Australian Open 2026 Tournament information and Fun facts
Where to Watch the Australian Open 2026:
In the United States, the tournament will be broadcast on the ESPN family of networks including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN+, and some coverage on ABC. With Melbourne being 16 hours ahead of New York City at tournament time expect live matches to be shown at odd hours of the morning and evening, with extensive replay coverage of all the tennis action.
Australian Open 2026 tournament dates:
Main draw matches at the Australian Open 2026 start on Sunday January 18th going through to Sunday February 1st.
* Women’s Singles final: Saturday, January 31st
* Men’s Single final: Sunday, February 1st
Australian Open 2026 Top Seeds:
The main draw for the 2026 Australian Open was released on Thursday January 15th, with the following top seeds:
Men’s Singles
- Carlos Alcaraz ESP (1)
- Jannik Sinner ITA (2)
- Alexander Zverev GER (3)
- Novak Djokovic SRB (4)
- Lorenzo Musetti ITA (5)
Women’s Singles
- Aryna Sabalenka (1)
- Iga Swiatek POL (2)
- Coco Gauff USA (3)
- Amanda Anisimova USA (4)
- Elena Rybakina KAZ (5)
Australian Open 2025 Champions
Men’s Singles: Jannik Sinner ITA won 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 over Alexander Zverev GER
Women’s Singles: Madison Keys USA won 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 over Aryna Sabalenka
Opening Ceremony:
The Australian Open 2026 introduces a new tradition with it’s first-ever opening ceremony on Saturday, January 17th held on the Rod Laver Arena court.
The event features the return of Roger Federer to Australia, alongside Andre Agassi, Patrick Rafter, and Lleyton Hewitt. Billed as the “Battle of the World No. 1’s”, this ceremony is expected to become an annual highlight of the tournament.
Australian Open 2026 Prize Money:
Total prize money for the Australian Open 2026 tournament reaches AUD$111.5 million (USD $74.9 million) – a 16% increase over 2025.
* Men’s and Women’s Singles Champions: AUD $4.15 million (USD $2.79 million)
* Runner’s up: AUD $2.15 million (USD $1.45 million)
The tournament continues to emphasize player support at all levels, with first round main draw losers earning AUD $150,000 (USD $100,000).
Australian Open Courts and Venue:
The Melbourne Park tennis facility features 39 total courts, including 33 Championship hard courts and 6 clay courts.
The three main arenas are
* Rod Laver Arena: 15,000 seats
* John Cain Arena: 10,500 seats
* Margaret Court Arena: 7,500
All three arenas are equipped with retractable roofs to manage extreme summer heat.
Australian Open Court surface:
The Australian Open 2026 tennis matches are played on Green Set cushioned acrylic hard-courts, finished in the tournaments signature blue color to enhance visibility for both players and spectators.
Australian Open Tennis Balls:
Dunlop has served as the official tennis ball supplier to the Australian Open since 2019. More than 86,000 Dunlop tennis balls were used during the 2025 tournament, including qualifying matches.
Australian Open Food and Drink:
Top selling items from the 2025 tournament included:
* 222,000 servings of hot chips
* 114,000 servings of wraps, sandwiches, and bagels
* 115,000 servings of coffees and coffee flavored AO Frappes
In addition, 112,000 Peach Melbourne desserts were enjoyed at the tournament.
Fun fact: the players consumed more than 5,000 bananas from the Queensland area in January during Australian Summer tennis season.
Australian Open Racket Stringing:
Racket stringing at the Australian Open is handled by the YONEX stringing team, which consists of 20-22 expert stringers working in the stringing room under Rod Laver arena. During the 2025 tournament, more than 7,000 rackets were strung – using over 83 kilometers of string.
Enjoy the Australian Open 2026 Off the Court Too!
Looking forward to enjoying the Australian Open 2026 at the watch party with friends, or comfy on the couch in your own home? Test your tennis knowledge with our Australian Open tennis-themed printable games, perfect for fans of all ages.
- Australian Open Tennis Word Search game: find tournament terms, players, courts, and Australian Open traditions in this engaging printable 5-game set
- Australian Open Tennis Crossword Puzzle: challenge yourself with clues inspired by Grand Slam history, tennis scoring, and legendary Australian Open Champions with this 5-game set.
Both games are printable, easy to play, and designed for tennis fans, making them a great companion while following the 2026 Australian Open.