There’s nothing quite like the pure joy, the jubilation and flow of emotions that come with that winning moment.
They’re moments Glenn Steer sees from just metres away.
The Sydneysider has filmed the Rod Laver Arena night sessions at the Australian Open for the past 20 years, only missing one for his niece’s wedding, capturing the historic moments beamed across the globe.
Glenn’s backstory is a fascinating tale. A punctured kidney from a rough foul halted hopes of becoming a professional footballer, with contact sport ruled out.
As a hobby, he took up tennis with his wife and rocketed up to the top regional divisions, but fear of injury again prompted Glenn to concentrate on his beloved filming.
Working his way up from a mail boy at a local broadcaster, he first captured tennis footage in Sydney back in 1978 and has since worked across horse racing, golf, rugby, cricket and even an athlete proposal at Rio 2016. Speaking of, Glenn will film his 12th Olympics in Tokyo later in 2020.
Glenn, 60, operates a 25kg Steadicam, harnessed to his body and levered in front “like having a bionic arm” to keep the shots smooth and level.
Then, it’s prime-time.
“We really pick up the players at the beginning of the Walk of Champions, down the corridor, walking backwards, leading the players to the court. The shot is dead smooth and we stay with them all the way until the coin toss,” said Glenn, describing his role.
“We track with one of the players for the warm-up and once the match starts, we leave to go up into the stands for art shots.”
This is where Glenn believes tennis broadcasting has evolved and bloomed the past few years, the time between the rallies.
He’s looking for the real colour, the animated applause, the flags, chanting, anything to evoke the real passion that makes the Australian Open so unique.
“I want something eye-catching but also what tells the story,” he added, with fans usually keen to have a moment on TV.
“You can pull focus from, say, a Federer hat in the crowd to the actual player on the court. It was something we came up five or six years ago, roaming the stands with the Steadicam to relate the crowd to the players.
“We set up shots with newspapers and programs, so we spend a lot of time getting fans ready so that when the player wins that point, we track to them holding an article with a great headline.
“The other night, we had one saying ‘Can’t break Roger,’ so when he was down a break point, we zoomed in on them holding that page, and low and behold he hit an ace, held serve and it really adds to the flavour of the match.”
Fast-forward to match point, and Glenn is poised just behind the umpire’s chair ready to film the crescendo of the contest, his favourite part of the job.
“It’s pretty amazing to witness their moment, but also to have the opportunity to share their moment with the world through TV.
“It’s a lot of pressure, I need to make sure my filming tells a good story. The reaction after the handshakes is usually pretty special.”
In his earpiece, Glenn is constantly listening to the director, trying to help capture the tale on TV.
“The director can take my shot live, a courtside look at the winning moment. Also in the camerahead itself I’m recording a slow-mo version of the same thing. The new cameras can double up,” he explained, hailing technological development.
“So, they cut to me as match point finishes live, I pan around the winner in a 360 degrees whilst they celebrate until the on-court interview, film that, and once they’re talking to their national broadcaster, I quickly play back the slow-mo of their match point celebration live.”
It’s all a jigsaw which makes Glenn an accomplished multi-tasker. After 20 years on RLA, he’s used to the speed and demands of modern broadcasting.
“You’ve got to have a lot of physical endurance, it’s a long time to be holding the camera,” he acknowledged, assessing the on-court challenges.
“It requires a lot of patience if someone keeps saving match points. Got to be in record, ready to step up and capture the moment. The noise of the crowd can be deafening.
“Hawkeye challenges can add an extra edge to the drama, you don’t want to walk into the main shot. You’ve got to be very aware, things happen so you have to be able to make decisions very quickly, to be positive in what you’re filming.”
As Steadicam operator for numerous night matches and trophy presentations, Glenn has quite the rapport with the players.
Having finished on court, his final role is to keep rolling for the winner’s walk back to the locker room.
“Coco (Gauff) was great, the first time she did it, she joked ‘this is awkward isn’t it?’,” he said.
“Also the second round Novak (Djokovic) won, we’re going back down the tunnel, and he challenged me to see how fast I could move backwards. He ran at me down the tunnel. He was laughing at me trying to shift that quick.
“Actually, a few years ago I did a muscle in my back and they organised a massage for me onsite. I was on the table next to Roger (Federer) and we shared a laugh about our ailments.
“Jim Courier is always astounded that I’m still here and mocks the way I walk, it’s small steps, it’s the art form itself keeping a tight centre of gravity to make sure the shot is steady.”
It’s special for Glenn that all three of his daughters have joined him at separate times to be his assistant at Melbourne Park.
Moments such as Lleyton Hewitt’s 4.34am finish in 2006 and the Australian’s 2016 singles retirement stand out.
“I’ve always been a Nadal fan. When he beat Roger in 2009 in the five-set final was just amazing to capture, the best atmosphere I’ve filmed in, what a classic.
“I have so many memories really, they all blend into one. Luckily my daughter is great at keeping the pictures.
Glenn and Steadicam are set to continue, with his blend of shots enhancing the broadcast worldwide.
“The coverage has evolved so much, everyone has great ideas and we have managed to keep people glued to their seats around the world with the great camera angles and access,” he said, praising the team effort.
“Tennis Australia has been like a family to me. Incredibly I’m still going, I’m still fit and I’m still having a great time.”
There is nothing still about Glenn’s nights on RLA. Apart from the footage, of course.