The Australian Open has proved a social media “hit” with more than 743k mentions globally, excluding Facebook, according to a WeAreSocial analysis.

Week one proved a disappointment for Australia, with a string of local hopefuls knocked out, but the failures on the court have not stymied local social chatter with 12% of all social mentions coming from Australia.

The extreme heat which gripped Victoria during week one, which saw players face down their opponents in 40-degree plus heat, is one of the “biggest single stories” to come out of the Open, according to Brad Buzzard.

“Discussion about the heat peaked on January 16, the day tournament officials enforced the extreme heat policy,” Buzzard, senior analyst at WeAreSocial, said.

Heat tweets:

Serbian player Ana Ivanovic has emerged as one of the most discussed players globally, the social mentions driven by her upset defeat of world number one Serena Williams.

“The rest of the top players are the usual suspects – Federer, Williams, Djokovic, Sharapova and Nadal,” Buzzard said.

Top players mentioned globally:

But it’s a different story in Australia, “true to form, Australia touts its own players”.

“Aussies Bernard Tomic, Lleyton Hewitt and Casey Dellacqua all appear ahead of the Nadals and Federers of the world.

“Up-and-comer Nick Kyrgios takes the top spot, after his loss in which he showed true Aussie grit by playing through pain.”

For more of B&T’s Australian Open coverage see: ‘Nine labeled a mimic as tennis gods fail to smile on Seven’.

A snapshot of tweets about the Australian Open: