SUMMARY
- Tennis players follow different traditions while playing in Australia.
- The Australian Open winners used to jump in the Yarra River as part of their victory routine.
The 2024 Australian Open is getting ready to lower the curtains for the final match of the event. The men’s championship match will mark the end of the opening slam of the year. The Australian Open is also known as the happy slam as players and fans get prepared to start the new season. There have been many traditions followed by the players when they play in Australia.
When players arrive in Australia, they start by hugging the Koala bears in Brisbane. Once they get to Melbourne, the traditions change. Boris Becker began a new tradition of jumping into the polluted Yarra River in 1991 after winning his first Australian Open title. After Becker, Jim Courier kept the traditions going for the next two years during his victories at Melbourne.
Courier suffered from a stomach bug after ingesting some of the water from the river in 1993. The tradition was put on hold for several years until 2016, when Angelique Kerber jumped into the Yarra River. She admitted that the water was a bit cold and dirty. Kerber had made a bet with Eurosport journalist Matthias Stach on taking a dip at the river if she won the title, as Stach, too, joined her for a swim.
Qinwen Zheng gets emotional after receiving unfair treatment at Melbourne
The 2024 Australian Open saw Aryna Sabalenka defend her title against Qinwen Zheng. Sabalenka defeated Zheng in straight sets. It was a tough loss for the Chinese in her debut grand slam final. Although the match ended in an hour and 16 minutes, Zheng took a seat and took a towel, as she was devastated. She was not attended to for a while as the stage was being set up.
The photographers and the officials were busy getting things ready for Sabalenka. She was being congratulated as the runner-up was being ignored. The 21-year-old was not happy with the treatment in Melbourne. Zheng’s pain could be felt as she stood beside World No. 2 while holding her runner-up prize during the final ceremony.
Qinwen Zheng looked upset after the Australian Open final against Aryna Sabalenka. (Credits: Eloisa Lopez/Reuters, X)
The traditions of the Australians have not always been kind to the players. While Sabalenka’s win needs to be celebrated, Zheng, too, has come a long way to reach this stage in her career. Hopefully, the situation will be better next season. Qinwen will be eager to bounce back and will have plenty of time to do so in the upcoming matches.
