Key facts at a glance: Date, points & defending champion
Dates: Sunday January 18 to Sunday February 1
Location: Melbourne Park
Surface: Hard court (GreenSet)
ATP points: 2,000 for the winner
Defending champion: Jannik Sinner (men), Aryna Sabalenka (women)
Participants: Favourites and local hopes
The field of participants in 2026 promises high excitement, characterised by the duel between the two dominant forces in the sport at the top of the world rankings, as well as the comeback of some big names.
The favourites
World number two Jannik Sinner is the clear favourite, having won back-to-back titles. Hot on his heels is young Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, who aims to finally complete his Grand Slam collection in Melbourne and who defeated his main rival Sinner in an exhibition match in South Korea prior to the tournament. The indefatigable Novak Djokovic is also among the top contenders, as he is the most successful player in Aus open history with ten titles. Daniil Medvedev, who won a warm-up tournament in Brisbane, is considered an outside hope along with American Taylor Fritz.
Local heroes & special guests... we hope!
Australian fans are pinning their hopes primarily on Alex de Minaur, the world number six and a quarter-finalist in last year's edition. "Rowdie" Nick Kyrgios, on the other hand, has declined a wildcard and will not compete in the singles. However, he is aiming for a reunion with his friend Thanasi Kokkinakis in the doubles, pending Kokkinakis' fitness after he withdrew from the Adelaide International with a shoulder injury. As the two "Special K's," Kyrgios and Kokkinakis sensationally won the men's doubles title in 2022, drawing enormous show court crowds to what is usually a less prominent event at Melbourne Park.
Australian Open 2026 Schedule
Most day sessions commence at 11:00am or 11:30am AEDT depending on the court, with night sessions at Rod Laver Arena and Margaret Court Arena taking place at 7:00pm AEDT.
First round to Round of 16: Sunday January 18 to Monday January 26
Quarter-finals: Tuesday January 27 and Wednesday January 28
Women's semi-finals: Thursday January 29
Men's semi-finals: Friday January 30
Women's final: Saturday January 31, 7:30pm AEDT
Men's final: Sunday February 1, 7:30pm AEDT
Prize money and ATP points: Record sums in Melbourne
The 2026 Australian Open is setting new standards in terms of prize money. The total prize pool has been increased to a record-breaking $111.5 million – a 16 percent increase over the previous year. The singles champions, both men and women, will each receive a check for $4.15 million. The tournament is also crucial for the world rankings: the winner will earn a hefty 2,000 ATP points, while the runner-up will still take home 1,300 points. Even just reaching the first round of the main draw and losing is rewarded with $150,000!
Past winners
Djokovic is the undisputed "King of Melbourne" with ten titles, followed by Roger Federer with six. Sinner has recently demonstrated his dominance with two consecutive titles. Besides Djokovic and Sinner, 40yo Stan Wawrinka is the only other active winner in what will be his final year on tour. The Swiss player defeated Rafael Nadal in the 2014 final. Medvedev (three finals) and Marin Cilic are also among the other former finalists in the competition.
2025: Jannik Sinner
2024: Jannik Sinner
2023: Novak Djokovic
2022: Rafael Nadal
2021: Novak Djokovic
2020: Novak Djokovic
Broadcast: The Australian Open 2026 live on TV
Those who don't want to miss a single minute of the action have several options in Australia. The Nine network will be running live coverage throughout every day and evening on its multiple channels in addition to streaming all courts live on its streaming service 9Now.
Tennis fans who want a more premium experience can subscribe to Stan and Stan Sport from between $32 and $42 a month (depending on the tier chosen) for ad-free live vision and on-demand replays in 4K. 9Now, whilst free, will come with ads and be limited to a 1080p resolution.
Flashscore will also have live scores, stats and match previews of all 254 singles matches as well as up-to-the-minute news coverage on Flashscore News.
