The Australian Open – 25 must-follow Twitter accounts
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The Australian Open is under way and social media sites are buzzing about events on and off the courts at Melbourne Park – but who’s worth following on Twitter if you want to keep updated on the latest news and views?
With so many prominent people within the sport on Twitter, it can be tricky to choose who to follow and who to avoid.
Let us help as we’ve compiled an essential list of the most interesting and influential people in tennis who will bring you the best insight from Down Under.
THE PLAYERS
The pressure is on defending champion Novak Djokovic as he goes in search of a third Aussie Open title in a row, but he still takes time out to post pictures on Twitter and keep his fans in the loop about how he’s feeling.
Hoping to end Djokovic’s dominance in this event will be Andy Murray. The fiery Brit, who won the US Open last year and is 3/1 to leave Australia victorious, may not have tweeted since last month, but he’s bound to end his social media silence in the coming days.
If not, rest assured that other members of the Murray clan –mum Judy and brother Jamie – will have plenty to say in 140 characters or less.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is capable of taking advantage of Rafael Nadal’s absence through illness to stake his claim for the title, while positive injury updates on Twitter from Juan Monaco give him a good chance of progressing past the third round of the Aussie Open for the first time in his career.
The Williams sisters (Serena and Venus) lead by example on the court – and on Twitter as well as they have firmly embraced the social media revolution. In-form Serena is targeting a 16th Grand Slam title and is 10/11 to win this competition for a sixth time.
Current Aussie Open champion Victoria Azarenka will be out to stop Serena from making it sweet 16. It’ll be interesting to see if these two – or indeed any of the players – embark on any Twitter mind games.
Caroline Wozniacki and Laura Robson are also prolific on the micro-blogging site.
THE PRESS PACK
Plenty of ex-players turned pundits use Twitter to express their views. The legendary Boris Becker and Andrew Castle are on hand to offer a different spin on things.
Expect comprehensive coverage of the Aussie Open in print, online and on the radio and TV from the likes of Jonathan Overend (BBC Five Live), Neil Harman (The Times), Nick Lester (Sky Sports), Kevin Mitchell (Observer and Guardian), Simon Briggs (Daily Telegraph), Steve Brenner (The Sun) and Neil McLeman (Daily Mirror).
Matt Cronin offers a Stateside view of the game and for something a little different, Nike Tennis provide a little behind-the-scenes look at how some of their players are performing.
Be sure to also follow official Twitter accounts for the Australian Open, ATP and WTA.
