Tennis-Australian Open warm-up event to return after turmoil at Kooyong

With a new media partner and a broadcast deal with Australia's SBS in place, however, the invitational event will go ahead next year from January 13-15 at the former home of the Australian Open. Long-time tournament director Peter Johnston said the reversion to a promoter model had helped persuade private backers to get on board.

The Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club will again host its storied exhibition event in Melbourne to give the world's leading tennis players another warm-up option before the Australian Open.

The Kooyong Classic was missing from the tennis calendar in January after the club pulled out of running it last year amid financial turmoil and a member-led revolt against management. With a new media partner and a broadcast deal with Australia's SBS in place, however, the invitational event will go ahead next year from January 13-15 at the former home of the Australian Open.

Long-time tournament director Peter Johnston said the reversion to a promoter model had helped persuade private backers to get on board. "That's enabled us to put it on," he told Reuters on Thursday. "So we've got SBS back and we're signing a few different deals for international broadcast rights and some sponsorship rights.

"And we're starting to make progress again." The tournament has had its challenges, having disappeared from the calendar for three years amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last year, the club in Melbourne's leafy eastern suburbs was rocked by an external audit which blamed poor financial management and reporting for a A$2.4 million ($1.52 million) loss from dining and functions operations, and an overall loss of nearly A$1 million. The club's long-serving CEO departed and angry members tossed out a number of board directors at its annual general meeting.

Though the losses had nothing to do with the Kooyong Classic, the club's commitment to running the tournament was tested in the environment. "The club really had a look at what is essential as a membership club," said Johnston. "It wanted to doubly focus on club-related activities."

The club is now under new management and glad to leave the promotions work for the Kooyong Classic to Spain-based media company Mediapro. In its hey-day a couple of decades ago the Classic was a treat for tennis fans, with Roger Federer, Andre Agassi and Andy Roddick claiming winner's trophies before starting their Australian Open tilts at Melbourne Park.

In recent times, its prestige has dimmed as other Australian Open warm-up tournaments have emerged in Asia. Often hit by player pull-outs, Kooyong's loose format is anathema to tennis purists looking for proper contests and worthy champions.

And yet top players still enjoy turning up, often with little notice, to slot in for a match or two. World number one Jannik Sinner played a couple of matches at Kooyong in 2024 on the way to winning his first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open.

No players have signed up for 2026 yet but Johnston is confident there will be a few big names. "I think they gravitate towards being able to play at a beautiful club, at a historic stadium, maybe get a little away from the cauldron in Melbourne Park for a period of time to play their matches," said Johnston.

"We had a lot of feedback from players who were a bit surprised when it wasn't on last January. "That really made us confident that we can create a great player field."

($1 = 1.5778 Australian dollars)

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