Rear Window at the 2023 Australian Open Men’s Final

After a low-key showing at Saturday’s women’s final, ANZ sent its CEO and chairman to host its biggest clients in a major show of force. Shayne Elliott and Paul O’Sullivan entertained Pact Group’s Ruffy and Fiona Geminder, Cate and Luke Sayers (of Sayers Group), luxury developer Tim Gurner, Hungry Jack’s founder Jack Cowin with wife Sharon, trucking magnate Lindsay Fox and Wesfarmers’ Rob Scott and Woolworth’s Brad Banducci. Seven Holdings’ Ryan Stokes sat with Sydney entertainment tsar Justin Hemmes.

To their right were Josh and Amie Frydenberg, the Liberal treasurer turned Goldman Sachs banker wining and dining Chemist Warehouse CFO Mark Davis and his wife Laura. And did we read Chemist Warehouse’s much-delayed float might finally happen this year? That’d be right.

Continuing around the court, Bank of America Merrill Lynch’s Joe Fayyad, Dan Janes and Mark Warburton hosted a gaggle of Australian Financial Review-famous worthies such as TPG Australia chief Joel Thickins, Charter Hall’s David Harrison, Square Peg’s Paul Bassat, Superloop’s Bevan Slattery, APA Group’s Adam Watson, and Treasury Wine Estates’ Tim Ford.

And to their right, UBS put on its usual display, new co-head of global banking Kelvin Barry seated right next to newlyweds Ben Gray (of BGH Capital) and Luba Grigorovitch (newly elected to Victorian parliament in what’s evidently been a big few months). Reserve Bank board member Alison Watkins and Incitec Pivot’s Jeanne Johns sat just above. Nearby, NextDC’s Craig Scroggie wore his aviators all night.

Broadcaster Nine (our publisher) fielded a frankly eclectic collection of guests, though the addition of Peter Dutton and deposed South Australian premier Steven Marshall – both deep in conversation with Nine chairman Peter Costello between sets — did give it a definite blue hue. Just behind, CEO Mike Sneesby with James Roche (of Melbourne developer Roche Holdings).

In the third row, entertainment reporter Richard Wilkins′ partner Nicola Dale snapped selfies with seriously wealthy hedge funder Richard Hains, while just a little way along, Eddie McGuire sat near BHP chief Mike Henry.

Labor types dominated the opposite end of the stadium in Tennis Australia’s courtly allocation. Chairwoman Jayne Hrdlicka entertained the prime minister on one side and the court’s namesake Rod Laver on the other. Further to her left sat Big Red Jim Chalmers with wife Laura, and behind them, Sports Minister Anika Wells, Special Minister of State Don Farrell and Hawke/Keating sports minister Ros Kelly with husband David Morgan (the ex-Westpac CEO).

Further behind in the same section: AngloGold Ashanti chief Alberto Calderon, ex-REA chief Tracey Fellows, Melbourne billionaire Paul Little, Egon Zehnder partner Fiona McGauchie, and investor Tolga Kumova with spinner Mark Hawthorne.

To their left, Bill and Chloe Shorten sat with Telstra CEO/Australia Day absentee Vicki Brady. And further along in Mastercard’s seats were Bendigo Bank chief Marnie Baker, Kogan’s Ruslan Kogan and Premier Investments’ Richard Murray, near Westpac institutional boss Anthony Miller and National Australia Bank’s personal banking head Rachel Slade.

Elsewhere: chef Andrew McConnell with publisher and property developer Morry Schwartz, celebrity lawyer Geoffrey Robertson, actors Rachel Griffiths and Richard Roxburgh, cricketers Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting, and Craig Foster with fellow ex-Socceroo Mark Bosnich.

And no, that’s not everyone, but we have to end this somewhere.