The end of the 2023 Australian Open is approaching with final stage officially set. This competition has already seen it all, from weather delays, late-night battles and shocking upsets. Players are competing for a record pool of $76.5 million in prize money, and there is no shortage of interesting storylines:
- Novak Djokovic, who has won at Melbourne Park a record nine times, is just one Grand Slam title shy of tying Rafael Nadal’s career record of 22 major titles. Djokovic was deported from Australia a year ago because of his unvaccinated COVID-19 status, but he is back in Melbourne after the country relaxed its vaccine restrictions. After a shaky start, he came out victorious in the semifinal round with a 7-5, 6-1, 6-2 result against American Tommy Paul.
- Djokovic will take on Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final. Whoever wins could be world No. 1 in the next ATP rankings.
- Tsitsipas battled it out with Karen Khachanov in the semifinals before punching his ticket to the final round with a 7-6 (7-2), 6-4, 6-7 (6-8), 3-6 victory. He has never won a Grand Slam before and this is the deepest run he’s ever seen in the Australian Open.
- Paul had reached the first major semifinal of his career and became just the fourth American man to make a Grand Slam semifinal since 2017. Although he couldn’t take down Djokovic, the 25-year-old can brag about top wins over top opponents including Carlos Alcaraz, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Alexander Zverev.
- Nadal, last year’s Australian Open winner, was looking to defend his title as the No. 1 seed but fell to Mackenzie McDonald in the second round after he aggravated a hip injury during the second set. This was Nadal’s earliest exit from a Grand Slam since the 2016 Australian Open. No. 2 seed Casper Ruud was also ousted in the second round as American Jenson Brooksby pulled off a 6-3 7-5 6-7 (4-7) 6-2 upset.
The men’s competition is missing world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, who pulled out due to a right leg injury he sustained in training. Also missing will be Marin Cilic, a former finalist in Melbourne Park, due to an injury.
On the women’s side, 24-year-old Aryna Sabalenka became the latest first-time Grand Slam winner with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Elena Rybakina. With the win Sabalenka became the second Belarusian player to win a major singles title, after two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka (2012, 2013). The win puts Sabalenka’s early 2023 season in dominant territory — She’s won 11 straight matches, and has only dropped one set all year. The win also moves her up to No. 2 in the world in the next WTA rankings, behind only Iga Swiatek.
Here is all you need to know about the 2023 Australian Open:
How to Watch the 2023 Australian Open
- Dates: Jan. 16-29
- Where: Melbourne Park, Australia
- Watch: ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN+
- Stream: fuboTV (try for free)
(All times eastern)
Men’s final
- No. 4 Novak Djokovic vs. No. 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas, Sunday 3:30 a.m.
Men’s semifinal matches
- No. 4 Novak Djokovic def. Tommy Paul 7-5, 6-1, 6-2
- No. 3 Stefano Tsitsipas def. No. 18 Karen Khachanov 7-6 (7-2), 6-4, 6-7 (6-8), 3-6
Women’s final
- No. 5 Aryna Sabalenka def.. No. 22 Elena Rybakina, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
Women’s semifinal matches
- No. 22 Elena Rybakina def. No. 24 Victoria Azarenka 7-6 (7-4), 6-4
- No. 5 Aryna Sabalenka def. Magda Linette 7-6 (7-1), 6-2
Men’s Seeding
- Rafael Nadal (ESP)
- Casper Ruud (NOR)
- Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE)
- Novak Djokovic (SRB)
- Andrey Rublev (N/A)
- Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN)
- Daniil Medvedev (N/A)
- Taylor Fritz (USA)
- Holger Rune (DEN)
- Hubert Hurkacz (POL)
- Cameron Norrie (GBR)
- Alexander Zverev (GER)
- Matteo Berrettini (ITA)
- Pablo Carreno Busta (ESP)
- Jannik Sinner (ITA)
- Frances Tiafoe (USA)
- Marin Cilic (CRO)
- Lorenzo Musetti (ITA)
- Karen Khachanov (N/A)
- Nick Kyrgios (AUS)
- Denis Shapovalov (CAN)
- Borna Coric (CRO)
- Alex de Minaur (AUS)
- Diego Schwartzman (ARG)
- Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP)
- Daniel Evans (GBR)
- Miomir Kecmanovic (SRB)
- Grigor Dimitrov (BUL)
- Francisco Cerundolo (ARG)
- Sebastian Korda (USA)
- Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (ESP)
- Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN)
Women’s Seeding
- Iga Swiatek (POL)
- Ons Jabeur (TUN)
- Jessica Pegula (USA)
- Caroline Garcia (FRA)
- Aryna Sabalenka (N/A)
- Maria Sakkari (GRE)
- Coco Gauff (USA)
- Daria Kasatkina (N/A)
- Veronika Kudermetova (N/A)
- Madison Keys (USA)
- Paula Badosa (ESP)
- Belinda Bencic (SUI)
- Danielle Collins (USA)
- Beatriz Haddad Maia (BRA)
- Petra Kvitova (CZE)
- Anett Kontaveit (EST)
- Jelena Ostapenko (LAT)
- Liudmila Samsonova (N/A)
- Ekaterina Alexandrova (N/A)
- Barbora Krejcikova (CZE)
- Martina Trevisan (ITA)
- Elena Rybakina (KAZ)
- Shuai Zhang (CHN)
- Victoria Azarenka (N/A)
- Marie Bouzkova (CZE)
- Elise Mertens (BEL)
- Irina-Camelia Begu (ROM)
- Amanda Anisimova (USA)
- Qinwen Zheng (CHN)
- Karolina Pliskova (CZE)
- Kaia Kanepi (EST)
- Jil Teichmann (SUI)
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