2026 has only just dawned, and already tennis fans are eagerly awaiting the start of the first big event of the year, the Australian Open from Melbourne. Tournament qualifying takes place from Monday, January 12 to Thursday, January 15, with the main draws, consisting of 128 players apiece, starting on Sunday, January 18 and continuing through to its conclusion on Sunday, February 1.
We are therefore guaranteed three weeks of thrilling Grand Slam tennis. This marks the third straight year of a Sunday main-draw start, a change to the Australian Open schedule which fans have enthusiastically embraced.
Many tennis legends have tasted success at the Australian Open over the years. Homegrown talents such as Rod Laver, Roy Emerson and Ken Rosewall all sparkled under the spotlight. More recently, Andre Agassi, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic all triumphed on multiple occasions. Jannik Sinner now looks to become only the second man after Novak Djokovic to three-peat down under, following his back-to-back successes in 2024 & 2025.
More 2026 Australian Open News
We can look forward to another star-studded line-up at this year’s Australian Open. Let GOAL guide you through all the big names who will be taking to the Melbourne courts during the opening Grand Slam of 2025 and how you can watch and stream all the action.
Australian Open 2026: The men to watch
Jannik Sinner
Jannik Sinner had a stellar 2025 season, especially in the standout events. He pocketed two more Grand Slam titles (Australian Open and Wimbledon) and was runner-up in the other two. So, he arrives in Melbourne having played in five consecutive Slam finals and is halfway to emulating Roger Federer’s record. The Swiss ace amazingly appeared in 10 straight Grand Slam curtain-closers between 2005 and 2007. After claiming his maiden Slam success in Melbourne, the place will always remain a special place in Sinner’s heart. He’s not lost a match there since coming out second best in a thrilling five-setter to Stefanos Tsitsipas back in 2023.
- Number of Grand Slam titles: 4
- Best Australian Open performance: Winner (2024 & 2025)
Carlos Alcaraz
While Sinner celebrated huge wins in Melbourne and London in 2025, Carlos Alcaraz mopped up the remainder of the Slams, holding the trophies aloft at Roland Garros and Flushing Meadows. It means that the 22-year-old has won at least one of the big 4 events in each of the previous four years, although Australian Open success has so far eluded him. Despite losing the season finale to Sinner at the ATP Finals in Turin, Alcaraz finished the year as world number 1.
- Number of Grand Slam titles: 6
- Best Australian Open performance: Quarter-finalist (2024 & 2025)
Novak Djokovic
While Novak Djokovic sits pretty at the top of both the all-time Grand Slam and Australian Open honours lists, he hasn’t added to those tallies since 2023, when he won three of the four majors. It's the first time the Serb has had a two-year barren Slam spell since 2010. He did prove some of his doubters wrong by reaching the semi-finals of all four Slams last year, though. Having withdrawn from the Adelaide International, there are concerns that Djokovic's body won’t stand up to the rigours of the Australian Open, and he enters the opening Slam of the year without any warm-up matches for the first time since 2018.
- Number of Grand Slam titles: 24
- Best Australian Open performance: Winner (2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021 & 2023)
Alexander Zverev
Zverev remains one of the most talented players on the ATP Tour, who is yet to claim a Grand Slam title. The German reached his third Slam final at the Australian Open twelve months ago, which was five years on from him appearing in his first ever one at the 2020 US Open. Despite below-par performances at Wimbledon (R1 exit) and the US Open (R3 exit) last year, he’ll be hopeful of another bold showing in Melbourne after progressing to the semis in 2024 and finishing as the 2025 runner-up.
- Number of Grand Slam titles: 0
- Best Australian Open performance: Runner-up (2025)
Daniil Medvedev
Despite reaching six Grand Slam finals, Medvedev has only a sole success to his name, his US Open triumph of 2021. Half of those six final appearances have come at the Australian Open within the last five years. Heartbreakingly for Medvedev, he lost both the 2022 and 2024 finals after being 2 sets up. He will need to up his game massively in Melbourne if he is to reach a fourth final though, after failing to deliver on the big stage during 2025. Medvedev bowed out in the 2nd round or earlier in each of the four Slams last year and ended the year at 13th in the ATP rankings, his lowest slot since 2018.
- Number of Grand Slam titles: 1
- Best Australian Open performance: Runner-up (2021, 2022 & 2024)
Ben Shelton
The United States have been crying out for another Australian Open champion since Andre Agassi claimed his fourth and last title in Melbourne over 20 years ago (2003). In fact, no American has even reached the Australian Open final since then. However, Shelton scorched his way to the Melbourne semis with his never-say-die attitude, last year (his joint-best Slam performance), before eventually running out of gas against Jannik Sinner. Having now surpassed fellow countryman Taylor Fritz in the ATP rankings, the Florida star will be aiming for another prominent showing down under.
- Number of Grand Slam titles: 0
- Best Australian Open performance: Semi-finalist (2025)
Australian Open 2025: The women to watch
Aryna Sabalenka
Sabalenka has been the darling of Melbourne in recent years, following her 2023 and 2024 triumphs, and she almost three-peated last year, but was denied in the final by a defiant Madison Keys. Sabalenka also failed to get over the line at the French Open and Wimbledon, where she lost in the final and semis, respectively. However, she managed to get her act together in New York, where she clinched back-to-back US Open titles, seeing off US starlet Amanda Anisimova in straight sets. Despite losing to Elena Rybakina in the WTA Finals showpiece in Riyadh in November, she maintained her world no.1 ranking and will be confident of another bold performance in Melbourne.
- Number of Grand Slam titles: 4
- Best Australian Open performance: Winner (2023 & 2024)
Iga Swiatek
Swiatek may be renowned as the clay queen after winning the French Open four times in the space of five years (2020-2024), but she showed her immense versatility across all surfaces last year. The Pole reached the last-8 stage of every Grand Slam in 2025 and lasted the distance on the grass to claim her first Wimbledon title. Swiatek also produced one of her best performances in Melbourne, making it to the semis, where she lost to Madison Keys in a highly entertaining and dramatic three-setter.
- Number of Grand Slam titles: 6
- Best Australian Open performance: Semi-finalist (2022 & 2025)
Coco Gauff
Coco Gauff, who amazingly is still just 21 years of age, had another mixed campaign last year. She raced out of the blocks as she did in 2024, reaching the quarter-finals of the Australian Open and then reigning supreme at the French Open, to clinch only her second Slam title ever. Her first came at the US Open in 2023. However, the Delray Beach star failed to build on that, bowing out in the opening round at Wimbledon and the 4th round at the US Open, before losing two of her round-robin matches at the WTA Finals.
- Number of Grand Slam titles: 2
- Best Australian Open performance: Semi-finalist (2024)
Elena Rybakina
Rybakina's career had been plagued by illness and injury, and she had been unable to build on her 2022 Wimbledon triumph and her runner-up finish at the 2023 Australian Open. Last year also looked to be passing by as another disappointing campaign for the Kazakhstan player, after she failed to progress past the 4th round stage of any of the Grand Slams. However, Rybakina pulled off one of the biggest results of her career when beating Aryna Sabalenka to clinch the WTA Finals title in November. She’ll be hoping to use that success to propel her towards greater achievements during 2026.
- Number of Grand Slam titles: 1
- Best Australian Open performance: Runner-up (2023)
Amanda Anisimova
Despite making her first Grand Slam appearance at the French Open in 2017, Amanda Anisimova hadn’t progressed past the fourth-round stage at any of the annual big-4 events until last year. The American finally found her spark on the grass at Wimbledon, producing some memorable performances, including ousting Aryna Sabalenka in the semis. Unfortunately, she never got started in the final, losing 6-0, 6-0 to a rampant Iga Swiatek. Anisimova didn’t let her head drop though, and she followed up that run in London by reaching the US Open final, less than two months later, beating Swiatek along the way. She would finish runner-up to Sabalenka on this occasion, but gave a much better account of herself, losing by a 6-4, 7-6 scoreline.
- Number of Grand Slam titles: 0
- Best Australian Open performance: 4th round (2019, 2022 & 2024)
Madison Keys
Madison Keys, the reigning Australian Open queen, returns to defend her crown this month. The American dug deep to see off the two-time Melbourne champ, Aryna Sabalenka, in a thrilling three-set final, twelve months ago. Keys finally secured her first Grand Slam title at the 49th time of asking and at the same time set the record for the longest gap between two major finals appearances by any woman in the Open Era. If that wasn’t enough, she also became the lowest-ranked player to win the Australian Open since another States starlet, Serena Williams, triumphed in 2007. Keys failed to build on her championship-winning performance in the other majors last year, but will be hoping she can rediscover her Midas touch in Melbourne again.
- Number of Grand Slam titles: 1
- Best Australian Open performance: Winner (2025)
How to watch the Australian Open 2026 in the US
Even if you can’t make it to Melbourne Park in person, you can still feel like a part of the electric atmosphere from the comfort of your own home! Tennis fans in the United States will be able to watch all the Australian Open action across ESPN’s live TV channels, with every match also streamed live on ESPN+.
Fubo is a top-quality streaming service that now has ESPN included in all its packages, so it offers access to the Australian Open tennis and a whole world of sports. Fubo offers multiple subscription plans, including the 'Fubo Sports', which costs $45.99 for the first month and then $55.99 per month for subsequent months. It's streamlined and sports-focused with over 28 channels, including ESPN Unlimited, ESPN2, ESPNews, ESPNU, NFL Network, Tennis Channel, and local networks like ABC, CBS, and Fox.
How to watch the Australian Open 2026 in the UK
In the UK, coverage of the Australian Open tennis will be extensively shown live across TNT Sports platforms. You can watch via TNT Sports' TV channels on Sky, BT and Virgin Media platforms and live stream on discovery+. Discovery+ Premium is £30.99 per month and available on a monthly rolling contract. This includes TNT Sports and other entertainment channels. Existing BT broadband customers can access TNT Sports for £20 per month. The package consists of TNT Sports and Discovery+.
How to watch the Australian Open 2026 in Australia
The Nine Network is the official free-to-air broadcaster of tennis in Australia, including the Australian Open and all the other Grand Slams. All the major matches during the Melbourne fortnight will feature on the free-to-air channel. However, you can watch every single Australian Open match on Channel 9's on-demand streaming service 9Now, as well as on Stan Sport. 9Now is available for free; you just have to create an account, whereas Stan Sport will require a paid subscription. Stan offers various packages. Basic is AU$12 per month, Standard is AU$17 p/m and the Premium is AU$21 p/m. The Stan Sport add-on is AU$15 p/m + your base subscription fee.
Watch the Australian Open 2026 from anywhere with a VPN
If the Australian Open isn't available to watch live in your area or if you're travelling, you can use a VPN to tune into the action from wherever you are. A VPN creates a secure connection that lets you bypass geographical restrictions and access your favourite streaming services from anywhere.
We recommend ExpressVPN if you're unsure which VPN to choose, but you can also check out our in-depth VPN guide to determine which one is best for you.
