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Roger Federer once dubbed the Australian Open the “happy Slam” of the tennis calendar. It takes place in the middle of January, in the warm, sunny climes of Melbourne Park, a world away from the cold winters of northern Europe. But as the first Grand Slam of the year gets underway, does the Aussie Open still live up to its nickname?
Ed Harry discusses the tournament’s place in the calendar with BBC tennis reporter Jonathan Jurejko and Britain’s Jodie Burrage, who reached the second round of the 2025 women’s singles in Melbourne before losing to No 3 seed and two-time Grand Slam champion, Coco Gauff. What sets the Australian Open apart from the rest of tennis’s showpiece occasions, and what’s it like to take to the court in such a prestigious event? And as summers keep getting warmer in Australia, how big an issue is heat becoming?
They also discuss the special event that opened this year’s tournament: The Million Dollar One Point Slam, which saw amateur player Jordan Smith become an overnight millionaire. Are these kind of special attractions a key part of tennis’s future?
Every Monday to Friday, More than the Score tells stories beyond the scoreline from all over the world of sport. From the Winter Olympics to the Super Bowl, the Australian Open to the Diamond League, and netball to Formula 1. We’ve got interviews with extraordinary athletes like Ivory Coast legend Yaya Toure, boxing royalty Cecilia Braekhus and cycling sprint king Harrie Lavreysen, as well as the experts working behind the scenes, from the referees who run VAR to the coaches keeping athletes in peak form. Plus, we’ve got the expertise of the BBC’s top journalists, who share their insights from decades of covering sport at all levels.
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