Australian Open 2026, where to watch and live stream

The Australian Open runs in Melbourne, Australia from 18 Jan to 1 Feb, played on medium-paced hard court. Bounces and pace sit between clay and grass, which rewards all-court players who can defend, attack and serve in roughly equal measure. It is a Grand Slam, one of the four biggest events on the tennis calendar. The singles champion takes 2,000 ranking points, plus the largest prize pool of any event on tour.

First held in 1905, played at Melbourne Park. The 2026 edition has wrapped. The full results sit below; the recap and the 2027 dates are above.

Jannik Sinner defends the men's title · Madison Keys defends the women's title.

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The Plexicushion at Melbourne Park plays slightly slower than the US Open’s Laykold and the bounce sits a touch higher, which is why heavy-topspin baseliners tend to do better here than they do in New York. Daytime court temperatures regularly clear 50C in late January, the hot northerly winds off the desert push the ball around on the outside courts, and the heat policy is invoked far more often than the brochure suggests. The retractable roofs on Rod Laver, Margaret Court and the John Cain Arena produce a meaningful slowdown when closed, and matches that switch from open to closed mid-set can turn on the change in conditions alone.

Best-of-five for the men through the entire draw, in the southern-hemisphere summer, with night sessions that can run past 4am, makes the Australian Open the toughest physical test of the year. Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have shared the last three men’s titles, Alcaraz beating Novak Djokovic 2-6 6-2 6-3 7-5 in the 2026 final. The women’s title has gone to a different player three years running, Elena Rybakina taking the 2026 edition past Aryna Sabalenka 6-4 4-6 6-4. The conditions reward depth of breath as much as depth of shot: the player who looks fresher in the fifth set on day six is usually the one still upright the following Sunday.