Festival feel Three-week slams leave Wimbledon trailing

Australian and US Opens are vying to offer the most fun-filled practice and qualifying week, and crowds are soaring

- Tumaini Carayol

During the early days of the US Open singles main draw last year, the tournament director, Stacey Allaster, was holding court with a small group of journalists in a suite overlooking Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Much of the discussion centred on the revamped mixed doubles tournament, which had dominated the discourse for days. With a smile, Allaster explained the amount of work that had gone into the event and cited the final attendance numbers for the week it was held. The US Open, she asserted, is now a three-week event.

For many years, the traditional grand slam fortnight was preceded by a nondescript week of preparation. While lower-ranked players quietly worked through the qualifying draw in front of vacant stands, the top players finished their preparation to minimal fanfare. Access to the tournament grounds at the Australian Open, French Open and US Open were free for qualifying. Still, few people came. To most hardcore fans, grand slam qualifying was an oasis for tennis hipsters, the sport’s best-kept secret.

The secret is out. Over the past decade, the grand slams have gradually come to understand the great potential of their qualifying weeks and they have transformed them into true extensions of the tournament. These initiatives have been led by the Australian Open and the US Open, which at times seem to be in the middle of an arms race to build the most spectacular lead-in week possible.

Coleman Wong, of Hong Kong, with fans following victory against Spain's Pablo Llamas Ruiz in a Melbourne qualifier Spectators clamour for Jannik Sinner's autograph during practice

(ANDY CHEUNG/GETTY IMAGES ANDY CHEUNG/GETTY IMAGES)