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Every January, Melbourne Park becomes one of the most-watched places on earth. For three weeks, the lower bowl of Rod Laver Arena fills with a crowd that extends well beyond the tennis faithful, and if you’ve been paying attention, you already know the faces we mean.
The Australian Open occupies the same place on the social calendar as the Spring Racing Carnival and the Formula One Australian Grand Prix: a fixed point in the year when the city’s best seats are taken by athletes, actors, musicians, and cultural figures. The difference with the AO is duration: the celebrity crowd refreshes across the tournament, with new names appearing as the rounds progress and the stakes rise. Tennis Australia builds this deliberately; celebrity attendance at the AO isn’t incidental, it’s a core part of what the tournament is.
Here’s why they come, where they sit, and who has been spotted in the stands from 2022 to 2026.
Why Celebrities Come to the Australian Open
The AO is the first Grand Slam of the tennis calendar and the opening event on Melbourne’s summer social circuit. For Australian celebrities, attending needs no justification. You go because it’s the AO, and the AO is where people go in January.
Tennis Australia invests heavily in making the tournament genuinely attractive beyond the tennis itself. The Ralph Lauren private hospitality suite, a catered, air-conditioned function space within the grounds, has become one of the social centrepieces of the tournament. Partnerships with brands of that calibre bring their own guest lists, and the result is an environment where courtside access sits alongside a premium hospitality offer that most sporting events simply can’t replicate.
For international visitors, the timing matters. January sits deep in the Australian summer, after the Golden Globes and while the rest of awards season is still building, and many international names are already in the country for work or holidays. A trip to Melbourne for the AO is a natural addition to the itinerary.
Then there’s the tennis itself. Watching Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, or Aryna Sabalenka play a semifinal at Rod Laver Arena is a genuine drawcard for anyone who follows sport. The atmosphere during a five-set finish is unlike most live sporting experiences: premium hospitality surrounds it, but the tennis is unscripted. The crowd reacts to something real, and that energy is the same whether you’re in a corporate suite or the general stands.
Music has expanded the event’s reach further still. In 2026 the AO staged 15 nights of pre-match entertainment inside Rod Laver Arena, a Grand Slam first, with acts from Cody Simpson to Patti LaBelle performing before play every night of the main draw. Alongside it, AO LIVE, the tournament’s 21-day music programme, brought a five-night headline concert series to John Cain Arena. It has drawn artists who might not otherwise attend a tennis tournament, building a broader audience around the event and adding another dimension to what is already a full social day.
Where Celebrities Sit: The AO Hospitality Scene
Not all premium experiences at the Australian Open are the same, and understanding the distinction explains the photographs that circulate every January.
The front rows of Rod Laver Arena during the finals are the most photographed seats in Australian sport for two weeks of the year. These lower-bowl positions offer the closest physical proximity to the action, every point played out just metres away. Liam Hemsworth and Gabriella Brooks and Sarah Snook and Dave Lawson were all photographed in this environment during AO 2026. Some of these are premium reserved lower-bowl seats sold through official ticketing; others sit within AO Reserve, the tournament’s premium hospitality programme, which pairs lower-bowl seating with curated dining and private lounge spaces.
Sponsor marquees and corporate suites operate differently. These are dedicated function spaces, air-conditioned and catered, typically paired with premium seating or their own viewing arrangements, run by official partners within Melbourne Park. The Ralph Lauren suite is the most prominent. In 2026, Megan Gale, Tina Arena, and Rachel Griffiths were among those photographed there. For guests, it provides a base within the grounds across a full tournament day: somewhere to eat, meet, and watch without the logistical demands of a general admission experience in summer heat.
The practical difference between a ground pass day and a premium reserved or hospitality experience is proximity and comfort. Both groups watch the same tennis: the same players, the same drama, the same match-deciding points. What the premium experience removes is the queuing, the heat management, and the planning. It delivers the AO at its most direct. And none of it is exclusive to the famous: the same premium seat categories and hospitality experiences are bookable by the public.
Celebrities Spotted at the Australian Open (2022 to 2026)
The following names have been confirmed at the Australian Open through publicly reported sources including Women’s Weekly, Vogue Australia, news.com.au, and Nine celebrity coverage, with the publication and year noted against each entry. This list is updated each January following the tournament.
Hollywood and International Celebrities
Liam Hemsworth (2026, with Gabriella Brooks) – attended the men’s final as a guest of Ralph Lauren, per The Australian Women’s Weekly. One of the highest-profile international attendees of recent years, Hemsworth and Brooks were photographed courtside at Rod Laver Arena, both dressed in Ralph Lauren pieces.
Sarah Snook (2026, with Dave Lawson) – the Succession star and her husband were photographed at Rod Laver Arena during the men’s final, and Snook was also photographed in the Ralph Lauren Private Hospitality Suite on the final day, per Women’s Weekly. One of several internationally recognised Australian actors attending in 2026.
Chloe Grace Moretz (2026) – photographed at the men’s final, per Tennis.com, where former champion Marat Safin, attending as an ATP No. 1 Club member and trophy presenter, was among the prominent guests.
Simon Baker (2024) – the Mentalist star was photographed at the 2024 men’s final, per Sportskeeda, and is a regular face at Melbourne Park.
Eric Bana (2024 and 2025) – a consistent attendee over multiple years, Bana was photographed at the 2024 men’s final, per Sportskeeda, and in the crowd for the 2025 men’s final between Sinner and Zverev, per Women’s Weekly.
Joel Edgerton (2026) – the actor attended a Ralph Lauren lunch on day 15 of the tournament, per Women’s Weekly.
Isabella Elordi (2026) – the model and younger sister of Jacob Elordi was photographed in Ralph Lauren at Melbourne Park, per Women’s Weekly.
Christiane Amanpour (2026) – the CNN journalist was photographed watching Alex de Minaur’s fourth-round match, per WWD, alongside former Australian tennis professional John Alexander, and headlined the AO Inspirational Series during the tournament, per Tennis Australia.
Ana de Armas (2024) – the Academy Award-nominated actress presented the trophy alongside Jim Courier ahead of the 2024 men’s final between Jannik Sinner and Daniil Medvedev, then watched from the stands, reported by Sportskeeda.
Kate Walsh (2024)– the Grey’s Anatomy star was photographed at the 2024 men’s final, per Sportskeeda.
Jackie Chan (2025) – the martial arts and action film icon was photographed front row at Rod Laver Arena during finals weekend in 2025. He also joined a dragon dance outside the arena, reported by Women’s Weekly.
Paul Mescal (2022) – widely reported across multiple publications, Mescal’s attendance became a talking point and helped establish the AO’s celebrity atmosphere as a story that year.
Saoirse Ronan (2022) – photographed at the women’s final, which saw Ashleigh Barty become the first home-grown Australian women’s singles champion in over four decades, per Sportskeeda.
Bill Gates (2023 and 2026) – the Microsoft co-founder attended the men’s final between Novak Djokovic and Stefanos Tsitsipas in 2023, spotted wearing an Australian Open hat in the stands, per Sportskeeda, and returned for the 2026 men’s final, per international coverage of finals day.
Australian Celebrities
Delta Goodrem (2026) – opened the Piper-Heidsieck Champagne Bar at Melbourne Park and was photographed during the tournament, per Women’s Weekly. Goodrem is a familiar face at the AO and a regular part of the Melbourne summer social circuit.
Tina Arena (2026) – attended and was photographed at the Ralph Lauren event on 25 January. One of several Australian music figures who were guests of the sponsor hospitality programme, per Women’s Weekly.
The Kid LAROI (2026) – headlined the AO LIVE Presents concert series at John Cain Arena during finals week, per ausopen.com.
Megan Gale (2026) – photographed at the Ralph Lauren dinner, wearing the brand’s signature casual-elegant aesthetic, per Women’s Weekly.
Rachel Griffiths (2026) – photographed at the Ralph Lauren lunch at the Private Hospitality Suite, per WWD and Women’s Weekly.
Russell Crowe (2022 and 2023)– the Oscar winner watched Barty’s historic 2022 women’s final and returned for the 2023 women’s final, per Sportskeeda.
Rebel Wilson (2024)– photographed getting into the spirit at the de Minaur and Rublev match, per HELLO! magazine.
Rebecca Judd (2026) – a consistent attendee who is regularly photographed at the AO. Judd is among the fixtures of the Melbourne summer social calendar that the tournament attracts year after year.
Nadia Bartel (2026) – photographed during the tournament, per finals guest coverage.
Kate Waterhouse (2026) – photographed at Melbourne Park during the tournament, per finals guest coverage.
Carrie Bickmore (2026) – reported attendee during the tournament.
Adut Akech (2026) – the South Sudanese Australian model was photographed at Melbourne Park during the tournament.
Joel Creasey (regular attendee) – the comedian is a vocal enthusiast of the AO and has been quoted by ausopen.com on the atmosphere at the tournament.
Waleed Aly and Susan Carland (2025) – the TV presenter and his wife attended day one of the 2025 Australian Open, per Women’s Weekly.
Sports Legends and Athletes
Roger Federer (2026)– the six-time AO champion headlined the inaugural AO Opening Ceremony, playing a Battle of the World No.1s exhibition against Andre Agassi, Pat Rafter and Lleyton Hewitt, then watched day one from the stands beside Rod Laver, per ausopen.com and Getty Images. The biggest name at Melbourne Park in 2026 who wasn’t in the draw.
Rafael Nadal (2026) – one of the most notable appearances of recent years. The 22-time Grand Slam champion and two-time Australian Open winner (2009 and 2022), who retired from professional tennis in 2024, returned for the Night of Legends and stayed to watch Carlos Alcaraz complete the career Grand Slam from the stands, per Tennis.com. Watching Nadal in the crowd, following the next generation at a tournament he contested for two decades, is a story in itself.
Rod Laver (regular attendee) – the arena namesake is a familiar presence across the tournament. Laver attended the 2025 Australian Open Set in Style Dinner that opened the tournament, sat with Federer on day one in 2026, and has been present across multiple years, per Women’s Weekly and Getty Images.
Margaret Court and Mark Webber (2026)– the 11-time AO champion and the former F1 driver were both reported among the guests at the 2026 men’s final, per finals coverage.
Ricky Ponting (2023 and 2026) – the former Australian cricket captain attended the 2023 men’s final with his wife Rianna, photographed watching the Djokovic-Tsitsipas showdown, per Sportskeeda, and returned in 2026, photographed at the Emirates Marquee, per Women’s Weekly.
Adam Goodes (2025) – the former AFL star attended the Ralph Lauren AO dinner, photographed in the sponsor marquee, per Women’s Weekly.
Dan Carter (2024)– the All Blacks great was photographed at the 2024 men’s final, per Sportskeeda.
Ariarne Titmus, Ian Thorpe, Dawn Fraser and Ian Botham (2026)– Olympic swimmers Titmus (in the stands on day one) and Thorpe (with Ralph Lauren), swimming legend Fraser and cricket great Botham (both at the Emirates Marquee) were all photographed during the 2026 tournament, per Women’s Weekly and Getty Images.
AFL players and Australian sports personalities are a regular feature of the corporate hospitality sections throughout the tournament. The AO draws the full breadth of Australian sporting culture into its stands every January.
The AO as a Social Occasion: How It Compares
Melbourne’s three premier sporting and social occasions, the Australian Open, the Spring Racing Carnival, and the Formula One Australian Grand Prix, each draw corporate hospitality, celebrity attendance, and fashion-conscious crowds. They’re fixtures not just on the sporting calendar but on the social one: the moments when the city’s attention converges on a single place.
The AO has a structural advantage neither of the others can match: duration. Three weeks of tennis and entertainment, anchored by a 15-day main draw, means the celebrity crowd isn’t concentrated in a single day; it refreshes continuously across the event. Early rounds bring one wave of attendees; the latter stages, as the drama intensifies and the field narrows, bring another. Three weeks of opportunity is simply more valuable than a single race day.
Unlike the Spring Racing Carnival, there’s no formal dress code at the AO. The prevailing aesthetic is aspirational and self-directed, Ralph Lauren-influenced, Melbourne-summer-appropriate, which makes the fashion observation more interesting. Style at the AO is a choice rather than a code.
What sets the AO apart most sharply from domestic sporting occasions is its international dimension. The player field brings the world’s best tennis players to Melbourne, and celebrity attendance reflects that global profile. When Hollywood names appear in the stands, it’s because the athletes they’ve come to watch are global cultural figures. The AO isn’t an Australian event that happens to attract international visitors. It’s a world-class sporting occasion that happens to be held in Melbourne.
Experience the AO Like a VIP
The celebrity set at the Australian Open sits in reserved lower-bowl seats and sponsor hospitality environments. These aren’t accessed exclusively through industry connections or player relationships: many of the same premium seat categories and hospitality experiences can be booked by anyone, through official ticketing and travel partners like Keith Prowse Travel, an official travel partner for the Australian Open.
A Keith Prowse Travel AO package combines guaranteed official tickets with central Melbourne accommodation, and depending on the package, premium Rod Laver Arena seating, exclusive functions and transfers. The planning and logistics are handled. You arrive, you watch the tennis, and the environment does the rest.
The 2027 Australian Open main draw runs from 17 to 31 January, with the wider programme opening with AO Opening Week from 11 January. Premium seat categories and central Melbourne accommodation book early during the tournament window.
View Keith Prowse Travel’s Australian Open 2027 packages to check availability.
