When Viv and Matt sat down with Paul McNamee in April, the conversation naturally shifted to his time as tournament director of the Australian Open. McNamee held the role from 1995 till 2006, a period of extraordinary growth for the tournament. During this time, the AO's status rose to match the other Grand Slams, its brand identity was refreshed, and it attracted new audiences. This peaked during AO 2005, the tournament's centenary year, with the men's final between Lleyton Hewitt and Marat Safin attracting some of the biggest domestic TV numbers in ratings history. With Australian Open 2025 just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to relive McNamee’s memories of his time in charge.

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