Players divided on Australian Open’s courtside bar atmosphere

MELBOURNE, Australia — A 37-year-old veteran didn’t mind the music, and a 16-year-old qualifier debuting in the Australian Open main draw picked up on the vibe from the two-story courtside bar and thought it was energizing.

Petros Tsitsipas didn’t like it one bit as he and his brother, 2023 Australian Open runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas, lost their first-round doubles match: «It’s a very weird concept, in my opinion.»

There’s a certainly a buzz around the bar that overlooks Court 6 and gives Australian Open fans a shady place to have a cool drink on a hot day, which is something of a national tradition.

It’s popular with fans, but the music and constant movement adjacent to a Grand Slam tennis court is dividing opinion among players.

Stefanos Tsitsipas, who has a strong following among Melbourne’s big Greek population, wasn’t impressed after losing in doubles Tuesday to Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela and Daniel Altmaier.

«The DJ and stuff, I just kind of remembered, it was somewhere in my subconscious where I could feel the movement and all that kind of action going on in the background,» he said. «I’m not a huge fan of it.»

He plays his main draw singles matches on the show courts, where there are fewer distractions — although spectators are allowed to enter the arenas after each game now in Australia instead of during every change of ends.

Petros Tsitsipas is more familiar with the outside courts around Grand Slam venues in Melbourne and New York, where crowds can get rowdy and sometimes old-school tennis conventions don’t apply. But the new bar so close to the court was too much for him.

«It’s way too accessible, in a way, for the public,» he said. «It was a bit noisy, so it’s not so easy to concentrate.»

Despite his concerns, he didn’t want to blame the party area for his loss.

«The most important thing is to perform,» he said, «to go out and perform in a Slam.»

The tournament attracted almost 90,000 spectators on Day 1 and more than 80,000 on Day 2, with organizers offering more shade and more places to relax and unwind.

Gael Monfils has been playing at the Australian Open since 2005 and has had big moments on the main arenas and the further-flung courts. He played on Court 6 in his 51st Australian Open main draw singles match late Monday afternoon.

«Music? I don’t really mind, to be honest,» the 37-year-old Frenchman said. «I was just focused on my match. I was blocking out, so nothing really bothered me. No, it’s OK.»

At age 16, Alina Korneeva wouldn’t be allowed into most bars in Australia, yet it was the setting for her first match win at a major on Sunday, Day 1 of the first 15-day Australian Open. She won the junior title here last year.

«When the match started, of course, it was a bit something new for me. It was a bit loud,» she said. «But at the same time I was really happy for these fans because people here, the Australian fans, was really good and so energy. «

James Hulls and Assiya Halid live in Melbourne and liked the new addition, which can hold 500 people.

«We read about it in the paper and saw it on the news that, yeah, they had a two-story bar and it was going to be a good atmosphere,» Hulls said. «So this is where we’re just starting our day to create a base and figure out what we’re going to do.»

Marnie Perez Ochoa and Steph Chung were visiting from New York, attending the Australian Open for the first time.

Perez Ochoa wanted to see her friend, Reyes-Varela, play but couldn’t get a seat in the regular bleachers, so decided to watch from the rooftop bar.

«I think it could catch on,» she said, despite only getting a partial view. «If it’s a good match, it’s a nice spot to be in.

«It’s not too loud. I feel like here they’re not as strict on talking in between points — it’s not like rowdy like the US Open.»

But it’s not quiet enough for Stefanos Tsitsipas’ liking. He’d prefer silence during the points.

«You know, there is a tiny little yellow ball flying around, and it requires your concentration sometimes over 100%. If that [distractions] can affect you at 5%, we’re in trouble,» he said. «That’s why Wimbledon is one of my favorite tournaments, because there is silence and you can just concentrate and focus on your game.»