MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — A collection of some of the top photos by Associated Press photographers featuring the intense light and shade of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne.
Summers in this city on the southeastern tip of the Australian mainland tend to be hot from December through February, with maximum daily temperatures regularly topping 30 Celsius (86 Fahrenheit).
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Coco Gauff of the U.S. prepares to serve to Paula Badosa of Spain during their quarterfinal match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
Alexander Zverev of Germany serves to Tommy Paul of the U.S. during their quarterfinal match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
Ben Shelton of the U.S. plays a backhand return to Gael Monfils of France during their fourth round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
Tommy Paul of the U.S. plays a forehand return to Alexander Zverev of Germany during their quarterfinal match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
Ben Shelton of the U.S. falls during his quarterfinal match against Lorenzo Sonego of Italy at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
Lorenzo Sonego of Italy serves to Ben Shelton of the U.S. during their quarterfinal match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
Coco Gauff of the U.S. plays a forehand return to Paula Badosa of Spain during their quarterfinal match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)
Coco Gauff of the U.S. warms up before a fourth round match against Belinda Bencic of Switzerland at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)
Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia play their quarterfinal match on Rod Laver Arena at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
Alexander Zverev of Germany serves to Jacob Fearnley of Britain during their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
Carlos Alcaraz of Spain returns a shot against Jack Draper of Britain during a fourth round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)
Iga Swiatek of Poland serves to Emma Navarro of the U.S. during their quarterfinal match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)
Coco Gauff of the U.S. serves to Paula Badosa of Spain during their quarterfinal match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)
Belinda Bencic of Switzerland returns a shot between legs to Coco Gauff of the U.S. during their fourth round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)
Ben Shelton of the U.S. waits to receive serve during his quarterfinal against Lorenzo Sonego of Italy at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus prepares to serve to Clara Tauson of Denmark during their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)
Iga Swiatek of Poland serves to Emma Navarro of the U.S. during their quarterfinal match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan serves to Madison Keys of the U.S. during their fourth round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
Coco Gauff of the U.S. returns a shot from Belinda Bencic of Switzerland during their fourth round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)
Emma Navarro of the U.S. plays a forehand return to Ons Jabeur of Tunisia during their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
Taylor Fritz of the U.S. serves to Gael Monfils of France during their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
The daytime sun is typically high, and so is the UV index. That makes for bright, clear blue skies over Melbourne Park, creating some dramatic shifts in light and shade inside and outside the arenas.
Areas of shade behind each baseline on the courts expand and retract across the afternoon and well into the evenings, leaving the main show courts and the stadium seats sometimes bathed in natural sunlight and sometimes in the shadows.
Three of the main stadium courts, including Rod Laver Arena and Margaret Court Arena, have retractable roofs, which can be quickly deployed in case of lightning, rain or extreme heat.
Melbourne Park is on the fringe of the city center but nestled into an open sporting precinct along the banks of the Yarra River that also includes the100,000-seat Melbourne Cricket Ground.
AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis —
Coco Gauff of the U.S. prepares to serve to Paula Badosa of Spain during their quarterfinal match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
Alexander Zverev of Germany serves to Tommy Paul of the U.S. during their quarterfinal match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
Ben Shelton of the U.S. plays a backhand return to Gael Monfils of France during their fourth round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
Tommy Paul of the U.S. plays a forehand return to Alexander Zverev of Germany during their quarterfinal match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
Ben Shelton of the U.S. falls during his quarterfinal match against Lorenzo Sonego of Italy at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
Lorenzo Sonego of Italy serves to Ben Shelton of the U.S. during their quarterfinal match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
Coco Gauff of the U.S. plays a forehand return to Paula Badosa of Spain during their quarterfinal match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)
Coco Gauff of the U.S. warms up before a fourth round match against Belinda Bencic of Switzerland at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)
Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia play their quarterfinal match on Rod Laver Arena at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
Alexander Zverev of Germany serves to Jacob Fearnley of Britain during their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
Carlos Alcaraz of Spain returns a shot against Jack Draper of Britain during a fourth round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)
Iga Swiatek of Poland serves to Emma Navarro of the U.S. during their quarterfinal match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)
Coco Gauff of the U.S. serves to Paula Badosa of Spain during their quarterfinal match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)
Belinda Bencic of Switzerland returns a shot between legs to Coco Gauff of the U.S. during their fourth round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)
Ben Shelton of the U.S. waits to receive serve during his quarterfinal against Lorenzo Sonego of Italy at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus prepares to serve to Clara Tauson of Denmark during their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)
Iga Swiatek of Poland serves to Emma Navarro of the U.S. during their quarterfinal match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan serves to Madison Keys of the U.S. during their fourth round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
Coco Gauff of the U.S. returns a shot from Belinda Bencic of Switzerland during their fourth round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)
Emma Navarro of the U.S. plays a forehand return to Ons Jabeur of Tunisia during their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
Taylor Fritz of the U.S. serves to Gael Monfils of France during their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
