THE Australian Open kicks off the tennis grand slam in 2026 as Jannik sinner returns as defending champion and Aryna Sabalenka tries to regain his crown.
Sinner will attempt to become the second man of the Open era, after Novak Djokovicto win three Australian Open consecutive singles titles, while women’s number one Sabalenka will be determined after Madison Keys ended their bid for a hat-trick in last year’s final.
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Two players will enter the tournament with the mission of completing the career grand slam. Both Carlos Alcaraz And Iga Swiatek are one Australian Open title away from having won all four major titles – Alcaraz would the youngest man to achieve this feat if he does it this year.
After making the finals of Roland-Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open last season, Melbourne is the only one of the major stages where Alcaraz and Sinner have not yet met.
Djokovic and Rafael Nadal were the last men to reach four consecutive Grand Slam finals, between Wimbledon 2011 and Roland Garros 2012.
Here’s everything you need to know:
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Is the Australian Open on TV?
The tournament will be broadcast live on TNT Sports in the UK as well as online on Discovery+.
In the United States, the broadcast will be broadcast live on ESPN and Tennis Channel.
Australian Open Schedule
The second round of the tournament begins on Wednesday January 21. Finals weekend will take place on Saturday January 31 and Sunday February 1. Here is the last order of play.
What is Australian Open prize money?
The prize fund for this year’s Australian Open was increased by 16 percent to £55.4 millionmaking it the largest purse in the history of the tournament.
The two singles champions will each pocket £2.1 million, compared to the £1.7 million Jannik Sinner and Madison Keys took home last year.
