennis fans took to social media to complain about how long it took to get into Melbourne Park on Sunday
Fans were left waiting for hours and some demanded refunds after battling to get into Melbourne Park
Another added: ‘Hope they were giving people refunds after waiting 90 mins in line to get into stadiums.’
‘Very little coordination and organisation managing the queues. No system or barriers separating so things moved smoothly,’ revealed yet another.
‘As you got close people were just allowed to join the line from the street which caused a bigger bottle neck and frustrated those who’d been in line for 45min.’
While Tiley was celebrating the record number of fans on the opening day of the 2025 ‘Happy Slam’, plenty of fans said Tennis Australia had gone too far in the pursuit of profit.
Some long-term fans announced they felt locked out of the tournament they had loved for many years.
‘They’ve ruined the #AO2026 #AusOpen. First year in ages not travelling down to it,’ one posted to social media.
‘Way too many people that it’s unbearable, you’re forced to stay at one court if you get there early enough otherwise you won’t see s***. Cost is exorbitant now as well. Rip off.’
There were reports of fans passing out from the heat while others were denied access with sales of the popular ground passes suspended
‘It’s way too many people. The AO needs to stop trying to beat crowd records and make the AO for tennis fans again not influencers,’ added another.
‘They allow too many people into the AO. There are queues galore whether it be to see a match or get food or drink. It’s way too packed. Needs to be reduced by 1/3,’ fumed another.
A Tennis Australia spokesperson confirmed there were delays entering the venue from the eastern side of the precinct on Sunday morning, before crowd congestion eased later in the afternoon.
‘Our customer service team have been assisting fans on arrival … Where appropriate, they’ve been directed to alternate entrances,’ they said.
It comes after furious fans complained about being locked out of marquee matches when a new virtual queuing system failed during the 2025 tournament.
The technology, introduced to manage unreserved seating at John Cain Arena and Margaret Court Arena, crashed repeatedly, forcing organisers to revert to manual wristbands that quickly ran out.
Many ground-pass holders missed premium matches despite empty seats, sparking confusion, long waits and widespread anger among spectators.
Frustrated fans took to social media to demand refunds, while Tennis Australia acknowledged technical issues but offered limited public explanation at the time.
