Australian stars shine to erase off-court drama and create ‘dream’ grand slam

There were two Australian Opens in 2022. One played out at Melbourne airport, in a refugee detention hotel and on the front of activists’ T-shirts. The other took place on tennis courts, and it is by virtue of the latter’s quality that the former will not dominate the collective memory.

This tournament has been with little doubt one of the more extraordinary grand slams to date. Craig Tiley on Monday declared the 2022 Australian Open as “the best sporting event in the history of our game”.

Setting aside for one moment – if that is even possible – the remarkable Rafael Nadal, the local playing contingent quenched the public’s thirst for home success.

Ash Barty shone, the Special Ks showboated and Dylan Alcott again showed us all what we can aspire to be. Australia has much to be thankful for. Tiley has much to be thankful for. He too will be feeling grateful, that his happy slam ended happily even though Novak Djokovic is exiled and we still don’t know where Peng Shuai is.

The Tennis Australia chief executive and tournament director has pulled off a Nadal-esque comeback. He watched on as Barty broke a 44-year drought and Alcott was named Australian of the Year. As Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis made doubles sexy again and Alex de Minaur surged into the fourth round of the men’s singles.

In one dramatic, euphoric fortnight, Australia’s tennis players helped heal after a cursed couple of years overshadowed by a life-altering pandemic. Part of the combined beauty was the individual variety therein.

Barty’s story is one of understated brilliance and relatability. Throughout her early career, the indefinite break from tennis and then rise to world No 1, the 25-year-old has taken her supporters along for the ride. When she