Global Courant
The first tennis Grand Slam of the year has arrived, as Melbourne Park plays host to the 2024 Australian Open.
Here’s what you need to know about the tournament:
What are the most important dates?
The Australian Open starts on Sunday, January 14 and runs until the men’s singles final on Sunday, January 28.
The women’s singles final takes place a day earlier.
The 15-day duration of the event is a first as the tournament normally starts on a Monday, but an extra day has been added in the hope of avoiding a late finish.
Players qualify for the main draw by being ranked in the top 104, or by winning three qualifying matches (in qualifiers from January 8 to 11), or by receiving a wildcard.
How much is the prize money?
Total prize money for the tournament increased by 13 percent this year to 86.5 million Australian dollars ($57.83 million).
The singles champions will each win 3.15 million Australian dollars ($2.11 million).
Who are the favorites?
Both reigning champions will line up in Melbourne to defend their crowns, with Serbia’s Novak Djokovic defending his men’s singles title and Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka battling for the women’s trophy.
Djokovic, 36, has won the Australian Open 10 times and is the top seed. Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, Russian Daniil Medvedev and Italian Jannik Sinner are in second, third and fourth places.
Alcaraz leaves for Melbourne Park this season without having any competitive games to his name.
Finished? PLAY pic.twitter.com/ccffFod5wr
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 11, 2024
Sabalenk lost the number one position among women last year to Poland’s Iga Swiatek.
American Coco Gauff is in third place behind the pair after winning the US Open in September. Elena Rybakina, who won Wimbledon in 2022 is in fourth place.
The biggest name to miss is Spaniard Rafael Nadal as he continues his rehabilitation from a hip injury The British Emma Raducanu, who is the 2021 US Open, returns after eight months away following surgery on both her hair wrist and ankle. Japan’s Naomi Osaka also returns after giving birth last July, hoping to complement her four major titles.
Taking charge pic.twitter.com/mLfAnQRwkJ
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 11, 2024
What happened on Thursday during the Australian Open draw?
Djokovic begins his quest for a record-extending 11th Australian Open title and 25th Grand Slam crown overall against one of the qualifiers.
The Serbian required treatment for a wrist problem during his United Cup defeat to Alex de Minaur last week – his first defeat in Australia in six years.
The 36-year-old has been given a relatively soft start but could face Greek seventh seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarter-finals in what would be a mouthwatering rematch of last year’s final.
King of Melbourne. Who will it be this year? pic.twitter.com/oFqnvg8wrf
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 11, 2024
Meanwhile, Swiatek faces a tough test against 2020 champion Sofia Kenin.
Defending champion Sabalenka will also be the first to play a qualifying match, while 2023 number two Elena Rybakina Sabalenka will face former world number one Karolina Pliskova in the final of the tune-up tournament in Brisbane.
Wimbledon champion Alcaraz meets French veteran Richard Gasquet.
The 20-year-old second seed is on course for a quarter-final clash with the rejuvenated Alexander Zverev, who takes on compatriot Dominik Koepfer.
Tsitsipas will take on Matteo Berrettini in another tantalizing opener, while two-time finalist Medvedev will start against a qualifier.
Italian youngster Jannik Sinner, who has been tipped to go deep at Melbourne Park, will face Botic van de Zandschulp.
Coming for the Melbourne crown
The CHAMPION will be… pic.twitter.com/sXrYsEsiqM
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 11, 2024
US Open champion Gauff faces Anna Karolina Schmiedlova, while Osaka, who won the title in 2019 and 2021, returns to Grand Slam tennis for the first time since 2022 and faces Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia in a tough opener.
Angelique Kerber, who also made her return to the tour after a long pregnancy hiatus, will play 2022 runner-up Danielle Collins in her opener and could face top seed Swiatek in the next round.
Wild card Caroline Wozniacki, another former champion and returning mother, will play 20th seed Magda Linette.
Australian Alex de Minaur, who stunned Djokovic last week before beating Alcaraz in a charity match, will lead the local hopes and start his campaign against Canadian former world number three Milos Raonic.
What time are the tapes played?
The show courts start at 12:00 (01:00 GMT), while the day sessions start an hour earlier on the outdoor courts.
Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court Arena and John Cain Arena will host the night sessions starting at 7pm (08:00 GMT).
The finals of both the women’s and men’s singles start at 7:30 PM (08:30 GMT).
