Overview
- No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz opens against Australia’s Adam Walton, No. 2 Jannik Sinner faces Hugo Gaston, and No. 4 Novak Djokovic meets Pedro Martinez in a draw that places Sinner and Djokovic on a potential semifinal collision course.
- World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka starts against French wildcard Tiantsoa Rakotomanga and is viewed as the pre-tournament favorite with a path that could bring a semifinal against No. 3 Coco Gauff, while No. 2 Iga Świątek pursues the missing leg of her career Slam.
- Alcaraz seeks his first Australian Open to become the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam after he and Sinner shared the last eight major titles.
- Main-draw play begins Sunday, January 18 and runs through February 1, with a record prize fund of about £55.4m and £2.1m for each singles champion.
- UK viewers can watch live on TNT Sports/Discovery+, and US coverage is on ESPN and Tennis Channel, while home favorite Thanasi Kokkinakis has withdrawn with a shoulder injury.