MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Get ready for the 2026 Australian Open with a guide telling you everything you need to know, including how to watch the season’s first Grand Slam tennis tournament on TV, who the defending champion is, the schedule and more:
open day
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Singles matches will begin next Sunday at 11 a.m. local time (7 p.m. ET Saturday) around the venue, with the first match at Rod Laver Arena scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m. (7:30 p.m. ET Saturday).
Where to watch the Australian Open on TV
— In the U.S.: ESPN and Tennis Channel
— Other countries are listed here
defending champion
Madison Keys of the United States and Jannik Sinner of Italy won the 2025 singles trophy. Keys defeated No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 to win her first Grand Slam trophy. Sinner successfully defended his title by defeating Alexander Zverev 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-3 at Melbourne Park.
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top seed
Sabalenka will be the top seed for the women and Carlos Alcaraz will be the top seed for the men. They are currently ranked No. 1, and tournament seeding usually follows the WTA and ATP rankings.
More information on this year’s first Grand Slam tournament
The Australian Open is played on outdoor hard courts at Melbourne Park, located along the Yarra River near Melbourne’s city centre. Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court Arena and John Cain Arena all have retractable roofs. The women’s match was a best-of-three set format, with the top ten tiebreaker in the third set tied at 6-all; the men’s game in the fifth set was a best-of-five set tiebreaker with a score of 6-all. Like the U.S. Open and French Open, there are night matches. The championship is held annually around the last two weeks of January, during the Australian school summer holidays.
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What’s new this year
The Australian Open launches its ‘Opening Week’, with Melbourne Park opening to the public from qualifying and live music taking place nightly at the Grand Slam Oval. Fans can watch open practice sessions at Rod Laver Arena to watch some of the sport’s biggest names prepare for the first major of the year. Organizers have also expanded the opening week with the so-called 1 Point Slam, in which 22 professionals and 10 amateurs have the chance to compete for a $1 million prize.
What happened at Melbourne Park on Monday?
First round of qualifying rounds for men’s and women’s singles.
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Australian Open singles schedule
— 18/01/20: Round 1 (Women’s and Men’s)
— January 21-22: Second round (women’s and men’s)
— January 23-24: Third round (women’s and men’s)
— January 25-26: Fourth round (women’s and men’s)
— January 27-28: Quarterfinals (women’s and men’s)
— January 29: Women’s semifinals
— January 30: Men’s semifinals
— January 31: Women’s final
— February 1: Men’s final
Stories to read before the game starts
— No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka described the season schedule as “crazy.”
— Coco Gauff adds some background information on the “worst” fans
— Novak Djokovic is severing ties with Professional Tennis Players Association
— Venus Williams qualifies for Australian Open wild card at age 45
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— Carlos Alcaraz ends seven-year partnership with coach Juan Carlos Ferrero
— The ATP is adding a warm-up rule, like the one women have had for 30 years
— Nick Kyrgios to play doubles but not singles at Australian Open
2026 bonus
Australian Open prize money increased 16% in local currency terms from last year to a record A$111.5 million (US$75 million). This is up from A$96.5 million in 2025. The men’s and women’s singles champions will win AUD 4.15 million (USD 2.8 million), a 19% increase on last year.
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AP Tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis