The Australian Open gets underway on Sunday with defending champions Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka headlining the action on the opening night on the Rod Laver Arena.
Djokovic won a record-extending 10th Australian Open last year after defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets in the final and the 36-year-old will be aiming to challenge for the ‘golden slam’ of all four majors and the Olympic gold medal this season.
The World No 1 will begin his Australian Open defence against a qualifier, the 18-year-old Croatian Dino Prizmic, who has the mighty task of attempting to beat a player in Djokovic who has not lost in Melbourne since 2018.
Sabalenka, meanwhile, won her first grand slam title when she defeated Elena Rybakina to win the Australian Open last year. The Belarusian, who is seeded second, behind Iga Swiatek, for her Australian Open defence, also opens her tournament against an 18-year-old qualifier in Germany’s Ella Seidel.
Jannik Sinner, the returning Caroline Wozniacki, and Britain’s Jodie Burrage are also in action on the opening day of the Australian Open - which is starting on a Sunday and will be played as a 15-day event for the first time. Here’s everything you need to know.
Australian Open order of play - Sunday 14 January
(all times UK / GMT)
Rod Laver Arena
From 1am
Jannik Sinner vs Botic van de Zandschulp
Maria Sakkari vs Nao Hibino
From 8am
Novak Djokovic vs Dino Prizmic
Aryna Sabalenka vs Ella Seidel
Margaret Court Arena
From 1am
Mai Hontama vs Barbora Krejcikova
Thiago Seyboth Wild vs Andrey Rublev
From 8am
Magda Linette vs Caroline Wozniacki
Frances Tiafoe vs Borna Coric
John Cain Arena
From 1am
Leylah Fernandez vs Sara Bejlek
Dane Sweeny vs Francisco Cerundolo
From 8am
Taylor Fritz vs Facundo Diaz Acosta
Is the Australian Open on TV in the UK?
You can watch the Australian Open live on Discovery+ and Eurosport in the UK. The action will be broadcast on Eurosport’s TV channels, or fans can tune into Discovery+ to stream the tournament, where an Entertainment & Sport pass is available for either £6.99/month or £59.99/year.
If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch major sporting events, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.
Australian Open 2024 tournament schedule
Sunday 14 January: Round 1, men’s singles, women’s singles
Monday 15 January: Round 1, men’s singles, women’s singles
Tuesday 16 January: Round 1, men’s singles, women’s singles
Wednesday 17 January: Round 2, men’s singles, women’s singles
Thursday 18 January: Round 2, men’s singles, women’s singles
Friday 19 January: Round 3, men’s singles, women’s singles
Saturday 20 January: Round 3, men’s singles, women’s singles
Sunday 21 January: Round 4, men’s singles, women’s singles
Monday 22 January: Round 4, men’s singles, women’s singles
Tuesday 23 January: Quarter-finals, men’s singles, women’s singles
Wednesday 24 January: Quarter-finals, men’s singles, women’s singles
Thursday 25 January: Semi-finals, women’s singles
Friday 26 January: Semi-finals, men’s singles
Saturday 27 January: Women’s singles final
Sunday 28 January: Men’s singles final
- Men’s & women’s doubles: 16-28 January
- Mixed doubles: 18-27 January
- Wheelchair events: 23-27 January
- Junior events: 20-27 January
Australian Open 2024 prize money
Men’s and women’s singles, (Per player – 128 draw)
Winner: £1,674,000 (AU $3,150,000)
Runner-up: £925,000 (AU $1,725,000)
Semi-finals: £530,000 (AU $990,000)
Quarter-finals: £321,000 (AU $600,000)
Round 4: £201,000 (AU $375,000)
Round 3: £137,000 (AU $255,000)
Round 2: £96,000 (AU $180,000)
First Round: £64,000 (AU $120,000)
