Australian Open order of play and tournament schedule

The Australian Open holds the opening grand slam of the year - (Getty Images)

Top seeds Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka headline the opening day of action at the Australian Open on Sunday as Venus Williams returns to the tournament at the age of 45 in a bid to make history in Melbourne.

Alcaraz will be bidding to win his first Australian Open title, as he attempts to become the youngest man of all time to complete the career grand slam. The Spaniard takes on home hope Adam Walton in his first-round match on Rod Laver Arena.

Sabalenka is aiming to reclaim her Australian Open crown after defeat to Madison Keys in last year’s final. The World No 1, who has reached three finals in a row in Melbourne, opens against the No 188 Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah.

Williams is set to become the oldest woman to compete in the Australian Open main draw after accepting a wildcard. The seven-time grand slam singles champion takes on Olga Danilovic in her first match at the tournament in five years.

Elsewhere, Emma Raducanu, who is on a collision course with Sabalenka, plays Thailand’s Mananchaya Sawangkaew while qualifier Arthur Fery has a tough first-round match against the Italian 20th seed Flavio Cobolli.

Australian Open order of play

Day One - Sunday 18 January

(all times UK - GMT)

Rod Laver Arena

00:30

1. Aliaksandra Sasnovich vs. [7] Jasmine Paolini (ITA)
2. [3] Alexander Zverev (GER) vs. Gabriel Diallo (CAN)

08:00

1. [1] Aryna Sabalenka vs. Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah (FRA)
2. [1] Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) vs. Adam Walton (AUS)

Margaret Court Arena

00:30

1. Maria Sakkari (GRE) vs. Leolia Jeanjean (FRA)
2. [18] Francisco Cerúndolo (ARG) vs. Zhizhen Zhang (CHN)

08:00

1. [10] Alexander Bublik (KAZ) vs. Jenson Brooksby (USA)
2. Mananchaya Sawangkaew (THA) vs. [28] Emma Raducanu (GBR)

John Cain Arena

00:00

1. Arthur Fery (GBR) vs. [20] Flavio Cobolli (ITA)

Not Before 02:30

2. [12] Elina Svitolina (UKR) vs. Cristina Bucsa (ESP)

Not Before 06:00

3. [29] Frances Tiafoe (USA) vs. Jason Kubler (AUS)4. Olga Danilovic (SRB) vs. Venus Williams (USA)

KIA Arena

00:00

1. Talia Gibson (AUS) vs. Anna Blinkova
2. Tristan Schoolkate (AUS) vs. [32] Corentin Moutet (FRA)

Not Before 02:30

3. Michael Zheng (USA) vs. Sebastian Korda (USA)4. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova vs. Zhuoxuan Bai (CHN)

1573 Arena

00:00

1. Miomir Kecmanovic (SRB) vs. Tomas Martin Etcheverry (ARG)
2. [11] Ekaterina Alexandrova vs. Zeynep Sonmez (TUR)
3. Benjamin Bonzi (FRA) vs. [26] Cameron Norrie (GBR)

ANZ Arena

11:00 AM

1. [26] Dayana Yastremska (UKR) vs. Elena-Gabriela Ruse (ROU)
2. Elsa Jacquemot (FRA) vs. [20] Marta Kostyuk (UKR)
3. Camilo Ugo Carabelli (ARG) vs. Marton Fucsovics (HUN)
4. Suzan Lamens (NED) vs. Anastasia Potapova (AUT)

Court 6

00:00

1. Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) vs. Beatriz Haddad Maia (BRA)
2. Emilio Nava (USA) vs. Kyrian Jacquet (FRA)
3. Yannick Hanfmann (GER) vs. Zachary Svajda (USA)

Court 7

03:00

1. Patrick Kypson (USA) vs. Francisco Comesana (ARG)
2. Polina Kudermetova (UZB) vs. Guiomar Maristany Zuleta de Reales (ESP)

Court 8

0200

1. Caty McNally (USA) vs. Himeno Sakatsume (JPN)
2. Liam Draxl (CAN) vs. Damir Džumhur (BIH)

Court 13

0300

1. Hailey Baptiste (USA) vs. [32] Marketa Vondroušová (CZE)
2. Arthur Cazaux (FRA) vs. Jaime Faria (POR)

Australian Open tournament schedule

Sunday 18 January

• 16 x men’s singles and 16 x women’s singles | first round

Monday 19 January

• 28 x men’s singles and 28 x women’s singles | first round

Tuesday 20 January

• 20 x men’s singles and 20 x women’s singles | first round
• 8 x men’s doubles and 8 x women’s doubles| first round

Wednesday 21 January

• 16 x men’s singles and 16 x women’s singles | second round
• 12 x men’s doubles and12 x women’s doubles| first round

Thursday 22 January

• 16 x men’s singles and 16 x women’s singles | second round
• 12 x men’s doubles and12 x women’s doubles| first round

Friday 23 January

• 8 x men’s singles and 8 x women’s singles | third round
• 8 x men’s doubles and 8 x women’s doubles | second round
• 6 x mixed doubles | first round

Saturday 24 January

• 8 x men’s singles and 8 x women’s singles | third round
• 8 x men’s doubles and 8 x women’s doubles | second round
• 6 x mixed doubles | first round
• 16 x boys’ singles and 16 x girls’ singles | first round

Sunday 25 January

• 4 x men’s singles and 4 x women’s singles | fourth round
• 4 x men’s doubles and 4 x women’s doubles | third round
• 4 x mixed doubles | second round
• 16 x boys’ singles and 16 x girls’ singles | first round

Monday 26 January

• 4 x men’s singles and 4 x women’s singles | fourth round
• 4 x men’s doubles and 4 x women’s doubles | third round
• 4 x mixed doubles | second round
• 8 x boys’ singles and 8 x girls’ singles | second round

Tuesday 27 January

• 2 x men’s singles and 2 x women’s singles | Quarter-finals
• 2 x men’s doubles and 2 x women’s doubles | Quarter-finals
• 4 x mixed doubles | Quarter-finals
• 8 x men’s and 8 x women’s wheelchair singles | first round
• 8 x boys’ singles and 2 x girls’ singles | second round

Wednesday 28 January

• 2 x men’s singles and 2 x women’s singles | Quarter-finals
• 2 x men’s doubles and 2 x women’s doubles | Quarter-finals
• 2 x mixed doubles | Semi-finals
• 4 x men’s and 4 x women’s wheelchair singles | Quarter-finals
• 4 x boys’ singles and 2 x girls’ singles | third round

Thursday 29 January

• 2 x women’s singles | Semi-finals
• 2 x men’s doubles and 2 x women’s doubles | Semi-finals
• 2 x men’s and 2 x women’s wheelchair singles | Semi-finals
• 4 x boys’ singles and 2 x girls’ singles | third round

Friday 30 January

• 2 x men’s singles | Semi-finals
• Mixed doubles final 🏆
• Men’s wheelchair doubles final 🏆
• Women’s wheelchair doubles final 🏆
• 4 x boys’ singles and 2 x girls’ singles | quarter-finals

Saturday 31 January

• Women’s singles final 🏆
• Men’s doubles final 🏆
• Women’s doubles final 🏆
• Men’s wheelchair singles final 🏆
• Women’s wheelchair singles final 🏆
• 2 x boys’ singles and 2 x girls’ singles | semi-finals

Sunday 1 February

• Men’s singles final 🏆
• Boys’ singles final 🏆
• Girls’ singles final 🏆

Read More

This Carlos Alcaraz gamble underlines the biggest question in Jannik Sinner rivalry

Ranking Aryna Sabalenka’s Australian Open opponents — from Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek, to herself

Lawsuits, burnout and rising tension: Can tennis find a way out of this mess?

Australian Open 2026: Men’s and women’s seed list and tracker

Is the Australian Open on TV? How to watch tennis grand slam

When is Emma Raducanu playing at the Australian Open? Start time and how to watch