Jules Neale hard-launches life post-Lachie at the Australian Open

January 27, 2026 — 6:12pm

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Recently separated Jules Neale is hard-launching her post-Lachie Neale life via Piper-Heidsieck on-court seats.

Jules’ return to the social circuit follows relentless tabloid coverage of what she described on social media as “an unimaginable betrayal” by her husband, AFL player and former Brisbane Lions co-captain Lachie.

Word of her impending arrival at the Australian Open swiftly set tongues wagging around the grounds on Tuesday, such was the sorry state of an atmosphere suffocated by extreme heat.

Jules’ outing at the tennis is her first public appearance since her husband fronted the media earlier this month to confirm the pair had split.

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Wearing a pale pink Viktoria & Woods corset two-piece set, Jules, who now lives in Perth, happily posed for photographs for the media pack at the Parisian-themed Piper-Heidsieck bar next to Rod Laver Arena before Tuesday night’s matches.

She has engaged talent agency One Daydream, and she will be hitting the circuit: trips to Melbourne for the Melbourne Fashion Festival and Formula 1 Grand Prix are on the cards.

In the meantime, she is getting VIP treatment from the Open’s champagne sponsor with on-court seating for one of the most eagerly anticipated matches of the tournament, the Alex de Minaur and Carlos Alcaraz quarter-final.

Lachie who?

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Tiley’s daughter snubs another round as ballkid

Spare a thought for the Australian Open’s 435 ballkids doing it tough in Tuesday’s extreme heat. Passing the rigorous audition test is a source of pride for the youngsters who make it – and their status-conscious parents, Melbourne being Melbourne, of course.

“There’s about 3500 kids from across the country that compete for those elusive spots,” tournament director Craig Tiley told us recently.

But then came the plot twist. “My daughter was one of them, and they’re aged from … 13 to 15, and it’s a great thing to be part of.”

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Tiley is a stout defender of not paying the kids, saying they get free tickets for families and a generous goodie bag at the end of the tournament.

“And the feedback we get from the ballkids is, ‘Geez, you guys are so generous. You’re doing a lot for us’,” he said. “So it’s not about paying people as much as it is about providing the opportunity.”

Further inquiries revealed that Tiley’s daughter was part of the ballkid squad for the previous summer season of tennis, crewing for tournaments that did not include the AO.

She once again passed the auditions this summer, but didn’t pursue joining the squad.

Word reached us that with the typical nonchalance of the next generation, the younger Tiley was less interested in pursuing an opportunity in dad’s chosen sport, and more interested in playing basketball.

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Alcaraz and Federer hit golf course

World men’s No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz may not be able to compete head to head with tennis legend Roger Federer on the court. But the pair have gone some way to making up for it with a blossoming relationship on the golf course.

Last week, Alcaraz and Federer headed to Melbourne’s Kingston Heath Golf Club for a round of the game, Open Season is told, thanks to a young pro who stayed back late to take them around the course, before Federer spent big at the club shop. As only Federer can.

When reached by phone, Kingston Heath staff went all coy and were tight-lipped about the excursion, refusing to confirm or deny the appearance. But Alcaraz, speaking in a post-match interview last week, was quick to praise Federer’s style.

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Federer, who hung up his racket in 2022 with 20 grand slam championships and 103 singles titles to his name, has only turned to golf over the past couple of years. But he’s not alone. Alcaraz has been playing golf for about five years. Novak Djokovic is also known to enjoy the sport, while Rafael Nadal has been pictured on the course as far back as 2007.

Australia’s own Todd Woodbridge also enjoys some golf, and is known in tennis circles for matching up tennis players for a round or linking them up with a course. Whether he had a hand in Alcaraz and Federer’s trip to Kingston Heath, however, remains unknown.

“It’s as beautiful as the tennis,” Alcaraz said of Federer’s form. “I’m not surprised. It’s unbelievable. Everything he does, he does in style, really beautiful. On the golf course, it’s a really beautiful swing.”

The duo’s round in Australia was not the first. Alcaraz and Federer were pictured playing golf ahead of the Laver Cup in September last year.

“I think he has been playing for two years now and his level is really good,” Alcaraz said last week. “I’ve been playing five and he’s already beating me. It hurts, yeah.”

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Stephen Brook is a special correspondent for The Age and CBD columnist for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald. He was previously deputy editor of The Sunday Age. He is a former media editor of The Australian and spent six years in London working for The Guardian.Connect via X or email.

Cara Waters is the city editor for The Age.Connect via X, Facebook or email.

John Buckley is a CBD columnist for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect via email.

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