{"id":1445,"date":"2023-10-02T22:22:40","date_gmt":"2023-10-03T02:22:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/sport\/australian-open-expanding-to-15-days-with-sunday-start\/02\/10\/2023\/"},"modified":"2023-10-02T22:22:40","modified_gmt":"2023-10-03T02:22:40","slug":"australian-open-expanding-to-15-days-with-sunday-start","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/sport\/australian-open-expanding-to-15-days-with-sunday-start\/02\/10\/2023\/","title":{"rendered":"Australian Open expanding to 15 days with Sunday start"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The Australian Open will begin on a Sunday next year, expanding the Grand Slam tennis tournament to a 15-day event for the first time.<\/p>\n

Tennis Australia announced the change Monday, saying its intention was to decrease the likelihood of late-night finishes for the athletes and spectators.<\/p>\n

The change for next January’s tournament at Melbourne Park comes after this year’s Australian Open included a second-round match between Andy Murray<\/a> and Thanasi Kokkinakis<\/a> that concluded after 4 a.m.<\/p>\n

The late finishes have become something of a semi-regular occurrence in tennis, a sport played without a clock, meaning contests can be shorter than an hour or last more than 5 1\/2 hours, as Murray’s victory in January did.<\/p>\n

“We’ve listened to feedback from the players and fans and are excited to deliver a solution to minimize late finishes while continuing to provide a fair and equitable schedule on the stadium courts,” Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley said in a statement issued with the announcement.<\/p>\n

Tiley said the tournament’s first round will be expanded to three days, instead of the previous two.<\/p>\n

The Australian Open’s new dates for 2024 will be Jan. 14-28. It now joins the French Open as the only tennis majors to be held over 15 days. The US Open and Wimbledon are both 14-day events.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The Australian Open will begin on a Sunday next year, expanding the Grand Slam tennis tournament to a 15-day event for the