- Australian Open is considering a radical change
- The men’s final could be played on Saturday
- The women’s final would then take place on Sunday
Tennis Australia is considering the introduction of a historic women’s final on Sunday evening, with a range of format adjustments on the table at the annual Australian Open debriefing.
While this radical move is unlikely to happen in 2025, reversing the men’s and women’s finals is seen as a win-win for fans, not least those watching on TV.
Knowing they had to get up for work on Monday morning, tens of thousands of people switched off and went to bed as Daniil Medvedev led Jannik Sinner two sets to love in this year’s men’s title match.
But they woke up to the news that Sinner had fought back to win and become the youngest men’s Open champion since Novak Djokovic in 2008.
Midnight finishes – and much, much later in the cases of Rafael Nadal’s five-set epics against Djokovic in 2012, Roger Federer in 2017 and Medvedev in 2022 – have become the norm.
The Australian Open is considering a radical change to its playing schedule
Tennis boss Craig Tiley is considering swapping the dates for the men’s and women’s finals
Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley is understood to be keen to find a solution to missing bleary-eyed fans. It is known that even before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in late 2019, he was toying with the idea of changing the final.
Playing the women’s championship decider, which can consist of a maximum of three sets, on a Sunday evening would offer sports fans a final 10.30pm finish on Australia’s east coast.
It would also put the women further in the spotlight in what would be the first Grand Slam to host their title match as the highlight of the tournament.
A men’s final on Saturday night would also be more attractive to fans willing to stay until death.
Tiley is an unapologetic agent for change and is exploring all options after the move to a 15-day tournament this year attracted more than a million spectators to a grand slam for the first time.
Tennis Australia would not need approval from the ATP (men’s tennis’ governing body) or the WTA, which governs women’s tennis, to make the dramatic format change.
It would mean that the women’s final will be played in the Sundey evening slot
But players would be consulted.
The ongoing dilemma for referees is whether to maintain a 48-hour recovery period between best-of-five-set men’s matches.
Traditionally, the women have endured a one-day turnaround between the quarter-finals and semi-finals, but that is manageable because they only play the best of three sets and spend significantly less time on the court during tournaments.
Tiley would not compromise on the players’ welfare if organizers were unable to find a way for the men to play every second day.
But it’s clear that now that the Open is 15 days away, with a Sunday start and more wiggle room, switching the men’s and women’s finals is back up for consideration.