The summer of tennis is well and truly upon us – and the world’s best players are all hoping for their chance to lift the coveted silverware.
Whether you intend to make your way down to Melbourne Park for Australia’s grand slam, or want to tune into the action from your living room, here is a comprehensive guide of everything you need to know.
When and where is the Australian Open?
The main draw of this year’s tournament begins on Sunday, January 12. The women’s singles final will be held on January 25 and men’s singles final on January 26.
All matches are held in the Melbourne Park precinct, which includes Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court Arena, John Cain Arena and the outdoor courts. Gates will open at 10am for ticket holders throughout the tournament, and slightly later during the final weekend.
This is the second year that the event is running over 15 days after the tournament start was moved to a Sunday in 2024. This was done to try and limit late finishes – although this didn’t stop Daniil Medvedev staying on the court until almost 4am last year.
Who will be playing?
There is no shortage of stars who will be fighting for their chance at grand slam glory.
Reigning singles champions Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka will both return to Melbourne Park in an attempt to retain their titles.
Sinner, currently ranked world No.1, has faced plenty of scrutiny recently following the detection of a banned steroid in his system.
Novak Djokovic, the 24-time grand slam winner, has returned to Melbourne Park, looking to win the tournament for an incredible 11th time. The 37-year-old is currently ranked world No.7.
Young gun Carlos Alcaraz, still only 21, will be looking to pick up his maiden Australian Open trophy after falling to Alex Zverev in last year’s quarter-finals. It’s the only slam title he is yet to win.
Australia’s hopes largely rest on the shoulders of world No.8 Alex de Minaur, who is yet to progress past the fourth round at his home slam. He made the quarter-finals at the three other majors in 2024.
Nick Kyrgios is also expected to make a return to the grand slam circuit under a protected ranking. But his fitness has been in doubt throughout this week, with injury threatening his involvement.
Some other players to look out for are 2024 singles runner-up Medvedev, men’s world No.2 Zverev, five-time singles champion Iga Swiatek and 2023 US Open winner Coco Gauff.
https://ausopen.com/draws
What does the schedule look like?
The first round of the Australian Open already contains some exciting match-ups.
Australia’s leading hope de Minaur has a tough opener against Botic van de Zandschulp from the Netherlands, who got the better of Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open last year.
Meanwhile, Kyrgios will play Jacob Fearnley of Great Britain in his first round match. This is a good outcome for the 29-year-old, who escapes a clash with a seeded player.
In the women’s competition, 2024 champion Sabalenka has drawn a tough first match – she’ll face American and previous grand slam winner Sloane Stephens.
Third seed Gauff also has a battle on her hands – matched up with 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin.
Maya Joint, the up-and-coming Australian teenager, will play former world No.3 Jessica Pegula. Emerson Jones will have a tall mountain to climb, with the Australian up against sixth seed Elena Rybakina.
Australian wildcards Daria Saville and Ajla Tomljanovic have both escaped seeded players in their first round – they will play Anna Blinkova and Ashlyn Krueger respectively.
What is the prize money?
The Australian Open will offer record prize money in 2025.
The total amount of prize money on offer at Melbourne Park will be 96.5m Australian dollars (£48m) - an increase of nearly 12% on 2024.
The prize money increases in every round. The men's and women's singles champions will each take home 3.5m Australian dollars (£1.7m).
The winners of the men's and women's doubles competitions will earn 810,000 Australian dollars (£400,000).
Australian Open 2025 schedule
12-14 January: Men's and women's singles first round
14 January: Men's and women's doubles begins
15-16 January: Men's and women's singles second round
16 January: Mixed doubles begins
17-18 January: Men's and women's singles third round
19-20 January: Men's and women's singles fourth round
21-22 January: Men's and women's singles quarter-finals
21 January: Wheelchair tournament begins
23 January: Women's singles semi-finals
24 January: Men's singles semi-finals
25 January: Women's singles final
26 January: Men's singles final
How much do tickets cost?
There are a few different options available to fans who are keen to catch some of the action.
Ground pass tickets, depending on seating availability, offer access to the outdoor courts and unreserved areas in John Cain Arena. Attendees can also access the wider Melbourne Park precinct.
- For adults, passes start from $59 and reach $85 on certain tournament days.
- For kids aged three to 11, ground passes start from $15.
- A new youth ticket category has been introduced for those aged 12 to 17, with passes starting from $20.
Ground passes are offered at a lower price during the second week of the tournament, when fewer matches are played on the outdoor courts.
There are also night ground passes available – which allows visitors to access the ground from 5pm onwards – starting from $25.
The price of reserving a seat in one of the arenas (either Rod Laver, Margaret Court or John Cain) will depend on the round and the seats selected. Admission can be bought to either a day or a night session, and also includes access to the wider precinct.
Tickets are available to buy online from the Australian Open website and via Ticketmaster.