109. AO 2025

It’s been 7 years since I first came to the Australian Open (AO) as the parent of a player but this year I have been fortunate enough to return. It’s a little bitter sweet as my player is first Alternate for the ladies doubles event, so may not get to play, but it would be foolish for her not to be on site, and to give the opportunity to compete to another player, if someone does withdraw, so here we are!

It is really good to be back. This is a fabulous tournament and a lovely venue. The whole AO experience is amazing and where better to spend the cold UK winter months than in the summer sunshine Down Under?

So for those readers who do not know about Alternates, these are the players who entered the tournament but who just ‘missed the cut’ ie the cut off point for the draw. So my player (and her partner) entered but were number 58 on the list when the entries closed. 57 pairs were accepted with a further 7 wild cards, making a total draw size of 64 pairs. So, my player and her partner, are the ‘first reserves’ so to speak and if any of the pairs above them withdraw from the tournament before all the matches in round one are played, then they will fill the place, so long as they have signed in on site on the day of the withdrawal.

Now the chances of this happening are unknown. Some years several ‘alternates’ in the doubles and mixed doubles events make it into the main draw, but sometimes this is not the case. So it is up to the ‘alternate’ individuals concerned whether or not they want to stay on site, in the hope that someone pulls out, or move on and go elsewhere. On this occasion, we were ‘in the area’ anyway, so it made sense to us to stay and also it has given my player an opportunity to continue training, with great players, in the warm conditions as opposed to being back in the UK, playing inside.

One of the upsides of being an Alternate, and one of the reasons for staying around on site, is that Alternate Players (at least the top 2) do get some of the ‘perks’ of the tournament. Whilst they don’t get the welcome gifts (which include a gift voucher for the AO store) and, in the case of the AO, a travel grant, they do however get a ‘per diem’ amount of money to help cover the cost of hotel accommodation from the day that their event starts (but not until then), and they also get a generous daily food allowance. They also get access to all the facilities on site to train and also to the other player benefits/services on offer at Grand Slams, which include free hair cuts and beauty treatments, massages, podiatry appointments, to name just a few!

One of the wonderful things the AO does each year, to raise awareness of their unique fauna is to bring certain animals onto site for the players to see and touch. These are animals which have either been bred in captivity or are creatures that have been rescued. This year the animals included, a one year old female kangaroo and a seven year old male koala. Whilst not quite the same as seeing them in their natural habitat, it was nice to be able to see and stroke two of my favourite animals!

My visit to the AO is slightly different this time as my player and I have far more access around the site than we did when she was a junior. There are several players restaurants to choose from each day and individual car transport to and from the site/hotels. As a junior much of the transport was by buses/coaches which served the purpose but which are not quite as nice as the brand new vehicles being used at this years’ event.

Whilst this week could be frustrating if there are no withdrawals and my player does not get to compete, the chance to be here and to absorb the atmosphere of this fabulous Grand Slam could not be over looked. Some people in this situation might get an element of ‘imposter syndrome’, feeling like they don’t belong, but as first Alternate to leave before the first round of the ladies doubles event is completed would be foolish as one could be handing a place in a Grand Slam to someone else if there was a last minute change in the draw! Life is all about grabbing opportunities when they arise and you never know when one of these will materialise into something good, so we are making the most of this week and gaining experience for the future. The chances to attend Grand Slam tennis events (as a player or a spectator) are few and far between and are never guaranteed, so surely it is best to make the most of the opportunity before returning to the reality of life on the rest of the tour, which is no where near as glamorous or privileged!

#realitytennis

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