The silly season may have drawn to a close, but for tennis fans, the festivities are just getting started.
The Australian Open (AO) returns to Melbourne Park for its 114th edition this month, bringing a wide array of superstars and hopefuls from around the world to sweat it out on the iconic blue courts.
Here's what you need to know about when the action is taking place, the key players to watch out for, and how to watch.
What is the Australian Open?
The AO is the first of the four major tennis tournaments held each year that make up the Grand Slam series, alongside the French Open in Paris, the Wimbledon Championships in London and the US Open in New York.
It includes a range of match types, including men's and women's singles and doubles, as well as mixed doubles, junior championships, wheelchair, exhibition matches and more.
At $111.5 million, this year's prize pool is the largest in the tournament's history — a 16 per cent increase on 2025.
The Australian Open kicks off the Grand Slam tennis series each year. Source: AAP / James Ross
When is the Australian Open 2026?
The main draw for this year's AO will start on 18 January and run for two weeks.
Men's and women's singles quarter-finals will take place on 27 January, with women's semifinals on 29 January and men's semifinals on 30 January.
The women's singles grand final will be held on 31 January, with the men's singles grand final the next evening, 1 February.
The men's and women's doubles finals will also be held over that weekend.
If you're extra keen to get stuck in, good news — you don't have to wait for the main draw to kick off to see some great tennis.
Opening week started on 12 January, with hundreds of hopefuls competing in qualifying rounds to secure their spot in the main draw.
Players who have not automatically qualified for the main draw (through their global ranking) are required to win three matches to secure one of the 16 places available in each of the men's and women's singles draws.
Besides the qualifiers, opening week also includes practice sessions each day that are open to the public, live concerts, and exhibition events like the One Point Slam — where world pros and amateurs alike will compete for a $1 million prize, with matches won by whoever gets a point first.
Who will be competing in the Australian Open?
There's a strong mix of both established heavy-hitters vying for glory and newcomers hoping to make their mark on the tournament this year — both international stars and homegrown heroes.
In terms of the big names, Italian Jannik Sinner will be hoping to win his third consecutive AO (and fifth Grand Slam title), after coming out on top in the men's singles in 2024 and 2025. He's currently ranked one spot behind Spanish world number one Carlos Alcaraz — another player set to draw attention at this year's AO.
The two players faced off in the finals of all three other Grand Slams last year — with Alcaraz winning the French Open and US Open, and Sinner winning Wimbledon in between.
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz (left) and Italy's Jannik Sinner (right) each won two Grand Slam titles last year — with the other coming runner-up both times. Source: Getty / Matthew Stockman
AO 2025 women's singles winner Madison Keys will also be hoping to defend her Australian crown at this year's event, after beating Belarusian world number one Aryna Sabalenka last year. Sabalenka is the most recent Grand Slam title winner, emerging victorious at the US Open last year.
Other big names this year include Polish player Iga Świątek, who won Wimbledon last year and is currently ranked world number two, and American player Coco Gauff, who took out first place in the French Open and is currently ranked world number three.
In terms of local talent, rising Australian player Maya Joint is a clear one to watch.
The 19-year-old has had a phenomenal couple of years — entering 2024 ranked 684th in the world, soaring to world number 32 by the end of 2025.
Joint will also benefit in this year's tournament from seeding — the process in which the top 32 players (as determined by world rankings) are arranged in the draw to ensure they don't play one another too early.
Joint is guaranteed to be seeded for this year's AO, meaning she won't face off against a higher-ranked player until at least the third round.
Seeding will be confirmed this week, with the official draw revealed on 15 January.
Australian player Maya Joint has enjoyed a rapid rise in recent years. Source: AAP / AP / Rick Rycroft
De Minaur has been in good form lately, recently defeating Poland's Hubert Hurkacz on home turf in Sydney during AO warm-up the United Cup.
Other players representing Australia this year that are worth keeping an eye on include women's singles players Daria Kasatkina and Ajla Tomljanovic, plus men Alexei Popyrin, Adam Walton, James Duckworth, Aleksander Vukic and Tristan Schoolkate. All are ranked within the top 100 of either the WTA or ATP.
Grand Slam tennis is always full of twists, and it's worth keeping an eye on the smaller courts throughout the tournament.
The Australian Open is also no stranger to surprise upsets: last year, 19-year-old American qualifier Learner Tien knocked out Russian player Daniil Medvedev — then ranked world number five — in the second round.
US legend Venus Williams will play in this year's main draw, after receiving a wildcard slot. The 45-year-old has not played in Melbourne since 2021, and it will mark her first time playing outside the US since 2023.
How can I watch the Australian Open?
This year, Australians can watch the AO live and free via Channel 9 and its streaming platform 9Now. Stan Sport (which requires a paid subscription) will also have every match live and on demand.
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