During AO 2026, we met Australian Open team members from five different areas of the tournament who took us inside their worlds to showcase how a typical day unfolds.
From drivers, stringers and beauticians, to retail workers and medical staff, it was a reminder of the diversity of roles that bring the AO to life – as well as the many moments of warmth, connection and humour that keep team members returning to the event year after year.
Almost 15,000 staff come together to deliver the year’s first Grand Slam and help cement its reputation as one of the world’s premier sporting and entertainment events.
With applications for roles at AO 2027 now open, we bring you the highlights from those interviews to give you a snapshot of what you could experience should you want to join the team next January.
Neale Baker & Sam Pasalidis – Transport
The driveway beneath Rod Laver Arena is in constant flux, with Kia EV’s whisper quiet as they roll to a stop outside the player entrance for players arriving to check in for the day.
It’s organised chaos to the untrained eye, but to Transport Head Supervisor Neale Baker and Supervising Driver Sam Pasalidis, it’s business as usual. They have a combined 91 years’ experience working in Australian Open transport, and throughout that time the AO has blossomed from a smaller-scale operation in the 1980s into the global phenomenon it is today.
“I suppose [what’s changed is] the sheer size of the staff that we have to look after,” Baker says. “We're up to over 400 staff, and back when we started there was probably 20, 30 people.”
FULL FEATURE – Driving Mr Djokovic: The transport team at AO 2026
Adds Pasalidis: “I started as a driver at Kooyong in 1980, and then after about 27 years, a position came up as a supervisor, and I was lucky enough to get it. The last four years, I've just been driving Novak [Djokovic], which is a bit of a role change.”
One might think driving a tennis great like Djokovic might be a daunting task, but Pasalidis – a driver Djokovic specifically requests – remains unfazed.
“It's just like driving anyone. You just gotta drive carefully. Don't speed, you know? And it doesn't matter whether you're driving Novak or driving some other player. You just drive the same way,” he said.
“I'm just at their beck and call. I could be spending two or three hours just driving around, taking [Djokovic] to get a treatment, picking up some of his other team and bringing them back here or taking them back to the hotel. So, for me, it changes every day.”
Debbie Sapantzis & Gidget Ricca – Beauty Bar
The AO Styling Suites, in the hidden-away folds of the Players Area, are accessible by appointment only.
It’s a calming space not dissimilar to a day spa, where players can come before their match or on their day off for a trim, a manicure, or even a rejuvenating facial treatment. Other services include fake tanning, waxing, make up, pedicures and hair colouring.
The serenity is largely due to the two women running the show – Gidget and Debbie, AO Styling Suites gurus for the past 28 years. “We started [with just] the two of us,” Debbie says, before Gidget adds: “And now there’s a team of nine. We’ve got barbers, we’ve got girls doing nails, we’ve got hairdressers [and] hair stylists.”
FULL FEATURE – Game, set, manicure: A day in the life at the AO Styling Suites
Finding a trusted beauty therapist or hairdresser is like finding your soulmate, and it’s the trust and rapport between the players and the AO Styling Suites team that keeps the players eager to return year after year.
“When they come back, it's the big question: ‘how's your year been?’” says Gidget. “We interact and have that moment with them … whenever you [treat] some of the players, doesn't matter whether it's Novak or whether it's [world No.]320, they're all special for me.”
This bond is what has the competitors lining up outside their doors every morning at 10am. “The players are grateful,” says Debbie. “You can see they just come in and they're lovely and they're nice to us, and it's [because of the] relationship that we formed.”
Jack Williamson – Retail
The line to enter the AO Shop’s flagship store on Rod Laver Arena terrace extends out past the front door, with fans keen to check out AO-branded caps, oversized tennis balls and other popular merchandise.
It’s here that one of the tournament’s most passionate staff members, Jack Williamson, works, and he might just be the AO Shop’s biggest fan.
But it’s not because of the souvenirs, memorabilia, trinkets and sportswear; it’s because of the thousands of customers pouring through those doors each day, providing rich moments of connection he values so much.
FULL FEATURE – 'When it’s busy, I just love it': A day in the life at the AO Shop
Williamson first worked at the Australian Open through the event’s partnership with the Inclusion Foundation, a program that helps people living with a disability find part-time work.
This is his fourth year working at the AO, where he has enjoyed different roles. His first worked in experience hospitality in the sponsors' area, before moving into the retail team as a retail assistant, which he reports is his favourite role so far – predominately because he has so many chances to interact and engage with visitors.
“A lot of busy people, but when it's busy, I just love it,” Williamson said. “I enjoy helping people because it's a way for me to be myself and to connect with them, and if they need help or they [are] struggling with something, it's a way for me to help their days.”
Sarah Bloomfield – Stringing team
Deep below Rod Laver Arena is a place where magic happens.
Through the subterranean tunnels, where the sound of the crowds and the summer heat feel far away, if you follow the smell of polish and ink, and the sounds of clicking and whirring, you’ll find yourself in the Yonex stringers room.
The first thing to notice is the flurry of motion. Behind every Precision 9.0 machine is a dedicated stringer – a professional technician responsible for stringing tennis racquets – who expertly threads polyester and natural gut (cow intestine) to the perfect tension, as specified by the owner of the particular racquet.
FULL FEATURE – ‘Kind of therapeutic': A day in the life of an AO stringer
The Australian Open is one of the busiest times for a stringer, but Sarah Bloomfield – or ‘Bloomers’ as she’s fondly referred to by her team – is the picture of poised control. That’s because she’s a cornerstone of the Yonex stringing team; over the course of 14 years she has worked at six Wimbledons plus the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
This is her second time in the stringers' room at the Australian Open, yet even before that, tennis has always held a special place in her heart.
“I was a tennis player as a junior,” Bloomfield said. “I used to play a lot. And then in between lessons I'd go into my local clubhouse and my boss would be stringing and I just found it fascinating watching her.
“When I was around 16, she was like, do you wanna learn to string? So, she taught me and the rest is history. Now I'm here.”
Carolyn Broderick – Medical team
The medical team are a huge part of what keeps the Australian Open running smoothly, always ready to swoop in when injury strikes, but – as Chief Medical Officer Carolyn Broderick explains – there is so much more that goes on behind the scenes.
“I think what most people see about what we do in player medical is our court calls,” Broderick said. “But … we also are cognisant of the fact that players are touring the world for 11 months of the year now. So, things we take for granted like getting our skin checked, getting our vaccinations, getting pap smears, all that sort of thing, we want to try and offer to players here.”
FULL FEATURE – Beyond court calls: A day in the life of the AO Chief Medical Officer
During the AO, you’ll find Broderick and the team in the pop-up player medical centre, tending not only to injuries and infections, but also specialist issues that require dermatologists, optometrists and podiatrists on site. The centre is open every day from 8am until an hour after the final match is called.
Dr. Carolyn Broderick, Chief Medical Officer at Tennis Australia, on the important conversation around health and wellness in tennis 💙
🎧 listen to the entire episode of The Sit-Down at: https://t.co/Jdq8pJfinJ pic.twitter.com/tbJAh9bGFK— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) December 19, 2025
One of the health advances Broderick is most proud of during her time as Chief Medical Officer is the development and implementation of the Australian Open Heat Stress Scale. Beyond that, she is looking forward to making further strides in sports medicine.
“I'm always excited leading into the AO, but I think from a medical perspective, I'm excited about our new offerings … the mental health workshop and our fertility clinic,” she said. “And I’m excited [because] it’s almost a new era in tennis.”
Apply to become a part of the team for Australian Open 2027.