2025 Australian Open: The Tennis Spectacle Begins

Grand Slams Underway Down Under

After a brief respite, the tennis world's elite have converged in Melbourne for the year's first Grand Slam event. Amidst a rising generation led by defending champion Jannik Sinner and Wimbledon victor Carlos Alcaraz, the unwavering Novak Djokovic eyes a record-shattering 25th Grand Slam triumph on his beloved stage.

Reigning Champions and Rising Stars

On the women's side, Aryna Sabalenka aims to continue her dominance in Australia but faces fierce competition from Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek, and Qinwen Zheng.

Tournament Information

Main Round Start Date: Sunday, January 12

Finals:

• Men's Singles: Sunday, January 26
• Women's Singles: Saturday, January 25
• Men's Doubles: Saturday, January 25 (after Women's Singles final)
• Mixed Doubles: Saturday, January 25 (after Men's Doubles final)
• Women's Doubles: Sunday, January 26 (after Men's Singles final)

Venue: Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia

Main Courts:

• Rod Laver Arena (15,000 capacity)
• John Cairn Arena (10,500)
• Margaret Court Arena (7,500)

Player Draw:

The top 32 ATP and WTA ranked players receive automatic entry and are seeded to avoid early matches. Other players qualify through qualifying rounds or receive wild card entries from tournament organizers.

Defending Champions:

• Men's Singles: Jannik Sinner (Italy)
• Women's Singles: Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus)
• Men's Doubles: Rohan Bopanna (India) and Mathew Ebden (Australia)
• Women's Doubles: Hsieh Su-wei (Taiwan) and Elise Mertens (Belgium)
• Mixed Doubles: Hsieh Su-wei (Taiwan) and Jan Zieliński (Poland)

Top Seeds:

Men's Singles:

1. Jannik Sinner (Italy)
2. Alexander Zverev (Germany)
3. Carlos Alcaraz (Spain)
4. Taylor Fritz (USA)
5. Daniil Medvedev (Russia/no flag)

Women's Singles:

1. Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus/no flag)
2. Iga Swiatek (Poland)
3. Coco Gauff (USA)
4. Jasmine Paolini (Italy)
5. Qinwen Zheng (China)

Favorites to Watch

Men's Singles:

Novak Djokovic: Despite not winning a Grand Slam in 2024 and failing to add to his 25th singles title record, the 37-year-old remains a formidable force. He is now coached by his former rival Andy Murray and aims for his 100th career title and a record-breaking 11th Australian Open victory.

Jannik Sinner: The defending champion is the undisputed world number one after dominating 2024 with eight titles. Accusations of doping don't seem to affect his on-court performance as he seeks to retain his Australian Open crown.

Carlos Alcaraz: The youngest star with four Grand Slams to his name aims to complete the career Grand Slam by triumphing in Australia for the first time.

Women's Singles:

Aryna Sabalenka: The reigning champion seeks a hat-trick of Australian Open titles. Her dominant 2024 season earned her WTA Player of the Year honors.

Iga Swiatek: The five-time major winner hopes to break through in Melbourne despite past struggles. She will have to overcome a one-month doping suspension.

Coco Gauff: The 20-year-old has shown remarkable form after changing coaches. She aims for her second Grand Slam title in Melbourne.

Prize Money

The tournament offers a total of $59.8 million in prize money, a significant increase from 2024. Singles champions will receive $2.16 million, while Men's and Women's Doubles champions will earn $502,000. The breakdown for singles is as follows:

• Champions: $2.16m
• Runners-up: $1.17m
• Semifinalists: $0.68m

Media Coverage

Al Jazeera will provide live text and photo coverage of the men's and women's singles finals. Official broadcasters include: Africa: beIN Sports and SuperSport. Europe: Eurosport, SRG SSR. Asia Pacific & Oceania: ESPN, Tennis Channel, beIN Sports, CCTV, iQIYI, GDTV, WOWOW, Nine, Stan Sport, Digicel, CJ ENM, TDM, ESPN International, SKY, Sportcast, and K-Plus. India & subcontinent: Sony Sports Network. Latin America & Caribbean: ESPN International. Middle East: beIN Sports. North America: ESPN, TSN, RDS, and Tennis Channel. Central Asia: Sony Sports Network and Eurosport.