Qualifying is underway, the warm-up tournaments will soon be nearing completion, and the planet's most celebrated tennis stars are beginning to descend upon Melbourne for the 2025 Australian Open.
The first Grand Slam of the year offers an early slice of major glory Down Under, where a selection of fascinating sub-plots are already making the headlines, from returning names to history chasers.
Jannik Sinner and two-time winner Aryna Sabalenka arrive with titles to defend in the men's and women's singles respectively, but the former might have to fight his way past Novak Djokovic, still on the hunt for a record 25th Grand Slam honour.
Here, Sports Mole provides an extensive guide to the 2025 Australian Open, running down everything you need to know about the two-week tennis extravaganza.
When and where is the 2025 Australian Open?
The 2025 Australian Open main draw takes place at Melbourne Park from January 12 to 26, although the preliminary rounds got underway on Monday, as qualifiers fight for their right to enter the main draw.
The event takes place on hard courts, and the men's matches will be best of five sets while the women's contests are best of three.
2025 Australian Open singles schedule
A provisional schedule for the 2025 Australian Open singles events can be found below; the match schedule for each day will be published on the official Australian Open website at 6pm local time (7am UK time) on the day before play.
From January 12 to 23, the morning session begins at 11am local time (12am UK time) and the evening session at 7pm local time (8am UK time). On Friday, January 24, one semi-final will be played at 12pm local time (1am UK time) and one at 7.30pm local time (8.30am UK time).
The tournament concludes with the women's singles final on January 25 and men's singles final on January 26, both of which begin at 7.30pm local time (8.30am UK time).
2025 Australian Open provisional singles schedule:
Sunday, January 12: Men's singles first-round matches | Women's singles first-round matches
Monday, January 13: Men's singles first-round matches | Women's singles first-round matches
Tuesday, January 14: Men's singles first-round matches | Women's singles first-round matches
Wednesday, January 15: Men's singles second-round matches | Women's singles second-round matches
Thursday, January 16: Men's singles second-round matches | Women's singles second-round matches
Friday, January 17: Men's singles third-round matches | Women's singles third-round matches
Saturday, January 18: Men's singles third-round matches | Women's singles third-round matches
Sunday, January 19: Men's singles fourth-round matches | Women's singles fourth-round matches
Monday, January 20: Men's singles fourth-round matches | Women's singles fourth-round matches
Tuesday, January 21: Men's singles quarter-final matches | Women's singles quarter-final matches
Wednesday, January 22: Men's singles quarter-final matches | Women's singles quarter-final matches
Thursday, January 23: Women's singles semi-final matches
Friday, January 24: Men's singles semi-final matches
Saturday, January 25: Women's singles final
Sunday, January 26: Men's singles final
When is the 2025 Australian Open draw?
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The Australian Open main draw ceremony takes place on Thursday, January 9 at 2.30pm local time (3.30am UK time) and can be watched live on the Australian Open's official YouTube channel.
How can I watch the 2025 Australian Open?
Viewers in the UK and across Europe can catch all of the Australian Open action on Eurosport or via the Discovery+ streaming service. Click here for a full list of broadcasting options.
How much prize money is on offer at the 2025 Australian Open?
A mammoth prize pot of AUD $96.5m - equivalent to around £48.3m - has been confirmed for the 2025 Australian Open, which is almost a 12% increase on the 2024 tournament.
2025 Australian Open singles prize money breakdown:
Winner: $3.5m (£1.75m)
Runner-up: $1.9m (£950k)
Semi-finalist: $1.1m (£550k)
Quarter-finalist: $665k (£332k)
Fourth round: $420k (£210k)
Third round: $290k (£145k)
Second round: $200k (£100k)
First round: $132k (£66k)
Qualifying third round: $72k (£36k)
Qualifying second round: $49k (£24.5k)
Qualifying first round: $35k (£17.5k)
Exchange rates correct as of January 6
Who are the players to watch at the 2025 Australian Open?
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Reigning champions Sinner and Sabalenka arrive in Melbourne as the number one seeds, but both will face incredibly stiff competition to retain their Grand Slam crowns.
As well as 24-time major winner Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz - seeded third - is hoping to become the youngest man to complete the Career Grand Slam in the Open Era, while Alexander Zverev is seeded second as he bids to win a first-ever major title.
On the back of sealing the USA's United Cup triumph, Taylor Fritz will be the fourth seed in the men's singles, where British number one Jack Draper - assuming his injury is healed - will aim to go one better than his semi-final exit at last year's US Open.
Among the players using a protected ranking to enter is home favourite Nick Kyrgios, making his first Grand Slam appearance since the 2022 US Open, and Kei Nishikori, the former world number four who recently finished as runner-up in the Hong Kong Open.
The biggest threats to Sabalenka's crown will be fellow top-five players Iga Swiatek, Jasmine Paolini, Coco Gauff and last year's runner-up Zheng Qinwen, and keep an eye out for ever-improving Russian youngsters Diana Shnaider and Mirra Andreeva too.
British number one Katie Boulter is seeded 23rd, and there is hope that Emma Raducanu will be fit to play, despite having to pull out of a warm-up tournament in Auckland due to a back problem.
Ben Knapton
