Australian Open 2026: Serving Innovation, Smashing Tradition.

Jan 22

Episode: #025.

Frances & Laura.

Your friendly hosts & Almost Pro founders.

What happens when tennis breaks free from tradition?

The Australian Open is back, and this year it is doing things a little differently. From record-breaking crowds to bold entertainment ideas, the Happy Slam continues to shape its own identity within the Grand Slam landscape.

Join us for this episode of Almost Pro, where we step off the court and into the heart of modern sport to unpack what makes the Australian Open unique, and why it matters far beyond Melbourne Park.

We explore:

🎤 Why the Australian Open has embraced innovation while carefully balancing tradition
👗 Naomi Osaka’s iconic centre-court fashion moment
💰 The new million-dollar shot format
🌍 How innovation at the elite level flows down to kids, clubs, volunteers, and communities
🎾 What this shift could mean for the future of tennis, and sport more broadly

This is not about scoreboards or results.

It is about identity, expression, entertainment, and permission, and how elite sport quietly tells us who belongs and how we are allowed to show up.

👇 Hit play, join the conversation, and let us know what you think.

Stream Episode. 30:25mins.