MELBOURNE – Hey, Australian Open TV viewers: The crowd's loud clapping and mid-match chatter you hear on the telecasts are not real.
With all spectators banned from Melbourne Park by the Victoria state government for the time being because of a five-day lockdown in response to new COVID-19 cases in the area, Tennis Australia decided to artificially amplify the ambiance.
Or as the tournament organizers phrased it in a statement issued Sunday: “We are looking to do what we can to enhance the AO coverage without the crowds." So when Serena Williams delivered one of her nine aces during her fourth-round victory, it might have seemed from afar as if that shot were greeted by raucous applause.