Australian Open 2025 LIVE updates: Major delays on first day as rain drenches Melbourne Park

Between the stormy weather and technology failures, the Australian Open is not off to its greatest start.

Some tennis fans have been stuck waiting for hours in a queue to enter John Cain Arena and catch a glimpse of sport after rain shut down the Australian Open’s outdoor courts all afternoon.

John Cain Arena is the only court with a retractable roof that ground pass ticket holders can access. That means that during wet weather, it is their sole option for viewing a match in-person, so demand has been intense today.

Soggy start: Fans sought cover as rain suspended play in first-round matches. Credit: AP

Making matters worse, the stadium’s virtual queue system failed this morning. Fans were supposed to be able to join the line using a QR code, then head out to enjoy the grounds while waiting for a text message until a seat became available.

Outside the arena, a sign stated: “The virtual queue for the arena passes is temporarily closed.” Staff with megaphones warned those who dared enter that the stadium was at capacity and there were no seats available.

Hundreds of people stood in an enormous line that snaked along the corridor. When The Age spoke to Phillip and Mary Arnold, they were near the front of a line they had been standing in for more than 2.5 hours.

Their legs, they said, were feeling the exhaustion.“I nearly fainted, I had to go and sit down,” Mary said.

Fans who were lucky enough to snag a John Cain Arena seat were being given pass-outs so they could hold on to their spots while they popped out, resulting in very little movement in the queue.

Staff were planning to clear out the stadium for the evening session to allow queuing fans to take a seat.“There’s no way we’re giving up now,” Phillip said.

The couple said they had been coming to the tennis for 20 years and while they’d never seen it so rained out, they weren’t expecting refunds.

“It’s just bad luck,” Phillip said.

One group of four friends, who were at the back of the queue when The Age met them, said they wanted refunds.

“Weather is predicted, there should be some [compensation],” said one man, Alex.

“People are getting soaking wet.”

The group felt there were not enough wet weather options for those with ground passes.

Dean said: “On a nice day there are plenty of options but given the current weather, it’s a bit rough, especially when the umbrellas are $40 and a poncho is $25.”

An Australian Open spokeswoman said staff were forced to admit fans manually after there was an issue with the queuing system.

She said the outage did not affect play and the technology, which was first trialled last year, would be up and running for the evening session after being fixed by the provider.

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