Top News

The Australian Open's heat rule came into effect on Saturday as temperatures got up to around 38 degrees Celsius. The tournament's heat stress scale reached its highest point, five, which meant play was suspended on all outdoor courts for more than four hours, while matches on the three arena courts - Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court Arena, and John Cain Arena - were also halted until the roofs were shut so players could continue in cooler conditions.

But a lot of fans on-site here in Melbourne only have groundpasses, giving them access to the outer courts. It meant those ticket holders were left without any live action from around 2.40pm local time to 7.15pm. You'd think it would have put them off, but the spectators barely missed the tennis.

If you have to be at any Grand Slam tournament when there is a lengthy break in play, you'd want it to be the Australian Open. Organisers have given the vast grounds something of a festival feel, and there is something going on in virtually every corner of the site, even if there is no actual tennis. And they, naturally, have plenty of measures to keep fans safe in the sun.

Stepping back out into Melbourne Park after the dramatic conclusion of Jannik Sinner vs Eliot Spizzirri, it felt like walking into a sauna. It was initially a little overcast, with some clouds covering the sun, but it still felt absolutely stifling. Once the sun did make an appearance, it immediately felt a few degrees hotter. And yet the grounds were heaving.

There were queues for everything possible. The merch shops, the food stands, even the hospitality areas. By this point, the only live action was Ben Shelton vs Valentin Vacherot on Margaret Court Arena, and Elise Mertens vs Nikola Bartunkova on John Cain Arena.

The Australian Open has a lot of space, and they use it well. In Garden Square, home to Aussie guest food pop-ups including Hector's Deli and Layla, every seat was taken and fans were happy to perch on the ground. There were multiple big screens, with an acoustic performance on a small stage.

EXPRESS SPORT ON FB! Get all the best sports news and much more on our Facebook page

Grand Slam Oval, a larger area near Rod Laver Arena and John Cain Arena with another big screen and more food vendors, was the same. And fans were almost happy to have an opportunity to explore the whole venue. "What shall we do next, go to Shake Shack, Chemist Warehouse?" one group debated, taking advantage of the range of shops and stalls inside.

Plans to cool down with one of the AO's 'signature frappes' were scuppered. Everyone wanted a frozen treat to survive the heat, and the queue was too big. As were the lines for Peach Melbourne, a soft-serve dessert exclusive to the tournament.

On larger outdoor courts, like Kia Arena, some fans decided to take a seat and watch the showcourt matches on a big screen. Over in the Ballpark, considered something of a kids' zone, the inflatable waterpark went down a treat for the little ones. And in Topcourt, branded as "where Gen Z lives tennis", there is a stage with live DJs, plus a Shake Shack pop-up. It's the first time the burger chain has ever made an appearance in Australia so the kiosk has naturally been busy as is, but even more so when ticketholders had nothing else to do.

Organisers used the Aus Open app to send alerts to spectators about staying safe - but also to promote everything else happening in the precinct. They sent notifications about visiting the AO shop, heading to Topcourt, and getting a discount on Ralph Lauren towels, a clever way to keep people on-site.

And the tournament takes plenty of measures to help crowds stay cool, from fans blasting cold water to free SPF stands to water refill stations. If you had shelled out £45 (A$89) for a grounds pass on Saturday, you wouldn't have felt too hard done by, despite the lack of action in the afternoon. There was still four to five hours' worth of tennis before play was suspended, and so much to do, that you almost wouldn't have known the matches had been halted.