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<\/p>\nThe silly season has come to an end, but for tennis fans the festivities are just getting started.<\/p>\n
The Australian Open is returning this month for its 114th edition, bringing the world’s top players and hopefuls to sweat it out on the iconic blue courts under the Melbourne skyline.<\/p>\n
Here’s everything you need to know.<\/p>\n
When is the Australian Open?<\/p>\n
The Australian Open main draw starts on Sunday, January 18.<\/p>\n
Gates open at 10am AEDT for the morning session and 5pm AEDT for the evening session.<\/p>\n
The tournament will take place at Melbourne Park across 39 courts, including Rod Laver Arena for the big matches, the “people’s court” John Cain Arena and Margaret Court.<\/p>\n
When are the Australian Open finals?<\/p>\n
The women’s final will take place on\u00a0Saturday, January 31.<\/p>\n
The men’s final, a day later, will be on\u00a0Sunday, February 1.<\/p>\n
At $111.5 million this year’s prize pool is the largest in the tournament’s history \u2014 a 16 per cent increase on 2025.<\/p>\n
The men’s and women’s singles champions will each earn $4.15 million, with runners-up pocketing $2.15 million.<\/p>\n
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Rod Laver Arena will host the men’s and women’s singles finals. (AP: Manish Swarup)<\/p>\n
How can I watch the Australian Open?<\/p>\n
Channel 9 is the host broadcaster for the Australian Open this year, with coverage of every court on its streaming service 9NOW and Stan Sport.<\/p>\n
If you’re unable to watch it ABC Grandstand will be calling the action via the Listen app and abc.net.au\/sport, while ABC Sport digital will be blogging every minute of the action from Melbourne Park.<\/p>\n
When is the official draw?<\/p>\n
The Australian Open official draw will be at 2:30pm AEDT on Thursday, January 15.<\/p>\n
ABC Sport will live blog the draw, so join us then.<\/p>\n
Who are the reigning champions?<\/p>\n
American Madison Keys, who is currently ranked seven in the WTA, claimed a thrilling victory at last year’s grand slam.<\/p>\n
She defeated Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 2-6, 7-5.<\/p>\n
On the men’s side, current world number two Jannik Sinner lifted the trophy after a relatively easy three set match against Alexander Zverev.<\/p>\n
What Australians are in the main draw?<\/p>\n
Fans at the Open will have plenty of local heroes to cheer for when the action begins.<\/p>\n
Alex de Minaur will once again lead the Aussie charge as a player entrenched in the top 10.<\/p>\n
World number 49 Alexi Popyrin and South Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis will also compete in the singles.<\/p>\n
Maya Joint is Australia’s leading woman. The 19-year-old will be seeded 30th in just her second AO main draw appearance.<\/p>\n
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Maya Joint is Australia’s top seeded woman. (AP: Adam Hunger)<\/p>\n
Joint is ranked number 32 in the world but moves up two spots due to the absences of world number 25 Qinwen Zheng and number 31 Veronika Kudermetova.<\/p>\n
Queenslanders Kimberley Birrell and\u00a0Priscilla Hon will also compete in the main draw after barrier-best seasons in 2025. They will be joined by Daria Kasatkina<\/a>, who will compete under the Aussie flag<\/a> at the AO for the first time.<\/p>\n Here’s the full list of the Aussie women in the main draw:<\/p>\n Maya Joint (32)Daria Kasatkina (48)Ajla Tomljanovic (76)Kimberley Birrell (107)Priscilla Hon (121)Talia Gibson (WC)Emerson Jones (WC)Taylah Preston (WC)<\/p>\n Here’s the full list of the Aussie men in the main draw:<\/p>\n Alex de Minaur (6)Alexei Popyrin (49)Aleksandar Vukic (87)Adam Walton (79)Thanasi Kokkinakis (using protected ranking of 84)Tristan Schoolkate (97)James Duckworth (WC)Rinky Hijikata (WC)Jordan Thompson (WC)Chris O’Connell (WC)<\/p>\n There are also plenty of other Aussies who are currently competing in qualifying rounds that could secure their spot in the main draw.<\/p>\n Those include players like Storm Hunter, Bernard Tomic<\/a> and Jason Kubler.<\/p>\n Who are the top women to watch?<\/p>\n Fresh off her Brisbane International title, two-time defending AO champion Sabalenka will head into the tournament as the\u00a0player to beat<\/a>.<\/p>\n Sabalenka sends ominous AO warning<\/a><\/p>\n Aryna Sabalenka has won yet another title on Australian soil, showing that the Australian Open is hers for the taking.<\/p>\n The Belarussian is also the most recent Grand Slam title winner, emerging victorious at the US Open last year.<\/p>\n Not far behind her will be the world number two Iga \u015awi\u0105tek. But there are concerns over \u015awi\u0105tek’s fitness<\/a> and form after a series of mysterious meltdowns and lacklustre showings at the United Cup.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Belinda Bencic enjoyed a stunning United Cup, where the Swiss star was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP). She finished the event with a 5-0 singles record and is currently ranked 10th in the world.<\/p>\n Bencic has never made it beyond the fourth round at the AO.<\/p>\n Then there’s last year’s champion, Keys, who will be ranked ninth coming into the tournament and will be hoping to defend her crown<\/a>.<\/p>\n American Madison Keys will be looking to add another trophy to her AO collection. (AP: Ng Han Guan)<\/p>\n Elena Rybakina, who won the 2025 WTA Finals,<\/a> and Amanda Anisimova, who appeared in two Grand Slam finals last year at Wimbledon and the US Open, are also ones to watch.<\/p>\n Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Jasmine Paolini and Mirra Andreeva round out the top ten seeds.<\/p>\n Who are the top men to watch?<\/p>\n In terms of the big names, Sinner will be\u00a0hoping to win his third consecutive AO<\/a> and fifth Grand Slam title.<\/p>\n He is currency ranked second behind Carlos Alcaraz \u2014 another player set to draw attention at this year’s AO. The Spanish star has never made it past the quarterfinals at Melbourne Park.<\/p>\n On paper, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are the ones to beat at the AO. (AP: Antonio Calanni)<\/p>\n World number four Novak Djokovic, who holds the record for most men’s AO titles at 10, will also be looking to add to his collection. However, his participation in the AO is under a fitness cloud after he pulled out<\/a> of the Adelaide International saying he was “not quite physically ready”.<\/p>\n Two-time finalist Daniil Medvedev is also one to watch given he is hot off winning the Brisbane International<\/a> in straight sets.<\/p>\n But aside from his one US Open Crown he has not managed to take the steps required to be a regular threat to the likes of Sinner and Alcaraz.<\/p>\n![\"Madison](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0280530ab5ee23bac4eedeab01030ac1.jpeg\")
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