 "Jannik Sinner had defeated Daniil Medvedev to win his maiden Australian Open title last year. Reuters")
The year’s first Grand Slam is set to get underway in Melbourne Park less than 24 hours from now. And the upcoming Australian Open sure has plenty of talking points, from the men’s singles defending champion competing under the shadow of doping and his female counterpart eyeing a hat-trick of titles to a certain individual eyeing a historic 25th Grand Slam victory.
Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming tournament:
Who are the top contenders for the 2025 Australian Open?
For starters, both defending champion Jannik Sinner and 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic are among the favourites heading into the upcoming Australian Open. As is Aryna Sabalenka in women’s singles.
Sinner’s eyeing a second consecutive victory at Melbourne Park and a third Grand Slam overall, and is a strong favourite to do so after winning the most recent Grand Slam, the US Open and the ATP Finals besides guiding Italy to the Davis Cup title.
Also Read | Australian Open Storylines: Sinner, Swiatek look to beat doping shadow; Djokovic aims for history
Djokovic, on the other hand, has won the tournament a whopping 10 times and arguably knows better than anyone else what it takes to succeed at this venue. Though he had an underwhelming 2024, ‘Djoker’ will back himself to turn things around and regain his old form starting with an 11th Australian title.
Like Sinner, Sabalenka had won both hard-court Grand Slams last year, and will back herself to win a third consecutive Australian Open title, which will be the fourth of her career and make her the first since Martina Hingis to win the tournament thrice. Sinner also has a parallel in world No 2 Iga Swiatek, who is competing in the tournament on the back of a doping controversy though unlike the Italian, her case is closed.
Also Read | Tennis in 2024: Alcaraz, Sinner share spoils in a controversial year; Sabalenka dominates
Swiatek had only reached the semi-finals of the tournament once (2022), and the four-time French Open and the 2022 US Open champion will be hoping to add the Australian Open to her cabinet.
What are the draws like for the 2025 Australian Open?
Defending champion Sinner has been drawn against Chile’s Nicholas Jarry while 10-time winner Djokovic, who begins his campaign against American wildcard Nishesh Basavareddy, faces the prospect of a quarter-final showdown with Carlos Alcaraz. Should he defeat the Spaniard, he might face Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals.
As for the women’s draw, Sabalenka will begin her campaign against former US Open champion Sloane Stephens while world No 3 Coco Gauff faces a tricky start against 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin. Second-seed Iga Swiatek begins her campaign against Czech doubles specialist Katerina Siniakova, but faces a much tougher challenge ahead in the form of sixth seed Elena Rybakina and eighth seed Emma Navarro.
What is the total prize money on offer?
The total prize money on offer at the 2025 Australian Open is $59.8 million, a 12 per cent increase from 2024. The winner of the men’s and women’s singles categories shall each receive $2.16 million, with the runners-up receiving $1.17 million. The men’s and women’s doubles champions, on the other hand, will receive $502,000.
What are the key dates to keep in mind for the 2025 Australian Open?
The first four rounds of the 2025 Australian Open will take place between 12 and 20 January, with the quarter-finals taking place on 21 and 22 January. The women’s singles semi-finals and final will take place on 23 and 25 January respectively while the corresponding dates for men’s singles are 24 and 26 January.
What time will the matches take place in the 2025 Australian Open?
The day sessions will begin at 5.30 am IST on the outer courts and at 6.30 am IST on the main courts. The night sessions, on the other hand, will begin at 1.30 pm IST.
The women’s and men’s singles finals, on the other hand, start at 2 pm.
Where can I watch the 2025 Australian Open live?
The 2025 Australian Open will be telecast live on the Sony Sports Network on TV. Viewers can also stream the match live on the SonyLIV website and app.