The Australian Open website confirms that a key feature of the tournament will remain in place for 2018 event. The website for the tournament confirms that entry to the grounds will be free during the Qualifying event.
Australian Open Website: “Entry to Melbourne Park during this period is free.”
Entry to the Australian Open for qualifying has always been free, and is a chance for fans to watch high-quality tennis, as well as engage with main draw stars as they prepare for the tournament. Entry to US Open Qualifying in Flushing Meadows was also free in 2017.
Free entry to qualifying events has been a hallmark for Grand Slams tournaments over the years. However, Wimbledon charged fans £5 entry to qualifying at Roehampton this year “in response to increasing demand.” There has been no news as yet about whether Wimbledon plans to remove, retain, or increase the price of attending the qualifying event for 2018.
There was some speculation that the introduction of fees at Wimbledon Qualifying was in response to the fact that many expected Maria Sharapova to take part after Wimbledon announced that she would not be receiving a wildcard for the main draw. Yet, when Sharapova announced that she would not be taking part, the price introduction remained.
Wimbledon Qualifying was also broadcast on free-to-air television for first time in 2017, as it was made available via the BBC services. Australian Open Qualifying had previously been available live on a YouTube channel for selected courts.
