My Australian Open experience this year has been a tad weird.
There’s been a sense of negativity in the air since the match-fixing report came out on day one and the ‘Happy Slam’ has seemed a little unhappy.
Still being able to stroll around these grounds is a privilege and the quality of matches, particularly on the women’s side has been just stellar.
There is one bizarre thing though that I only noticed the other day that took me by surprise. This year, the Australian Open has a YouTube channel streaming live from various camera feeds spread across the corridors, hallways, practice courts and interview rooms to give fans a behind-the-scenes look of the tournament.
It’s a smart idea and could definitely bring fans closer to the sport but these cameras are literally everywhere and some hallways even had microphones which means random people watching this YouTube channel could actually hear a private conversation someone is having while standing close to that mic and camera.
Nick Kyrgios.
The other day, one camera lens awkwardly zoomed in on Aussie couple Nick Kyrgios and Ajla Tomljanovic who were sitting side by side after having a hit on a practice court and they looked like they were in a serious discussion. They also did not look like they knew they were being filmed.
The longer the camera stayed on them, live streaming this to the world, the more awkward it felt. Has the Australian Open suddenly become an episode of ‘Big Brother’? Or maybe ‘The Bachelor’.
Streaming practices, pre-match walk-ons, even snippets of press conferences, that is all fantastic, but perhaps things are getting a little too far with the couples-watch?
Milos’ day out
Meanwhile, it’s been interesting getting to know more about Milos Raonic, a player who seems to be opening up to the media more and more each day.
Want to get Raonic talking? Mention art and he’ll definitely light up.
The Canadian visited the National Gallery of Victoria a few days ago on his day off between rounds and he said he particularly enjoyed Ai Weiwei’s work there.
He says being able to step away from the tennis momentarily during a slam, like his visit to the gallery, has been a welcome escape.
“I can be very obsessive when it comes to the process and what I need to do for the next match. I am constantly considering things,” explained the No13 seed.
“That (visit to the gallery) was definitely a nice escape from myself.
“I saw a lot of Warhol exhibits before. It was more of the Weiwei installations I wanted to see, especially the Infinite Bicycle one that was in the centre of the museum.
“Magnificent in many ways. I think that whatever iteration you see of Andy Warhol’s life has sort of been redefined over many years due to his unfortunate passing, but Weiwei’s story is constantly building and you’re hearing something different.
“There is a lot I’m learning about his house arrest and all these kind of things, his rebel behavior towards establishment and so forth. I think the most impressive thing is how grand his installations are.
“It’s tough for somebody to put it in their own home, but they speak wonders I believe.”
