Australian Open announces plan to be 15-day tournament in 2024 in bid to 'minimise late finishes'
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Published 02/10/2023 at 21:32 GMT
Defending champions Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka and their fellow tennis pros will have a new dynamic at the first Grand Slam of next year, as tournament organisers for the Australian Open have decided to extend the event's schedule from 14 days to 15. The decision has been taken, in part, to "minimise late finishes", as tournament director Craig Tiley said.
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In 2024, the Australian Open will run for 15 days for the first time in its history, the tournament's organisers have announced.
The first Grand Slam of the year will now begin on a Sunday, to make room for an extra day on the schedule.
The move comes in a bid to tackle the issue of late finishes, which has come about chiefly due to longer matches being seen in the five-set format over time.
In a statement, Australian Open Tournament Director Craig Tiley said: “We’ve listened to feedback from the players and fans and are excited to deliver a solution to minimise late finishes while continuing to provide a fair and equitable schedule on the stadium courts.
“The additional day will achieve this, benefiting scheduling for fans and players alike. The first round will now be played over three days instead of two, also giving fans an extra day of unbelievable tennis, entertainment, food and family fun.
“Every year our team works hard to bring fans an event that feels new and exciting, and this is another opportunity to grow what is already the biggest annual sporting event in the world in January.”
As a result of an extra day’s play, the number of sessions will increase from 47 to 52 across the three arenas.
Night sessions will remain the same - with at least two matches - but the new slate will see at least two matches in the day sessions on the Rod Laver Arena and the Margaret Court Arena, when previously it had been at least three.
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Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka are the tournament’s current singles champions.
The most recent major at the US Open saw Djokovic win his 24th Grand Slam, while Coco Gauff became a first-time major winner.
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