It’s a spectacle and a grand slam. That’s how the Australian Open became so huge

With record year-over-year crowds at the Australian Open, how does the giant catwalk continue to grow – and does it?

We spoke to the minds behind the tournament’s evolution from an international sporting event to a happy marriage of tennis, social gatherings, celebrations and food to find out.

Who takes care of the tournament social networks?

Brie Stewart, Director of Content, leads a team of 50 social media professionals who look after the Australian Open’s social media accounts – the posts you see on Instagram, TikTok and

“Every year you have to throw out the plan,” he says.

“The event actually drives the plan.

The team builds working relationships with players from the very top of the rankings through to wild cards and qualifiers, meeting them at other Grand Slams and tournaments such as the United Cup and Brisbane International.

“Our job is to make people fall in love with their personality as much as they fall in love with their tennis… they’re really quite comfortable [on camera].”

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With a singles main draw of more than 250 matches over 15 days, after an opening week of 224 qualifying matches, plus doubles and wheelchair matches, the team divides and conquers to capture the likes of Jannik Sinner and Holger Rune’s breathtaking 37 shots. assembly; in court proposal to Roger Federer; the referee asks for fans of Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz pipe down; or Alexander Zverev dropped out as referee called to leave after a feather flew on the court.

Then there are media events, fan reactions and celebrity splashes. Think of Benson Boone cosplaying as an Australian Open employee? A student of Tien’s festive pizza after the defeat of Daniil Medvedev? Or surprised faces Jackie Chan, Liam Hemsworth and K-pop stars Mark Lee of NCT and Sana Minatozaki of TWICE?

It was Stewart’s team that put them on your feed.

Who brought Shake Shack to Australia?

Every Grand Slam has a signature flavor: strawberries and cream at Wimbledon, the Honey Deuce cocktail at the US Open.

According to Fern Barrett, head of product growth and innovation, it’s the Peach Melbourne ice cream and the Lemon Ace cocktail for the Australian Open.

“Yellow obviously means ‘happy,'” Barrett says of the Lemon Ace, a nod to retired superstar Roger Federer’s “Happy Slam” nickname for the tournament.

“We sold over 100,000 last year. And I think this year, with hopefully record crowds again, we’ll see that continue to grow.”

Curating the culinary lineup for the Australian Opens from 2020, Barrett emphasizes the importance of not only catering to a range of budgets and taste buds, but also offering signature vibes in each area of ​​the precinct.

Think sunbeds and “relaxed food offerings” at Garden Square, the debut of Shake Shack at the youth-focused Topcourt, or the “epicenter” for “a bit of a party” at Grand Slam Oval.

Who takes care of the tournament trophies?

“We had to keep it a huge secret not just from Ash. [Barty]but also from her team… It was one of those iconic moments of the Australian Open,” says Ross La Rosa, Head of Circuit Operations, looking back at the moment Evonne Goolagong Cawley surprised Barty with her 2022 victory.

The La Rosa team works behind the scenes on some of the highlights of the Australian Open on court, but safety always comes first.

Working across security, accreditation, traffic management and coordinating with law enforcement and police (the Australian Open breaks its own attendance records every year), the opening week is also the busiest week in terms of security – and visitors and players aren’t the only group they’re looking after.

“Both Norman and Daphne are … pretty busy,” La Rosa says of the tournament’s men’s and women’s trophies. “They’re very historic, very fine. And we want to make sure they last for many, many years to come.”

Who decides the Australian Open VIP list?

Like many young tennis fans, when PR consultant Luke Dennehy was a kid, he wanted to be a ball kid. But he “couldn’t throw.”

Before becoming a familiar face among Australian Open VIP guests, Dennehy’s 30-year journey through the tournament began with a gig as a scoreboard operator at 16 and later writing match results on the board in the media centre.

“I used to get them mixed up because they weren’t really digital,” he admitted.

Fast forward to a 17-year run covering tennis as a journalist and he’s back at the Open with some celebrity memories. As part of his job hosting tournament VIPs, he’s escorted Tyra Banks on a “walk of champions,” indulged Elle Macpherson’s love of a “detailed run,” been kissed on the cheek by Rebel Wilson, and has a bottle of wine from Will Ferrell.

Recently, he accompanied celebrities such as AFL star Bailey Smith this week on his way to a one-point slam in 2026.

However, over the years, he has noticed an increasing emphasis on celebrities with large followings. The VIP list he leads, sometimes in coordination with the tournament’s partner brands, has branched out from Western celebrities to include influencers and international celebrities.

And this year, he’s hoping Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are on it.

Who leads and looks after the presiding judge?

Cheryl Jenkins was the first female umpire at the Australian Open (and the third internationally) and has not spent a year away from the tournament since 1993.

Coming from a family of umpires (her father, two older brothers and a sister were umpires), she was a ball kid and played a bit of tennis – “at least 9th grade school champion”.

Being the head judge of a tournament is not an easy task. For about a month, her team of presiding judges often make tough calls on the court and face public scrutiny — but Jenkins says there’s a culture of looking out for each other and looking out for each other.

“We’re actually a bit lucky in Australia that we actually get a sports psychologist available to all of our officials during our middle weekend of the Australian Open.”

She hopes to set an example for women who want to do everything.

“When I came into the role [of chief umpire]my kids were still quite young… Yes, we can do it. We can juggle motherhood, we can juggle work and travel,” says Jenkins.

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