End of January, the middle of southern summer. We are 17,000 kilometers from home. The children stretch out the last days of school holidays. The City's imposing glass skyscrapers shine. The sun stings, although as evening falls the breeze blows. Here and there blue cars, blue caps, blue banners... a big blue wave moves towards Melbourne Park, the heart of the city between January 14 and 28. Melbourne vibrates with tennis. Sydney, yes, is prettier; It has the Opera, Bondi Beach, natural pools carved into the rock and international tourist fame. “But we have tennis and the world is watching us.” The proud inhabitants of Australia's second city are experiencing their two weeks of glory these days.
The first of the four Grand Slams, known as the Happy Slam, has broken all records this year by attracting more than a million spectators in two weeks of the tournament. In the draw, the number one Novak Djokovic intended to prolong his love affair with the trophy in 2024 (he has ten wins since 2008), temporarily truncated after the controversy with anti-covid vaccines. Nobody denies him the status of idol of the local fans. But the moment a word in Spanish is spoken in the corridors of the Rod Laver Arena, the name of Nadal, winner in 2009 and 2022, immediately emerges. “We miss him; “Rafa is the best, so nice…” repeat the tournament employees. In Melbourne everyone loves Rafael Nadal. On the track, but also in the hotel, in the cafe on the corner, in the groups of taxi drivers... he is the great absentee. The Spanish star has the tennis world in suspense and Australia is no exception. “Now we have Alcaraz…” he lets out his patriotic pride.
Carlos Alcaraz, who was aiming for the title, has yet to conquer Australia. With luggage full of hope, the new Louis Vuitton ambassador and great promise of Spanish tennis is part of a select group of young people on the assault on world tennis. Jannik Sinner is also there, who at 22 years old and against all odds would end up lifting the trophy. “I sounded dead,” he admitted halfway through the final against the Russian Medvedev. But the Italian was resurrected, in true Nadal style. He beat a veteran in front of 15,000 spectators and took the trophy, presented in partnership by the actress Ana de Armas and the tennis player Jim Courier, custodians of the Vuitton victory chest.
The sunset changes the colors of the city. The sky turns lilac, with the skyline of skyscrapers in the background. But at the Rod Laver Arena orange prevails. It is the color of the official cocktail of the tournament, the Aperol Spritz, which competes with champagne in the VIP area. And also Jannik Sinner's fetish color. The Italian with copper curls swapped the banana – a common snack for tennis players – for a carrot at a tournament in Austria in 2019; Since then, his most dedicated fans carry a carrot costume or a felt vegetable in their hands. Orange splashes the blue stands on Sunday afternoon. Tickets – starting at 1,000 Australian dollars, the equivalent of about 600 euros – have been sold out for days. There's no room for a pin.
In the final, the atmosphere has the air of a great American show. Stars on the track and in the stands, the retractable cover opens to the evening sky. The beautiful Ana de Armas closely follows the game from the Louis Vuitton guest box, among whom is also Dan Carter, rugby legend, veteran player of the New Zealand All Blacks and also ambassador of the luxury brand. A little further on we recognize prominent members of the local star system: the model Elle McPherson, the actresses Kate Walsh (Grey's Anatomy) and Deborra-Lee Furness and the actors Simon Baker (The Mentalist) and Eric Bana (Hulk). Also tennis glories like Stan Smith, Rod Laver or John McEnroe himself.
During the breaks in the first two sets the audience gets up to get another Spritz, a beer, a bag of chips. From the third set onwards, after Sinner's comeback, no one dares to move. Not even celebrities. Not even Medvedev's fans. Not even the carrot boys. Nor the rest of 15,000 fans. Nobody wants to miss a minute.
The dark night sneaks in through the open roof of the stadium. It is around twelve when the party ends; the presentation of trophies, the speeches, the congratulations, the celebration of the champion with his fans... The seagulls scream. The great blue wave dissolves into the city traffic. Melbourne sleeps. Tomorrow there is school
