Australian Open start date, TV channel and how to watch online

The Australian Open kicks off another tennis year with the opening grand slam of the season bursting with narrative.

Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka return as defending champions and both World No 1s will be favourites to defend their titles.

But the challengers will be up for the fight, as Carlos Alcaraz prepares for his first attempt at completing the career grand slam and Coco Gauff looks to build on her impressive form and win a second major.

Much will be made of Novak Djokovic’s new partnership with Andy Murray, but the 10-time Australian Open champion could face a difficult draw as he is only seeded 7th for the tournament.

The British charge will be led by Jack Draper as looks to build on his run to the US Open semi-finals, while Emma Raducanu will attempt to take further steps from her Billie Jean King Cup performances.

Here’s all you need to know.

When does the Australian Open start?

The tournament begins on a Sunday for the second year in a row, with the first round getting underway on Sunday January 12. The women’s final will be held on Saturday January 25 with the men’s final taking place on the following day, Sunday January 26.

Where can I watch the Australian Open?

In the UK, the Australian Open will be broadcast live on Eurosport. Subscribers can also stream the action online on the Eurosport website or with the discovery+ app.

The tournament takes place every day from midnight UK time each day on the outside courts and 1am on the show courts, while night sessions will start at 8am.

If you want to stream major sporting events while you are travelling or watching from abroad you’ll need a VPN. Get the best VPN deals in the UK. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.

When is the draw for the Australian Open?

The draw will be made on Thursday, January 9 at 3.30am GMT (2.30pm local time). It will be streamed live on the Australian Open’s official website and YouTube channel.

What are the projected seeds?

Men’s singles

1. Jannik Sinner – Italy

2. Alexander Zverev – Germany

3. Carlos Alcaraz – Spain

4. Taylor Fritz – United States

5. Daniil Medvedev

6. Casper Ruud – Norway

7. Novak Djokovic – Serbia

8. Alex de Minaur – Australia

9. Andrey Rublev

10. Grigor Dimitrov – Bulgaria

11. Stefanos Tsitsipas – Greece

12. Tommy Paul – United States

13. Holger Rune – Denmark

14. Ugo Humbert – France

15. Jack Draper – Great Britain

16. Lorenzo Musetti – Italy

17. Frances Tiafoe – United States

18. Hubert Hurkacz – Poland

19. Karen Khachanov

20. Arthur Fils – France

21. Ben Shelton – United States

22. Sebastian Korda – United States

23. Alejandro Tabilo – Chile

24. Jiri Lehecka – Czech Republic

25. Alexei Popyrin – Australia

26. Tomas Machac – Czech Republic

27. Jordan Thompson – Australia

28. Sebastian Baez – Argentina

29. Felix Auger-Aliassime – Canada

30. Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard – France

31. Francisco Cerundolo – Argentina

32. Flavio Cobolli – Italy

Women’s singles

1. Aryna Sabalenka

2. Iga Swiatek – Poland

3. Coco Gauff – United States

4. Jasmine Paolini – Italy

5. Zheng Qinwen – China

6. Elena Rybakina – Kazakhstan

7. Jessica Pegula – United States

8. Emma Navarro – United States

9. Daria Kasatkina

10. Danielle Collins – United States

11. Paula Badosa – Spain

12. Diana Shnaider

13. Anna Kalinskaya

14. Mirra Andreeva

15. Beatriz Haddad Maia – Brazil

16. Jelena Ostapenko – Latvia

17. Marta Kostyuk – Ukraine

18. Donna Vekic – Croatia

19. Madison Keys – United States

20. Karoline Muchova – Czech Republic

21. Victoria Azarenka

22. Magdalena Frech – Poland

23. Katie Boulter – Great Britain

24. Yulia Putintseva – Kazakhstan

25. Liudmila Samsonova

26. Ekaterina Alexandrova

27. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova

28. Elina Svitolina – Ukraine

29. Linda Noskova – Czech Republic

30. Leylah Fernandez – Canada

31. Maria Sakkari – Greece

32. Dayana Yastremska – Ukraine