Australian Open director Craig Tiley has defended the number of ground passes sold to this year’s tournament after suggestions not all ticket holders got into the courts to watch live matches in stadium seating.
Fans can purchase ground pass tickets – listed as costing “from $35” on the AO website – which permits access to the general precinct as well as courts which aren’t Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court Arena, and the John Cain Arena reserved seating area.
The website states “access to outdoor courts and unreserved seating is subject to availability and capacity limits”.
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It means purchasing a ground pass does not guarantee an individual will be able to sit courtside to watch the top international stars in action.
Tiley says there were “more people through the gates” at this year’s Open than ever before.
Fans are seen prior to day one of the 2025 Australian Open. Getty
But on SEN’s Whateley on Tuesday he was asked whether it was a concern if some of those people weren’t able to see any live tennis.
“It’s a great question,” Tiley said.
“I’ve been focused on the satisfaction of the customer. Our satisfaction scores, which were measured daily by customer surveys and that, were the same or higher than they were last year, so we’re pleased about that.
“We’re not chasing numbers, we are chasing the experience. That’s why we introduced opening week, to spread the event out over three weeks. We’ll be looking at how we schedule things… it always falls within school holidays to give everybody a chance to come out.
“We will continue to focus on the experience… we will be creative with how we approach the precinct, looking for space that ensures everyone has a good time and feels comfortable, feels safe, and is getting well entertained.”
Tiley was asked directly whether fans would feel aggrieved if they purchased a ticket only to be turned away from seeing matches.
“No we did not get that feedback, (but) I’m sure there would be a few that would feel that way,” he said.
Fans cool down at a water mister machine at Melbourne Park. AP
“We did spread out the practice village this year, which was a hit. There were plenty of seats around where you could watch the top players practice, that was well received.
“We more than tripled the number of screens on site, because a lot of people like to come and sit, and eat, and watch the screens with their friends.
“We will be focused on making sure we continue with that so we don’t get to a point where it’s challenging for any of our fans to come and watch the game.”
Tiley – who has introduced a courtside bar and on-court coaching pods in recent years – has promised to bring more innovation to the 2026 Open.
