Editing Australian Open (section)

=== Melbourne Park expansion ===
[[File:Show Court Arena at Melbourne Park during Australian Open 2023.jpg|alt=New Show Court Arena that opened in 2022.|thumb|New [[Show Court Arena]] that opened in 2022]]
[[New South Wales]] and overseas authorities proposed becoming the new hosts of the tournament in 2008, though such a move never materialised.<ref>{{cite news|title=Sydney plans Australian Open bid|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/7665088.stm|website=BBC News|date=11 October 2008|access-date=1 February 2015|archive-date=4 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404073111/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/7665088.stm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author1=Cameron Houston|author2=Jason Dowling|title=NSW in negotiations to transfer Open from Melbourne|url=http://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw-in-negotiations-to-transfer-open-from-melbourne-20081010-4ydk.html|website=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]|date=11 October 2008|access-date=1 February 2015|archive-date=4 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904095401/http://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw-in-negotiations-to-transfer-open-from-melbourne-20081010-4ydk.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In any case, it was around this time the [[Melbourne Park]] precinct commenced upgrades which enhanced facilities for players and spectators.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://mopt.com.au/about/melbourne-park-masterplan/|title=Melbourne Park Masterplan|work=Melbourne and Olympic Parks Trust|access-date=8 January 2019|archive-date=8 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190108202829/https://mopt.com.au/about/melbourne-park-masterplan/|url-status=live}}</ref> The precinct also aimed to provide more options of refreshments especially coffee to entertain the growing number of local and international visitors.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kelly |first1=Lidia |title=Coffee lovers find grounds for complaint at Australian Open |url=https://www.reuters.com/sports/tennis/coffee-lovers-find-grounds-complaint-australian-open-2025-01-15/ |access-date=16 January 2025 |work=Reuters}}</ref>

Notably a [[retractable roof]] was placed over Margaret Court Arena, making the Open the first of the four Grand Slams to have retractable roofs available on three of their main courts.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-01-04/australian-open-indoors-margaret-court-arena-retractable-roof/5999310|title=Australian Open could be played entirely indoors, as Margaret Court Arena gets retractable roof|work=ABC News|date=4 January 2015|access-date=8 January 2019|archive-date=7 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170907054228/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-01-04/australian-open-indoors-margaret-court-arena-retractable-roof/5999310|url-status=live}}</ref> The player and administrative facilities, as well as access points for spectators, were improved and the tournament site expanded its footprint out of Melbourne Park into nearby [[Birrarung Marr, Melbourne|Birrarung Marr]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thenewdaily.com.au/sport/tennis/australian-open/2019/01/12/australian-open-rod-laver-arena-redevelopment/|title=The big changes coming to Rod Laver Arena this Australian Open|work=The New Daily|date=12 January 2019|access-date=27 January 2019|archive-date=28 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190128082857/https://thenewdaily.com.au/sport/tennis/australian-open/2019/01/12/australian-open-rod-laver-arena-redevelopment/|url-status=live}}</ref> A [[Show Court Arena|fourth major show court]], seating 5,000 people was completed in late 2021, along with the rest of decade-long redevelopment, which included the ''[[Melbourne Park#Centrepiece|Centrepiece]]'' ballroom, function and media building, as well as other upgraded facilities for players, administrators and spectators.<ref name="Austadiums">{{cite web|url=https://www.austadiums.com/news/1122/10-year-redevelopment-of-melbourne-park-complete|title=10-year redevelopment of Melbourne Park complete|work=Austadiums|date=7 December 2021|access-date=24 December 2021|archive-date=24 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211224041306/https://www.austadiums.com/news/1122/10-year-redevelopment-of-melbourne-park-complete|url-status=live}}</ref>

In December 2018, tournament organisers announced the Australian Open would follow the examples set by [[The Championships, Wimbledon|Wimbledon]] and the [[US Open (tennis)|US Open]] and introduce [[Tennis scoring system#Scoring a tiebreak game|tie-breaks]] in the final sets of men's and women's singles matches. Unlike Wimbledon and the US Open, which initiated conventional tie-breaks at 12–12 games and 6–6 games respectively, the Australian Open utilises a first to 10 points breaker at 6 games all.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/21/sports/tennis/australian-open-tiebreaker.html|title=Australian Open Will Begin Using Final-Set Tiebreaker|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=21 December 2018|access-date=8 January 2019|archive-date=8 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108124932/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/21/sports/tennis/australian-open-tiebreaker.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2020, the tournament organisers decided to replace the official court manufacturer to [[GreenSet]], though retained the iconic blue cushioned acrylic hardcourt.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tennis.com.au/news/2019/07/26/greenset-worldwide-new-official-court-surface-supplier|title=GreenSet worldwide new official court surface supplier|work=[[Tennis Australia]]|date=26 July 2019|access-date=22 January 2020|archive-date=17 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191017065048/https://www.tennis.com.au/news/2019/07/26/greenset-worldwide-new-official-court-surface-supplier|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2021, in an effort to reduce the number of staff on-site due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], all matches used [[Electronic line judge|electronic line judging]]. It marked the first-ever Grand Slam tournament to exclusively use electronic line judging; the [[2020 US Open (tennis)|2020 US Open]] used it for matches outside of the two main stadium courts.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/30877297/hawk-eye-live-gains-more-support-australian-open|title='There are just no mistakes happening': Hawk-Eye Live gains more support at Australian Open|date=13 February 2021|website=ESPN|access-date=1 March 2021|archive-date=19 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210219185531/https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/30877297/hawk-eye-live-gains-more-support-australian-open|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Clarey|first=Christopher|date=3 August 2020|title=Automated Line Calls Will Replace Human Judges at U.S. Open|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/03/sports/tennis/us-open-hawkeye-line-judges.html|access-date=2 June 2021|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=2 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602232342/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/03/sports/tennis/us-open-hawkeye-line-judges.html|url-status=live}}</ref> 

The Australian Open produced a range of [[Non-fungible token|NFTs]] in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |title=AO launches into Metaverse, serves up world-first NFT art collection linked to live match data |url=https://ausopen.com/articles/news/ao-launches-metaverse-serves-world-first-nft-art-collection-linked-live-match-data |access-date=2022-09-11 |website=ausopen.com |language=en |archive-date=15 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220815135157/https://ausopen.com/articles/news/ao-launches-metaverse-serves-world-first-nft-art-collection-linked-live-match-data |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=NFT Tech's Run It Wild and AO Metaverse win Cannes Lions award for Sports Entertainment – NFT Tech Insights |url=https://www.nfttech.com/insights/nft-techs-run-it-wild-and-ao-metaverse-win-cannes-lions-award-for-sports-entertainment |access-date=2022-09-11 |website=www.nfttech.com |language=en |archive-date=11 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220911040226/https://www.nfttech.com/insights/nft-techs-run-it-wild-and-ao-metaverse-win-cannes-lions-award-for-sports-entertainment |url-status=live }}</ref>

Starting in [[2024 Australian Open|2024]], the Australian Open began on a Sunday, one day earlier than usual. Day sessions on Rod Laver Arena and Margaret Court Arena featured a minimum of two matches (down from three) in an effort to reduce the possibility of matches finishing in the early hours of the following morning.

The [[2025 Australian Open]] was the first Australian Open to present [[pickleball]]. From January 24 to the 26th the [[Pickleball in Australia|AO Pickleball Slam]] tournament was held on Court 3 at Melbourne Park. The invitational tournament awarded one hundred thousand dollars in prize money to some of Australia's top players and international participants.<ref>{{cite web |title=AO Pickleball Slam A global stage for a growing sport |url=https://ausopen.com/pickleballslam#!?videoId=6316333239112 |website=ausopen.com |publisher=Tennis Australia |access-date=6 February 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250127105718/https://ausopen.com/pickleballslam#!?videoId=6316333239112 |archive-date=January 27, 2025}}</ref>