The Victorian government has said they are determined to keep the Australian Open in Melbourne after its tournament director revealed there have been attempts to get it relocated elsewhere.
Craig Tiley confirmed to The Age newspaper there has been previous interest expressed by both Sydney and China to hold the Grand Slam event. The interested parties are understood to be both private investors and government officials. More recently, during the COVID-19 pandemic, there was also talk about moving the event out of Victoria which at the time had some of the toughest restrictions in place regarding the virus in Australia.
“There was a period back in 2010 when there was significant interest from Sydney and significant interest from Shanghai,” said Tiley.
“Private equity knows that when it’s in good times it’s a very healthy business, very attractive for private equity. So there was quite a bit of interest.” He added.
The Australian Open director also confirmed that operating the tournament during the pandemic has caused them to lose a staggering AUS$80M. Despite the venue recently undergoing development, Tiley says there is still a need for a new stadium, as well as more courts in the future.
As it currently stands Melbourne has a license to hold the Australian Open until at least 2039, according to the Australian Associated Press. Although the tennis chief insists that action must be taken now to safeguard its future in the region.
Tiley’s comments have prompted a swift response from the regional government with Police Minister Anthony Carbines saying on Friday that his administration is willing to do whatever it takes to keep the Grand Slam where it is.
“The Australian Open is not going anywhere and the best thing Victorians can do is get out there and show their support,” he said.
“We’re not surprise that there will always be those seeking (the Open) from other countries and other states.
“With over a billion dollars invested by our government in the Australian Open, both in infrastructure and supporting that event, we’ll continue to support the Australian Open and the team there in whatever they need.”
Carbines later added that the government is ‘always open’ to working with the Australian Open when quizzed about Tilley’s calls for further investment.
“We will always work closely with Aus Open organizers and given our track record of over a billion dollars … we’ll always be open to what we need to do to stay clear of the pack internationally,” he stated.
The Australian Open has been held at Melbourne Park since 1988. The 2023 tournament will have a record prize money pool of $76.5M.
