Australian Open organizers are "taking a bolder and bigger approach" to next year's event, the "first in three years likely unaffected by the pandemic," according to Scott Spits of the Melbourne AGE. Tennis Australia copped a $100M "hit for staging the 2021 event, incurring millions in hotel quarantine costs for players and support staff for the delayed tournament." TA had to "eat into" $80M of "reserves built up over the years and got a loan of more than" $40M from the Victorian government. Officials are "striving for record attendances" at January’s slam by "further expanding the spectator experience at Melbourne Park." A multi-level beach bar, a multi-day music festival, a giant shade cloth over Garden Square, and capping ground pass prices at 2018 levels are "among the innovations to help drive up to 900,000 fans through the gates." Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley said, “The financial challenges are going to be tough. We’re living in a different economic environment. (But) there’s a lot of pent-up demand that we’re hearing about, so we can take advantage (of that)." He added, “I’m confident that with good weather we’ll hit those (crowd) targets" (Melbourne AGE, 10/12).
