Australian Open tennis 2026: Key dates, draw, top seeds, prize money

Australian Open tennis 2026: Key dates, draw, top seeds, prize money Who are the favourites? Will there be another Sincaraz final? Will Djokovic play? Al Jazeera has the answers. From Carlos Alcaraz to Jannik Sinner, and Aryna Sabalenka to Coco Gauff, the world’s top tennis players have arrived Down Under as the year’s first Grand Slam gets under way in Melbourne this week. The famous blue hard courts will see all-time great Novak Djokovic continue his search for a record-extending 11th Australian Open and 25th Grand Slam title amid the modern-day rivalry between defending champion Sinner and world number one Alcaraz. Recommended Stories list of 4 items list 1 of 4 Tennis: Amateur stuns Sinner to win 1m in ‘One Point Slam’ in Melbourne list 2 of 4 ‘Cardinal sin’: Why was Alonso sacked by Real Madrid, and who’s Arbeloa? list 3 of 4 ‘I didn’t set out to break records’: Pakistan’s first female MMA fighter list 4 of 4 ‘Fire vs ice’: Is Alcaraz vs Sinner the next big tennis rivalry? In the women’s draw, Sabalenka will once again attempt to win her third Australian Open title but will face a tough challenge from Iga Swiatek, Gauff and Amanda Anisimova. And thousands of fans will brave the Australian summer to catch the biggest stars of the game in action. Here’s all you need to know about the Australian Open 2026: When does the Australian Open 2026 main round start, and when are the finals? The first round of men’s and women’s singles matches starts on Sunday, January 18. The women’s singles final will be played at the Rod Laver Arena on Saturday, January 31, and the men’s singles final will be played at the same venue a day later. Where is the Australian Open played? The first Slam of the year is played on the hard court venues located at Melbourne Park. Apart from the Rod Laver Arena, the other main courts are the Margaret Court Arena and John Cain Arena. Who are the Australian Open defending champions? Madison Keys stunned two-time champion Sabalenka to win her first Slam in the 2025 final in three sets. In the men’s final, it was a Jannik Sinner masterclass as the Italian overcame Germany’s Alexander Zverev in straight sets for his second Australian Open title. Will Djokovic play in the Australian Open 2026? The Serb pulled out of the Adelaide Open, which is seen as a warm-up event for the Australian Open, saying he wasn’t “physically ready” for the tournament. While the tennis great didn’t reveal whether it was an injury or simply a need to rest his body before the Slam, he did confirm his plans to arrive in Melbourne ahead of the first round and has been named in the tournament’s draw. Who are the favourites to win the Australian Open 2026? An exciting mix of former champions and current top-ranked players count among the favourites to lift the title at the end of two weeks. Carlos Alcaraz: The world...

Preview: ~500 words