The women’s final was actually longer than the men’s this year. Wonder when the last time that happened in the Aus Opeb?
Not sure. But I know the women’s final outrated the men’s one year recently (was it Kerber’s 1.7m metro in whatever year that was?)
While tennis will always be popular and a draw card in Australia (it helps having a Grand Slam), also acknowledging there was another record attendance and TV audiences stable…
I agree with @OnAir that the ‘peak interest period’ (i.e.) now and the last 20 years is gradually fading away, as the ‘changing of the guard’ as uttered by McEnroe starts creeping in.
I also think an interesting point, in terms of Australian TV audiences, was how last year’s final plummeted around 1m viewers, even though it still had Federer and went 5 sets (albeit not as fever pitch as with Nadal). It perhaps also shows how well this year’s final just played actually did (around 1.6m close to last year), even though it was a very one sided thrashing.
So what I’m saying is I think it’ll take an Australian to make the final to see peak interest again (Kyrgios? Barty? de Minaur?) as clearly even the biggest names are no longer the draw cards they omce were.
Roger Federer has become the second male player in history to win 100 tour-level titles.
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Brisbane will keep its WTA event but Sydney may not.
The ATP Cup will be part of the biggest summer of international tennis ever on display in Australia, with the Perth, Brisbane and Sydney events running alongside the Brisbane International women’s event. A new combined men’s and women’s tournament in Adelaide, the Hobart International and an upgraded Canberra Challenger event will follow, all leading into the Australian Open at the end of January.
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Sounds like a confused mess. Some company offered Tennis Australia a bundle of money and they said yes … and in the process they have destroyed decades of tennis tradition. The NSW Open and Hopman Cup both put in the garbage bin.
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Hopman Cup may not be dead but it’s possible it will be held outside Australia. ITF president David Haggerty said a new tournament partner is currently being sought, with the global governing body in discussions with interested cities around the world. No candidates have yet been identified.
Congrats to Ash Barty who won her first grand slam singles title at the French Open , she will rise to No.2 in the world rankings with this breakthrough major victory. It is the highest ranking for an Aussie woman since Evonne Goolagong was No.1 in 1976.
She is the first Australian singles winner at Roland Garros since Margaret Court won the last of her five trophies in 1973.
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Not forgetting Australian Paraplegic tennis player Dylan Alcott also won his final yesterday at the French Open 
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Due to time difference only a few Australian papers managed to feature Ash Barty on their front pages today. Here are the ones which did:
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Barty should (*will) be front page of remaining papers tomorrow. Very common with late night headlines over the years unfortunately, where doesn’t even make 2nd edition sometimes and wait for following day.
(e.g.) Aus Open finals, Gold Logie, etc
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Congratulations to Ash Barty the first Aussie to be Women’s Tennis World Number one since Evonne Goolagong Cawley in 1976.
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