Australian Open 2018: The Happy Slam is also a ‘priceless’ one

Any event that has the word ‘happy’ in its nickname is almost guaranteed to be a pleasant experience. (Interestingly, it was Roger Federer who coined the term ‘Happy Slam’ for the Australian Open a few years ago; I am appropriately ashamed that I only recently discovered that fact). But is there any event in the world for which ‘happy’ sounds like you’re underselling it?

If I were Roger Federer (and a day hasn’t gone by when I haven’t wished for that), I would’ve gone a step further. I would’ve called the Australian Open the ‘Party Slam’. Or the ‘Celebration Slam’. Or the ‘Unforgettable Slam’.

Or I would’ve invented some word that combines all of those qualities. I’m not sure the English language has a word that can do appropriate justice to the carnival that is the year’s first major tournament.

When I was invited to visit Melbourne Park during this year's Australian Open, so that I could experience first-hand the fan engagement activities that Mastercard organizes at the venue, I didn’t bat an eyelid. This would be my second trip to the Open, having covered it in 2016, and I knew in advance just how enjoyable a time I was in for.

Full disclosure: I have long been one of those trigger-happy Mastercard holders, who hate paying for anything in cash and so always carry their card along. So I already knew just how convenient it is to attend a mammoth event like the Australian Open if you have the option of paying for everything with your card.

As I arrived in Melbourne, I was instantly greeted by the sight of a huge billboard at the airport that urged people to use their Mastercard and unlock the chance to get a ‘priceless surprise’. What’s a ‘priceless surprise’? We were briefed about that later by Sarah Pike, the Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Mastercard Australasia.

Anybody who uses a Mastercard to make any kind of payment stands a chance to win a special surprise that is tied to their likes and interests. The recipients of these ‘priceless surprises’ are chosen randomly, so you never know if it could be you.

If you’re a Robbie Williams fan, there’s a chance you could get to meet him through an elaborately planned sequence of events. Or if you’re a Priyanka Chopra devotee, having dinner with her is not a totally unrealizable dream.

‘Priceless surprises’ is just one arm of the four-pronged consumer gratification program being championed by Mastercard. They’ve also got Priceless Cities (providing special experiences in a few chosen cities, of which Melbourne is one), Priceless Causes (through which Mastercard has provided 8 million meals to underprivileged children), and Priceless Specials (a rewards program replete with offers and exclusives for loyal customers).

At the Australian Open, there is a customized concentration of all these initiatives to ensure the best possible fan experience.

Anyone who’s ever attended a major sporting event would know that when it comes to eating at the venue, the biggest pain point (aside from the inflated prices, but let’s not go there) is standing in the insanely long queues. Mastercard has tried alleviating that problem by launching the ‘Served’ mobile app.

This app allows you to place an order from your seat, and then just hop over to the delivery point (situated right outside your gate) during the changeover to grab all the stuff. I tried this myself, and I must say it was pretty efficient; I could get back to my seat, arms loaded with food, before play resumed.

Considering the number of times I have missed crucial games at a Slam just because I couldn’t stop thinking about those crisp, delicious fries (I still remember, and regret, how I missed Federer’s terrific third-set comeback against Novak Djokovic in the 2016 semis), this app is a god-send.

There’s also the AO Fanbot powered by Mastercard which sits on the FB messenger platform. This provides match updates, daily highlights and other important trivia that a fan may want – whether watching at home or at the venue. All you have to do is ask a question to the Fanbot through your FB messenger app, and you get all the information that you need. In addition, there are also surprise giveaways for the fans, in line with the 'priceless surprises' initiative of Mastercard.

I must confess that I didn’t use this much; being a hardcore and experienced tennis fan, I already have all the channels of information bookmarked on my phone. But I can see how the Fanbot would be useful for a relatively new fan, or a curious observer of this great sport.

And a great sport it continues to be; the Open, like all the other Slams, keeps giving us some fabulous shot-making and some unforgettable drama. Young Hyeon Chung got the whole world talking with his electrifying take-down of Djokovic, Simona Halep did the perfect balancing act between life and death, and Federer serenely chugged along with his genius racquet-work. And yet, the highlight of our trip was something else entirely.

On the day of Federer’s quarterfinal, we were invited by Mastercard to play some tennis…on Rod Laver Arena. That’s right – I actually got to hit on the iconic court, in company with an experienced Tennis Australia coach (a very likeable guy called Dan). I’m not the kind of person who keeps a bucket list, but if I was, I know a huge item would’ve been checked off that day.

So how did it feel playing tennis on Rod Laver Arena? For one thing, the court does seem quick; while it has perfectly even bounce, the ball tends to shoot off the surface if there’s some topspin on it. The court also feels bigger than a normal court would, for some reason. I suppose that’s because of the large space beyond the baseline; the sheer size of the blue-coloured surface makes it seem like you’re in the middle of the Coliseum.

We were all made to do a few drills, after which we played short doubles games. I managed to get into a long rally where I had to run from side to side, and as I chased down a drop shot I could faintly hear the other members of our group cheering me on. That felt truly special.

I can only imagine how the players must feel when they play some real tennis (compared to my half-assed groundstrokes) on that same court, and when the cheers are multiplied by infinity. Or maybe I shouldn’t do that, because it’s bound to be considerably beyond my imagination.

After that unforgettable tennis session, there was another treat in store for us. We were invited to spend the afternoon at the Mastercard Beach Club (a cozy little pop-up structure in the middle of Melbourne Park), and while we were chilling there who else but Lleyton Hewitt joins us.

As you probably know, Hewitt has come out of retirement to play doubles, and at the beach club he spoke very eloquently about the challenges of this second stint. He also expressed his opinion about the whole heat brouhaha – according to him the players should be ready to play under hot conditions – and had more than a few words of support for the injured Rafael Nadal.

Most remarkably though, Hewitt stopped to mingle and take pictures with nearly every one of the 20-odd people at the club. For all of his aggressive body language and throaty “Come on!”s on the court, Hewitt is a very nice, easygoing Aussie bloke off it.

There was just one thing left to do after that: watching Federer play. And while he did go down an early break against Tomas Berdych, he righted the ship just in time and gave the crowd a glimpse of his patented magic. I lost count of the number of times the people around me gasped at his brilliance, or just looked up at the sky in reverence when he hit a particularly impossible shot – for the Aussies, Federer has a touch of the divine.

There are many things that make the Australian Open special, and on this trip I was lucky enough to experience nearly all of them. It’s not just a Grand Slam; it is one huge celebration that is replete with both the raucous and the artful.

And my experience in this Mastercard trip? In one word: priceless.

Disclaimer: This was a sponsored trip by Mastercard.