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Open organisers pick up player tab

Australian Open organisers are living up to reputation as the Happy Slam by picking up the bill for player expenses this year.

Already dubbed the Happy Slam, Australian Open organisers have given players even more reasons to smile by covering their every expense this year.

Open director Craig Tiley said players wouldn't bear any costs to play in the main draw, which gets underway at Melbourne Park on Monday.

While organisers have previously contributed to travel costs as well as a per diem for meals, they now supply the players with unlimited food, free racquet stringing, hotels and a $2500 travel voucher.

"If you're a player, you show up, you have no cost," Tiley said.

"In the first round, if you lose, you're going to win around $40,000.

"That's why the players love coming here.

"Hopefully the kitchen doesn't run out of food."

The world's best tennis players will vie for a record $44 million in prize money over the next fortnight.

The two singles winners alone will bank a staggering $3.8 million each, little wonder why world No.1 and defending men's champion Novak Djokovic said he'd never heard a bad word said about the Open.

"Everybody loves Melbourne, everybody loves Australia," Djokovic said.

"It's player friendly and everyone loves being here."

The defending champion had one small complaint which meant he couldn't travel with his wife and young son.

"Australia is a wonderful country but it's so far away from Europe that it's difficult for a 15-month-old baby to travel," he said after leaving son Stefan at home in Monte Carlo with his wife Jelena.


2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP



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