How to watch Australian Open live on TV or stream in the UK, USA or Australia including Jannik Sinner, Aryna Sabalenka, Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek

The first Major of the year will be played the Australian Open, as tradition dictates, at Melbourne Park from Monday 12 January to Sunday 1 February, featuring three full weeks of tennis with both the men’s and women’s draws in search of a new Grand Slam champion, following the 2025 titles won by Jannik Sinner and Madison Keys.

During the first week, the tournament’s qualifying rounds will take place from 12–17 January 2026, featuring players ranked outside the top 100 who will be fighting to secure one of the 16 remaining spots in the main draw of the Happy Slam. Qualifying will be contested over three rounds, and on Sunday 17 January the main draw will begin with the opening men’s and women’s matches. The finals will take place on Saturday 31 January—women’s singles and men’s doubles—and Sunday 1 February—men’s singles and women’s doubles.

The Australian swing will reach its peak with the Australian Open, where the men’s draw is set for another highly anticipated showdown between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, after the pair contested the last three Major finals and shared the most recent eight Grand Slam titles between them.

The rest of the field will be looking to challenge their dominance, led by a relentless Novak Djokovic, who continues his pursuit of extending his record 24 Grand Slam titles. Melbourne remains a particularly special venue for Djokovic, who is the tournament’s most successful champion with 10 Australian Open titles.

There will also be several other compelling storylines. Alexander Zverev remains in search of his first Major title after multiple near-misses throughout his career, including reaching the final last year. Ben Shelton, Félix Auger-Aliassime, Lorenzo Musetti and Taylor Fritz are among the other contenders, while local hopes will largely rest on Alex de Minaur.

On the women’s side, the picture appears more open, with two-time champion Aryna Sabalenka emerging as the leading favourite, alongside the familiar threats of Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina, both of whom arrive in strong form and capable of mounting a serious title challenge.

Defending champion Madison Keys will face a tough task, with several of her compatriots among the leading contenders. Coco Gauff will be aiming for her first title in Melbourne, while Amanda Anisimova will look to reach a Major final for the third consecutive time—this time with ambitions that surely extend to lifting the trophy. Also Jessica Pegula will seek to emulate Keys and position herself as a candidate at a late stage of her career.

Some names to watch include the rising teenagers Mirra Andreeva and Victoria Mboko, two of the young players generating the most excitement. Jasmine Paolini, Naomi Osaka, Belinda Bencic and Emma Raducanu are among the other stars hoping to make a deep run and attract significant attention during this edition of the tournament in Melbourne.