The first Grand Slam of the 2023 season is upon us. The players are practicing, the draw has been made, and the Australian Open is set to get underway next week.
Here's what you need to know about tennis' "Happy Slam":
When does the tournament start?
The Australian Open is the first leg of the Grand Slam season. Played at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia, the tournament features a 128-player singles draw, 64-team doubles draw, and 32-team mixed doubles draw. The tournament is played on outdoor hard courts and will use the Dunlop Australian Open ball.
Main-draw play begins on Monday, Jan. 16 and runs for two weeks. The Day Session begins at 11:00 a.m. and the night sessions on Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court Arena, and John Cain Arena begin at 7:00 p.m.
When are the finals?
The singles final will be played on Saturday, Jan. 28 at 7:30 p.m.
The doubles final is scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 29 at 3:00 p.m.
The mixed doubles final will be played on Friday, Jan. 27 at noon.
🪃Hi @AustralianOpen! I missed you.
— Iga Świątek (@iga_swiatek) January 11, 2023
🪃Hej @AustralianOpen! Tęskniłam. pic.twitter.com/86i24e5u3T
Who are the top seeds?
1. Iga Swiatek
2. Ons Jabeur
3. Jessica Pegula
4. Caroline Garcia
5. Aryna Sabalenka
6. Maria Sakkari
7. Coco Gauff
8. Daria Kasatkina
9. Veronika Kudermetova
10. Madison Keys
11. Paula Badosa
12. Belinda Bencic
13. Danielle Collins
14. Beatriz Haddad Maia
15. Petra Kvitova
16. Anett Kontaveit
What does the draw look like?
#AusOpen Women's Main Draw: https://t.co/DGLe3jxAT9 pic.twitter.com/cpiOt6zIBk
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) January 12, 2023
For a full breakdown of the draw and the Top 10 seeds, click here.
The top half of the draw will play on Day 1. The bottom half will get underway on Day 2.
What is the prize money and ranking points on offer?
First round: $106,250/10 points
Second round: $158,850/70 points
Third round: $227,925/130 points
Round of 16: $338,250/240 points
Quarterfinals: $555,250/430 points
Semifinals: $925,000/780 points
Final: $1,625,000/1,300 points
Champion: $2,975,000/2,000 points
Prize money is listed in Australian Dollars.
Who are the defending champions?
Ashleigh Barty ended Australia's 44-year singles drought by winning her third and final major title, defeating Danielle Collins 6-3, 7-6(2).
In the doubles, Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova kicked off their incredible year by winning the first of three majors that season, defeating Anna Dalinina and Beatriz Haddad Maia 6–7(3), 6–4, 6–4.
