Australian Open Attendance Boom Fuels Ambitions, Fan Frustrations

As expected, the Australian Open smashed all of its attendance records with a historic 2026 event, but organizers are now facing growing questions about the impact that unprecedented turnout had on the fan experience.

Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz defeated Novak Djokovic in four sets to win the men’s singles title and become the youngest man to win a career Grand Slam. In so doing, that created a final attendance of 1.37 million for the three-week run that began with qualifying. That total is up 12% from last year’s draw, which had been the tournament record.

The main draw of the tournament had a final attendance of 1.15 million, up slightly from last year, while the initial qualifying week was a major storyline of the 2026 Australian Open. That opening week attracted 217,999, a whopping 87% higher than a year ago. 

Within those topline numbers, the tennis major also set several single-day records, including a Day 5 draw on Jan. 22 of 103,956, as fans flocked to Melbourne Park. Four separate days in the first week of the main draw had total-day attendance figures of at least 100,000.

Feeling the Pinch

The big Australian Open attendance numbers, however, arrived with plenty of growing pains—very similar to what the US Open is also experiencing as it soars in popularity. 

Like in New York, the fans in Melbourne had a variety of complaints regarding ticket and concession prices, and struggles to get to the tournament and move freely within the tennis center.

Event organizers, however, are only thinking bigger and are pushing to add more supplemental events to the Australian Open, boost technology in and around the competition, and raise the prize money beyond this year’s record-level figure of about $75 million. In fact, Australian Open leaders assert their event is now bigger than the Super Bowl.

“I think it already is. I’m not being facetious either,” Australian Open director Craig Tiley told the Australian Associated Press. “This reached every single country, every single market, every single region. The Super Bowl entertainment is fantastic. But ours is 20 days.”

The US Open had a final attendance of 1.14 million last year, including the preliminary competition, and it will bear watching what the event does this summer to reassert itself as the most-attended hard-court major in the sport.