Melbourne, Australia – Melbourne doesn’t need help bringing energy during Australian Open week — but Red Bull BassLine showed up anyway and turned Rod Laver Arena into a full-on Friday-night spectacle.
On Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, a sold-out crowd of 15,000 packed the arena for the eighth global edition of Red Bull BassLine: six players, one champion, and a format built for chaos — tie-break tennis played to the beat of a live DJ, no umpire, and a crowd encouraged to get loud.
A format built for the moment
This isn’t your traditional tennis exhibition where everyone politely claps between points.
Red Bull BassLine is rapid-fire tennis with a pulse — players split into two groups, battle through a tie-break format, and the group winners advance to the final. The soundtrack never stops, the tempo stays high, and the vibe is closer to a live event than a country-club match.
And in Melbourne, it landed exactly as Red Bull wanted.
Budkov Kjær steals the show
The night belonged to 19-year-old Nicolai Budkov Kjær.
The Norwegian brought the kind of fearless, high-energy shotmaking that plays perfectly in this environment — and he backed it up when it mattered most, winning the final over Australia’s Jordan Thompson in four sets (3 sets to 1) to take the title.
“It feels great, super grateful that I could compete, and even greater I could win,” Budkov Kjær said. “I loved the crowd, I loved the big court…it was lovely and I wish to play it again.”
Thompson embraces the chaos
Thompson may have finished runner-up, but he sounded like someone who’d happily sign up again.
“It was so much fun, the crowd was electric,” Thompson said. “It was a lot more relaxed with the music as the background, and I think it brings better tennis. So better tennis for us, and better tennis for the crowd.”
That’s the point of BassLine: loosen the grip, crank the volume, and let the players swing.
Kyrgios didn’t need the final to own the moment
Nick Kyrgios didn’t make the final in his first BassLine appearance — but he still found a way to be part of the headline.
At one point, Kyrgios ran onto the court to support Thompson, feeding off the crowd and the atmosphere as if it had been built specifically for him.
“The DJ was playing bangers all night, the music was insane,” Kyrgios said. “I think tennis needs this side. It’s very traditional, and I think having events like this is a lot of fun for the crowd, and I think the crowd loved it as well.”
More than tennis: Melbourne got the full show
BassLine isn’t just about points — it’s about production.
Alongside the on-court action, fans got DJ sets, side acts, and a live performance by global music star Fisher, turning the arena into a hybrid of sport and concert.
It was also a milestone moment for the series:
- Second time BassLine has been played in Melbourne (following the 2025 edition)
- Just the second time the international event has been staged outside of Europe
The field: six names, one vibe
The Melbourne lineup mixed star power, ranking credibility, and pure entertainment value:
- Flavio Cobolli (#22, ITA)
- Arthur Rinderknech (#26, FR)
- Matteo Berrettini (#56, ITA)
- Jordan Thompson (#111, AUS)
- Nicolai Budkov Kjær (#135, NOR)
- Nick Kyrgios (#671, AUS)
Rankings mattered — but on a night like this, momentum and swagger mattered more.
Bad Dawg Sports take
Red Bull BassLine is proof that tennis can evolve without losing what makes it great.
The rallies still hit. The pressure still shows. But the atmosphere flips the script — and for a sport that’s often boxed in by tradition, that’s not a gimmick. It’s a growth lane.
Melbourne got a sold-out arena, a young champion who looked born for the spotlight, and a reminder that when you let the crowd feel the sport, they’ll show up — and they’ll come back.
Call it tennis in the land down under — Red Bull style.
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