The first Grand Slam of the year takes place at Australian Open in Melbourne as Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka look to defend their titles.
The opening major of the season begins just 12 days into the new year but there are a number of questions surrounding the fitness of Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper, while Andy Murray is back in Melbourne – but this time in the corner of record-chasing Novak Djokovic.
The top-ranked players in the world enter the tournament automatically at the main draw stage, with 104 ranked players going directly into the singles draws alongside eight wildcard entries and 16 qualifiers.
When is the 2025 Australian Open?
The main tournament (singles) starts on January 12, with the women’s final on January 25 and the men’s final on January 26.
Where is the Australian Open 2025 being held?
Image: Rod Laver Arena has a capacity of 15,000
The Australian Open takes place at Melbourne Park, Melbourne – home to the Grand Slam event since 1988.
Melbourne Park has three show courts – the Rod Laver Arena (the second largest indoor sports venue in Australia with a capacity of 15,000), as well as the John Cain Arena (capacity: 10,500) and Margaret Court Arena (capacity: 7,500).
When is the draw for the Australian Open?
The Australian Open singles draw was held on Thursday, January 9.
Australian Open match schedule
The tournament takes place every day from midnight UK time each day on the outside courts and 1am on the show courts. Night sessions will start at 8am for UK viewers.
Jan 12-14: First Round (Women and Men)
Jan 15-16: Second Round (Women and Men)
Jan 17-18: Third Round (Women and Men)
Jan 19-20: Fourth Round (Women and Men)
Jan 21-22: Quarter-finals (Women and Men)
Jan 23: Women’s semi-finals
Jan 24: Men’s semi-finals
Jan 25: Women’s final (8.30am UK time)
Jan 26: Men’s final (8.30am UK time)
The Australian Open schedule also includes:
- Men’s and women’s doubles: 14-26 January
- Mixed doubles: 16-25 January
- Wheelchair events: 21-25 January
- Junior events: 18-27 January
Australian Open top-seeded players
Image: Sabalenka poses with the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup after winning the Australian Open for a second successive year in 2024
Women’s singles
1. Aryna Sabalenka2. Iga Swiatek (POL)3. Coco Gauff (USA)4. Jasmine Paolini (ITA)5. Qinwen Zheng (CHN)6. Elena Rybakina (KAZ)7. Jessica Pegula (USA)8. Emma Navarro (USA)9. Daria Kasatkina
10. Danielle Collins (USA)
Men’s singles
1. Jannik Sinner (ITA)2. Alexander Zverev (GER)3. Carlos Alcaraz (ESP)4. Taylor Fritz (USA)5. Daniil Medvedev6. Casper Ruud (NOR)7. Novak Djokovic (SRB)8. Alex de Minaur (AUS)9. Andrey Rublev
10. Grigor Dimitrov (BUL)
Which British players are competing at the Australian Open 2025?
Image: Emma Raducanu will hope to be fully fit ahead of the Australian Open
There are four British players with main draw entry into the women’s singles.
Katie Boulter will be seeded in Melbourne this year after her best season to date – winning two WTA titles (San Diego and Nottingham) and making another final in Hong Kong.
Emma Raducanu has made the second round in each of the last three seasons and will be hoping to push on further in 2025.
She was forced to withdraw from the ASB Classic in Auckland last week with a back problem but will be hoping to be ready for the Grand Slam after hiring renowned fitness trainer Yutaka Nakamura to help end her litany of fitness issues since winning the US Open in 2021.
Sonay Kartal is in the main draw for the first time while Jodie Burrage is in on protected ranking.
Image: Jack Draper is on a high but can he recover from a hip injury in time to play at the first Grand Slam of 2025?
British No 1 Jack Draper will lead the line-up in the men’s singles off the back of reaching his first Grand Slam semi-final at the US Open and has risen up to a career-high world No 15.
Draper comes in this year having skipped the United Cup team event in Sydney because of a hip injury and will be playing competitively for the first time since losing at the Paris Masters at the end of October.
Cameron Norrie and rising star Jacob Fearnley both have direct entry into the main draw.
Is Andy Murray coaching Novak Djokovic in Melbourne?
Image: Novak Djokovic and his new coach Andy Murray practice at Melbourne Park
The 2024 tennis season had a late plot twist in store when Djokovic announced he had hired one of his biggest rivals to guide him in Melbourne.
Murray and Djokovic spent more than a week together during pre-season and one of the biggest intrigues of the tournament will be how the partnership fares.
Britain’s two-time Wimbledon champion Murray ended his playing career following the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in August.
But the 37-year-old decided to take on his first coaching role in Djokovic’s team in a blockbuster link-up with the Serb targeting a record-extending 11th Australian Open title and historic 25th Grand Slam crown.
Djokovic failed to win a Grand Slam title last year and dropped out of the top five, so can Murray help him overhaul his young rivals once again? And how will the Scot respond if Djokovic directs on-court frustrations towards him?
What’s the Australian Open prize money?
Image: Sinner holds the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup aloft after winning last year’s Australian Open
The total prize money for the Australian Open has increased by 11.56 per cent year on year and the singles winners of this year’s tournament will go home with a A$3.5m (about £1.74m) cheque.
Full 2025 prize money breakdown:Champion: A$3,500,000Runner-up: A$1,900,000Semi-finalists: A$1,100,000Quarter-finalists: A$665,000Fourth round: A$420,000Third round: A$290,000Second round: A$200,000
First round: A$132,000
QualifyingThird round: $72,000Second round: $49,000
First round: $35,000
Key stats at Melbourne Park
Image: Djokovic will be aiming to win a historic 25th Grand Slam title in Melbourne
3 – Aryna Sabalenka will be attempting to win a third consecutive women’s singles title at Melbourne Park, something last accomplished by Martina Hingis from 1997 to 1999.
24 – The number of Grand Slam singles championship won by Novak Djokovic, tied with Margaret Court for the most by anyone in the history of tennis. One more will give Djokovic sole possession of the record.
