Chef delivers tasty serve at the Australian Open kitchen

• Australian Open 2015: full coverage
• Inside the Australian Open kitchens

Markus Werner delivers a mighty serve at the Australian Open. He's from Germany and has endless stamina to race around Melbourne Park.

As executive chef of the grand slam, he feeds the players, fans and staff with an army of 220 chefs in 22 kitchens. Sharpening his knife for the fifth year, Werner and his team will cater for an anticipated 650,000 visitors and prepare 55,000 meals in corporate restaurants.

For the culinary sustenance and comfort of the players, their cafe and lounge has been doubled in size with more meals cooked to order. There's a freshly made sushi station with wholegrain rice or white rice, a Korean barbecue, and salad bar to create your own with black rice, quinoa or freekeh.

The players treat the cafe like their own kitchen and drop in whenever they want to. It's also their haven from prying eyes or autograph-hunters. "It's their rest and relaxation area where they are not getting hassled by the media or anyone else," Werner said.

With the tournament running day and night, the operating hours are set by the players. "If Roger Federer plays over five sets, we will be on stand-by."

For a carbohydrates fix, the freshly made pasta station always attracts a queue. Novak Djokovic has a gluten-free diet and has pasta options to chose from, plus the sushi has gluten-free soy sauce.

Guided by nutritionists, the players' bodies are temples that only allow good to enter. Serena Williams and her entourage enlisted their own private chef two years ago but this time she will be hitting the buffet like everyone else.

Mirroring what's trendy in Melbourne's cafe culture, kale is "very strong" on all the menus and the "Pick me up" juice comprises kale, cucumber, ginger and goji berries.

For the public, the ubiquitous burger has been grooved up at the Stack Burger Co outlet with a BBQ pulled pork variety. For something fancy, chef Scott Pickett from Saint Crispin and Estelle is running Bistro Estelle.

Bringing a touch of Flemington's Birdcage opulence to Melbourne Park, Emirates is taking corporate schmoozing to a new level after signing on as the airline partner and constructing a suite to replicate the A380 premium-class experience. A replica bar has been flown in from Dubai and those sampling it will be VIPs, Skywards frequent flyers, past and present tennis players, and celebrities.

Modelled on the airline's "dine on demand" service, the modern Australian menu features oysters, blue swimmer crab, wagyu beef and barramundi.

If the players get worn out playing five sets, consider Werner's long day. "It's very busy and with 22 kitchens, you have to visit them a few times a day. Your phone never stops. You are running from one hotspot to another."