The Australian Open is the first Grand Slam tennis tournament of the year, held annually at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia. The 2026 edition ran from 12 January to 1 February, with Carlos Alcaraz and Elena Rybakina claiming the men’s and women’s singles titles respectively. As one of four Grand Slam events on the professional tennis calendar, the Australian Open attracts the world’s top players and hundreds of thousands of spectators each year.
What is the Australian Open?
The Australian Open is one of four Grand Slam tournaments in professional tennis, alongside the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. It is the season-opening major, traditionally held in the second half of January and running into early February. The tournament features men’s and women’s singles, doubles, mixed doubles, and junior events, played on GreenSet hardcourt surfaces.
First held in 1905, the Australian Open is the second-oldest Grand Slam tournament after Wimbledon. It moved to its current home at Melbourne Park (then known as Flinders Park) in 1988. The main draw consists of 128 players in both the men’s and women’s singles, with seven rounds of play from the first round through to the final.
When is the Australian Open?
The 2026 Australian Open ran from Monday 12 January to Sunday 1 February, spanning three weeks of competition. Opening Week (12 to 17 January) featured qualifying rounds, live entertainment, and the Million Dollar 1 Point Slam exhibition event. The main draw began on Sunday 18 January and concluded with the women’s singles final on Saturday 31 January and the men’s singles final on Sunday 1 February.
For 2026, the tournament introduced a new-look finals weekend format, with the women’s final on Saturday and the men’s final on Sunday, replacing the previous scheduling arrangement.
Where is the Australian Open?
The Australian Open is held at Melbourne Park, a multi-venue sports and entertainment precinct in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The centrepiece is Rod Laver Arena, which has a seating capacity of 14,820 and features a retractable roof that allows play to continue during rain or extreme heat. The arena was renamed in 2000 in honour of Rod Laver, the Australian tennis legend and three-time champion.
Melbourne Park also includes Margaret Court Arena (capacity 7,500) and John Cain Arena (capacity 10,500), along with numerous outdoor courts. The precinct is located in the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Precinct, a short walk from Flinders Street Station and the Melbourne CBD. The venue has used the Hawk-Eye Live electronic line-calling system in place of human line judges since 2021.
Key Contenders
Carlos Alcaraz won the 2026 men’s singles title, defeating Novak Djokovic 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5 in the final. The Spaniard became the youngest man in tennis history to complete the career Grand Slam, achieving the feat at 22 years and 8 months old. It was his seventh major title overall and his first at Melbourne Park.
Elena Rybakina claimed the women’s singles title, defeating Aryna Sabalenka in the final to win her second Grand Slam championship. Sabalenka had been the defending champion, having won back-to-back Australian Open titles in 2024 and 2025.
Novak Djokovic, the most successful men’s player in Australian Open history with 10 titles, reached the final once again but was unable to add to his record tally. Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev were among the other leading contenders in the men’s draw.
How to Watch the Australian Open
The Australian Open has extensive global broadcast coverage. In Australia, Channel 9 and its streaming platform 9Now provide free-to-air coverage of every match. In the United States, ESPN holds the broadcast rights, with more than 260 hours of live coverage across ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN+. Canadian viewers can watch on TSN (English) and RDS (French).
In the United Kingdom and across Europe, Eurosport and Discovery+ carry comprehensive coverage, with TNT Sports broadcasting in the UK. In the Middle East, beIN Sports holds the rights, while SuperSport covers much of Africa. Sony Sports Network broadcasts in India and the subcontinent. In Asia, CCTV provides coverage in China and WOWOW in Japan. New Zealand viewers can tune in via Sky Sport NZ.
History and Records
The Australian Open was first held in 1905 at the Warehouseman’s Cricket Ground in Melbourne. The tournament was not staged during the two World Wars (1916-1918 and 1941-1945) and was also not held in 1986 due to a scheduling change that moved the event from December to January.
Novak Djokovic holds the record for the most men’s singles titles in the Open Era with 10, while Margaret Court holds the all-time record with 11 titles spanning both the amateur and Open eras. Serena Williams won seven women’s singles titles, the most in the Open Era. Rod Laver’s 1969 victory at the Australian Open was the first step in his historic calendar-year Grand Slam, a feat no man has matched in the Open Era.
The tournament has grown from a relatively modest event into one of the premier sporting occasions on the global calendar, regularly attracting over 900,000 spectators across the fortnight.
Tickets and Attendance
Tickets for the Australian Open are sold through Ticketmaster and the official Australian Open website. For 2026, tickets went on sale to the general public on 7 October 2025, with early-bird pricing available for purchases made before 1 December. Ground Passes started from AUD $49 for the first week of the main draw, with children’s passes from AUD $10. Rod Laver Arena day sessions started from AUD $159, and night sessions from AUD $149.
Opening Week offered the most affordable access, with adult tickets from AUD $10 and children’s tickets from AUD $5. Hospitality and corporate packages are also available through official partners. For accessibility needs, a dedicated Accessibility Pre-Sale was introduced in 2026 for the first time.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the Australian Open start?
The Australian Open typically begins in mid-January, with the main draw starting around the third week of January. In 2026, Opening Week began on 12 January, with the main draw starting on 18 January.
Where is the Australian Open held?
The Australian Open is held at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The main show court is Rod Laver Arena.
How can I watch the Australian Open?
The tournament is broadcast globally, with Channel 9 (free) in Australia, ESPN in the US, Eurosport/Discovery+ in Europe, and numerous regional broadcasters worldwide.
Who won the Australian Open in 2026?
Carlos Alcaraz won the men’s singles title, defeating Novak Djokovic in the final. Elena Rybakina won the women’s singles title, defeating Aryna Sabalenka.
How many Grand Slam titles does the Australian Open count as?
The Australian Open is one of the four Grand Slam tournaments and counts as one Grand Slam title. Winning all four in a calendar year is known as a Calendar Grand Slam.