A Guide to Attending the Australian Open (Melbourne)

When is the Australian Open?

If you are planning on attending the Australian Open, the Australian Open typically starts in mid-January and lasts for two weeks or fifteen days, until the end of January.

What the weather like in Melbourne for the Australian Open?

For the United States, it's’ the beginning of winter. In Australia, the weather for the Australian Open will be the start of summer. The weather is the opposite of what you will be experiencing in the United States. Average temps in January for Melbourne for the Australian Open are 79 degrees F (High) and 58 degrees F (Low). Pack accordingly.

What kinds of tickets are available for the Australian Open?

There are 33 hard courts at the Australian Open. There are three main courts that all require tickets.

• Rod Laver Arena — Think of this as the center court, the main area with a capacity of 15,000 seats. A ticket specifically for Rod Laver Arena is required to enter Rod Laver Arena.

• Margaret Court Arena — This has a capacity of 7500, and a ticket specifically for Margaret Court Arena is required to enter Margaret Court Arena.

• Melbourne Arena — This arena has a capacity of 9646. All ticket holders can enter this arena, including those with ground passes.

A ground pass ticket for the Australian Open will get you into the grounds and into the Melbourne Arena. This is the most cost-effective ticket to allow you to experience the Australian Open, but you will not be able to get into Rod Laver Arena or Margaret Court Arena, if you want to catch a big-name player.

Does the Australian Open have day-and-night sessions?

Yes, the Australian Open has day-and-night sessions.

How to plan for attending the Australian Open

First determine if you want to attend the first week, middle weekend or the final week.

• The first week will be early-round matches, major-named players vs lower-ranked players.

• The middle weekend of the Australian Open gets into the later rounds and starts the quarter-finals of the Australian Open.

• The final week of the Australian Open will start with the semi-finals and finals. If you want to catch the big names, the second week is the time to go.

• Keep in mind, the deeper into the Australian Open it goes, the more expensive the tickets will be.

My recommendation for planning for the attending the Australian Open, is three nights for the quarter-finals or semifinals in Rod Laver Arena. This gives you the opportunity to get in two to three sessions of tennis and the ability to catch some of the big names.

If money were no object, I would plan on attending the finals, with two nights of tennis. If you are tennis obsessed, you can do four days of tennis with a semi-final and a final option.

If you are on a budget for attending the Australian Open, attend the first week with a ground pass and try to get into Melbourne Arena.

How long of a trip should I plan for when attending the Australian Open?

If you are just traveling to Australia for the Australian Open, I would recommend 7–10 days, assuming you will be watching tennis for at least three days, that gives you another three days to get acclimated and also to enjoy the city of Melbourne.

If you are traveling to Australian for the first time and want to take in the country. I would recommend 10–14 days. You can visit other parts of the country, like Adelaide (South Australia) for wine. Every new visitor should visit Sydney, Australia (NSW). There is something for everyone in the city, from beaches, botanical gardens and Aboriginal experiences.

If you are ready to attend the Australian Open and experience Australia, fill out the form below and I will help you curate the ultimate Australian Open and Australia itinerary. Let’s cross that off your tennis major (Wimbledon, French Open, US Open) bucket lists.

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