Melbourne.- On court 6 of Melbourne Park, in the sun and with stifling heat, Paula Badosa faces Pavlyuchenkova. A couple of steps away, on one of the sides of the court, More than a hundred people watch the game in the shade from a bar, with the Aperol Spritz taps full and live music. That tavern melody in the background inevitably sneaks into Badosa’s match and all those played on court 6. And tennis players don’t like it at all.
“It’s been going well for me, so I’m not going to complain,” Badosa responds with a half smile after playing and winning his first two games on that court. And although he says he’s not going to complain, he does: “It’s very noisy, it’s hard to concentrate there. My rivals have also complained and it is not comfortable. I couldn’t hear my team and even during points it’s too loud“.
Always innovative, the first Grand Slam of the course is trying to improve the fan experience. In 2024, for example, there is freedom of movement in the stands – a measure that divides the circuit – and the AO Courtside Bar on lane 6. Two floors and with capacity for 400 people -although the space to see the track is smaller-, this controversial bar It is surely a delight for fans, but for tennis players it is a headache.
“It’s like we’re playing in a nightclub! I thought the nightclub thing, with the music and such, was only in the US Open,” said Arthur Rinderknech after losing in the first round of the tournament. “Food, drinks, talks, music… everything was on the court. Some stupid drunks, of which I won’t say the country, were yelling at me the whole time when I missed my first serve. I don’t think that’s right“.
Dubbed the “party court”
Others, like Gael Monfils or John Millman, don’t care. “Music? It didn’t worry me, really.. He was focused on my game. I blocked anything that came from outside and it didn’t bother me,” says the French veteran, while his Australian colleague assures: “It’s a sign that times are changing a bit. In the end the fans are the ones who pay the bills and I think the players have to live with it.”
With a menu in which the cocktails are 14 Australian dollars (about 9 euros at the exchange rate), The court was named the “party court” by tournament director Craig Tiley. “We want to create an environment where tennis fans can get as close as possible to the game. And we know that we have the best environment of all,” he said before the start of the tournament.
“I think the idea of the bar next to the court It’s simply an enhanced experience for our fans. You can enjoy a little food, a drink and the response we get from the fans is that they want to be closer to the track.” Of course, they have achieved that, because the first row on the ground floor of the bar is literally on the track.
Nacho Encabo is a sports editor at Relevo, a specialist in tennis and the Olympic Games. Born in Madrid, he studied Journalism and Audiovisual Communication at the Rey Juan Carlos University and began as an intern in the sports section of El Mundo in 2011. Knowing German shortly after opened the doors of the dpa agency, where he worked as a special envoy to the 2012 London Olympic Games and the 2014 Sochi Winter Games, the 2016 Euro Cup in France and the 2018 World Cup in Russia. In addition, adding Relay and the rest of his career, he has covered the four tennis Grand Slams, the Davis Cup , athletics world championships, Formula 1 Grand Prix and countless LaLiga and Champions League matches. He has also worked as a reporter at El Independiente and traveled to the Tokyo Olympics on the Spanish Olympic Committee team. …
2024-01-18 21:26:08
#Stupid #drunks #yelling #Relief
