The Australian Open is upon us! The draws have been announced and you can find the match-ups at the official Australian Open webpage. The players are descending on Melbourne, and for the next two weeks we'll get a good look at the world's best professionals during the first Grand Slam event of the 2017 season. For a lot of tennis fans, it may as well be a two-week holiday signaling the return of the sport. Here are a few fun tips for fully embracing the spirit of the Aussie Open.
First, you should consider adjusting your sleep schedule to whatever extent possible. That is, If you live in Europe or the United States and you want to watch the Open, you'll be faced with some tricky timing decisions. Matches can be going on in the middle of the night or the early hours of the morning, and it's a shame to miss out on the action when there are only four Grand Slams to watch each year. Naturally, you have to account for work, family, and other aspects of your day-to-day schedule. Within reason, use the early days of the Open to get on a sleep routine that allows you to be up for the best matches. You won't regret it when you catch that epic five-setter!
Second, you should think about getting out on the courts yourself. It's difficult to watch an event like the Aussie Open and not be inspired to play, so it's a great time to seize the momentum to learn some tennis skills on your own. If your game got a little rusty during the off-season you can get back into shape by searching for a private coach online using Play Your Court to find tailored instructions for the parts of your game need the most work. Get a few lessons under your belt and you'll have that backhand ready in no time for the tournament.
Third, you may want to get your hands on some of the official clothing being put out for the stars at the Australian Open. As always, Nike has put out a collection for its signature athletes and Baseline has broken down the looks you'll see sported by the likes of Serena Williams, Roger Federer, Eugenie Bouchard, and Nick Kyrgios, but there are other options as well. You might get inspired by any number of player outfits during the tournament, and you can always check out the official shop of the Open online. There's no need to go nuts, but a new tennis shirt or an Aussie Open towel makes for a nice way to embrace the tournament.
Then you should take some time to read up on the exciting young talent starting to impact the game. If you're reading about tennis, you already know all about the top players but 2017 is looking like a particularly interesting year in tennis because of a lot of young players who are beginning to challenge the old guard. On the women's side, 22-year-old Ukrainian Elina Svitolina has secured the 11-seed and Australian Daria Gavrilova (also just 22) will be looking to thrill local fans and improve upon her ranking at number 25 in the WTA. On the men's side, 25-year-old Grigor Dimitrov is looking to make good on his sensational potential, and The Australian reports that 19-year-old German Alexander Zverev is fresh off a win over Federer and is seeded 24th. These are just a few of the names that could make this a particular
ly interesting tournament.
Finally, just kick back and enjoy the tennis. It's going to be a wonderful two weeks!
