The Australian Open 2027 is the first Grand Slam tennis tournament of the year, held at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia from Sunday 17 January to Sunday 31 January 2027. As the season’s opening major, the event brings together the world’s best men’s and women’s singles players, doubles teams, wheelchair and junior competitors in a two-week championship that sets the tone for the tennis year. Known as the Happy Slam, it is the most attended Grand Slam in tennis and the centrepiece of the Australian summer sports calendar.
What is the Australian Open?
The Australian Open is one of the four Grand Slam tournaments in professional tennis, alongside Roland-Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open. It is organised by Tennis Australia and offers the highest level of points in the ATP and WTA rankings. The main draw features 128 players in both men’s and women’s singles, with 64 pairs competing in doubles. Matches are played in best-of-five sets for men and best-of-three sets for women, with ten-point tie-breaks deciding the final set at six-all.
The tournament has been held at Melbourne Park since 1988, when it moved from Kooyong. It was the first Grand Slam to install a retractable roof on its main show court, allowing play to continue through rain and extreme heat. The Australian Open is also known for its Extreme Heat Policy, which suspends play when on-court conditions exceed a strict safety threshold.
How the Australian Open Works
The main draw begins on Sunday 17 January 2027 after an Opening Week of qualifying, exhibition matches and the United Cup finals. Players progress through seven rounds in singles, with seeded players protected from meeting in the early stages. Quarter-finals are played from Tuesday 26 January (Australia Day), followed by semi-finals from Wednesday 27 January. The women’s singles final is scheduled for Saturday 30 January, and the men’s singles final closes the tournament on Sunday 31 January.
When is the Australian Open 2027?
Main draw play runs from Sunday 17 January to Sunday 31 January 2027, preceded by Opening Week from 11 to 16 January featuring qualifying rounds, player practice sessions and community events. Day sessions at Rod Laver Arena typically start at 11am local time (AEDT), with evening sessions from 7pm. The women’s singles final takes place on Saturday 30 January 2027 and the men’s singles final on Sunday 31 January 2027, both at Rod Laver Arena.
Where is the Australian Open 2027?
Melbourne Park sits on the banks of the Yarra River in central Melbourne, a short walk from the city’s central business district. The precinct’s three main show courts are Rod Laver Arena (capacity around 15,000), Margaret Court Arena (around 7,500) and John Cain Arena (around 10,500). All three feature retractable roofs, allowing scheduling flexibility in the face of Melbourne’s variable summer weather. The surface is Plexicushion, a cushioned hard court that plays slightly slower than the GreenSet courts used at the US Open.
Key Contenders
The men’s draw features the leading players of the current era seeking the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup. Italy’s Jannik Sinner, who won the 2024 and 2025 Australian Open titles, enters with a strong record at Melbourne Park. Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz, a multiple Grand Slam champion, is seeded among the top contenders alongside Germany’s Alexander Zverev and American Taylor Fritz. Novak Djokovic, with a record 10 Australian Open titles, remains a threat whenever he enters the draw.
In the women’s singles, defending champion status and world number one ranking typically define the leading contenders. Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, champion in 2023 and 2024, has been one of the most consistent players at Melbourne Park in recent seasons. Poland’s Iga Swiatek, American Coco Gauff and home favourite Ajla Tomljanovic are among the names regularly featured in the second week. Australian crowds also rally behind rising home players in junior and wildcard draws.
Doubles competition at the Australian Open is among the strongest in tennis, with Grand Slam points on offer for the men’s, women’s and mixed doubles champions. Wheelchair tennis has been a full-ranking Grand Slam event in Melbourne since 2019, attracting the world’s best wheelchair players across singles and doubles.
How to Watch
In Australia, the Australian Open is broadcast free-to-air on the Nine Network and streamed on 9Now. In the United Kingdom, Eurosport and Discovery+ carry live coverage of every court throughout the tournament. In the United States, ESPN, ESPN2, Tennis Channel and ESPN+ hold the rights, with Tennis Channel providing early-round coverage across multiple courts. ESPN Deportes carries Spanish-language coverage for North America.
Across Europe, Eurosport holds pan-regional rights. In Latin America, ESPN and Disney+ carry coverage. beIN Sports covers the Middle East and North Africa, SuperSport covers sub-Saharan Africa and WOWOW carries the tournament in Japan. The Australian Open TV streaming service is available in territories where broadcaster rights do not apply, offering match streams of selected courts directly from the tournament organisers. Radio coverage in the UK is provided by BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra.
History and Records
The Australian Championships were first held in 1905 at Warehouseman’s Cricket Ground in Melbourne and became an Open era event in 1969. The tournament moved from Kooyong to the purpose-built Melbourne Park (then called Flinders Park) in 1988. Novak Djokovic’s 10 men’s singles titles stand as the outright record, ahead of Roy Emerson’s six. Margaret Court won 11 women’s singles titles, seven of them in the Open era, and the show court bearing her name honours that record.
The 2012 men’s final between Djokovic and Rafael Nadal remains the longest Grand Slam final in history at 5 hours and 53 minutes. Serena Williams won her 23rd and final Grand Slam singles title at the 2017 Australian Open, beating sister Venus in the final. The tournament regularly draws crowds of more than 900,000 across its two weeks and broke its own attendance record in 2024 with over one million spectators.
Tickets and Attendance
Tickets for the Australian Open are sold through Ticketmaster Australia, the tournament’s official ticketing partner. Ground passes for early rounds start from around 50 Australian dollars and grant access to all outer courts and grounds-based entertainment. Reserved seating at Rod Laver Arena ranges from approximately 90 to 500 Australian dollars, with premium and hospitality packages considerably higher. Finals weekend sells out well in advance, with secondary-market prices rising sharply.
On-site hospitality is offered through the Australian Open Experiences programme and covers courtside seats, private suites and guided behind-the-scenes tours. Travel packages combining tickets with Melbourne accommodation are sold by Keith Prowse and Events Travel among other official partners. Fans attending without a seat reservation can enjoy the Heineken Live Stage, food precincts and the AO Ballpark family zone, all included with a ground pass.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the Australian Open 2027 start?
Main draw play begins on Sunday 17 January 2027 at Melbourne Park, following Opening Week from 11 to 16 January.
Where is the Australian Open 2027 being held?
Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia. Show courts include Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court Arena and John Cain Arena.
How can I watch the Australian Open 2027?
On Channel Nine and 9Now in Australia, Eurosport and Discovery+ in the UK, and ESPN, ESPN2 and Tennis Channel in the United States.
Who won the last Australian Open?
The winners of the 2026 Australian Open singles titles defend their championships, having lifted the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup and Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup at Melbourne Park in January 2026.
How can I buy Australian Open tickets?
Via Ticketmaster Australia, the tournament’s official ticketing partner, with on-sale typically opening in September each year.