The Grand Slam season is kicking off this weekend with the 2024 Australian Open. Rafael Nadal has withdrawn due to injury, but most of the other stars will be competing in Melbourne. This year’s tournament is a day longer in the hopes of preventing matches from going too late into the night.
Defending champion Novak Djokovic, who has won this tournament 10 times, will be looking to extend his record. He won three out of four majors last year, and was just one set away from winning Wimbledon against Carlos Alcaraz. Taking home the 2023 US Open trophy helped Djokovic make history with his 24th Grand Slam title, which tied him with Margaret Court for the most major singles titles ever.
Djokovic won last year’s Australian Open after beating Stefano Tsitsipas in three sets. Tsitsipas has yet to win a Grand Slam, but he also made it to the French Open final in 2021. He is entering the tournament as the No. 7 seed.
Besides Djokovic, the other most recent Australian Open winner is Nadal, who suffered an injury in the second round of this tournament in 2023 and had to sit out the rest of the year. He is expected to retire at the end of the 2024 season. The 22-time Grand Slam champion was getting ready to compete at Melbourne before suffering a “micro tear” on his hip while playing in the Brisbane International quarterfinals last week. Fortunately, Nadal said the injury isn’t in the area of his hip where he got surgery last year. If things go well, he should be able to compete in the French Open in May.
Another notable absence is Australian star Nick Kyrgios, who is missing his second consecutive Australian Open due to ongoing injuries. He has not publicly discussed a timeline for his return.
On the women’s side, Aryna Sabalenka won last year’s trophy against Elena Rybakina. They also recently met in the Brisbane International final, with Rybakina winning in two sets. They are both back and ready to give top-seeded Iga Swiatek a run for her money in Melbourne. Swiatek’s best Australian Open run was in 2022, when she made the semifinals.
Naomi Osaka, who missed most of last season because of pregnancy, will be competing in her first major tournament since the 2022 US Open. The former world No. 1 gave birth in July and is ready to compete at this level again.
Here is all you need to know about the 2024 US Open:
How to watch the 2024 Australian Open
- Dates: Jan. 13-27
- Where: Melbourne Park, Australia
- Watch: ESPN, ABC, Tennis Channel
- Stream: fubo (try for free)
Men’s seeding
- Novak Djokovic (SRB)
- Carlos Alcaraz (ESP)
- Daniil Medvedev (N/A)
- Jannik Sinner (ITA)
- Andrey Rublev (N/A)
- Alexander Zverev (GER)
- Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE)
- Holger Rune (DEN)
- Hubert Hurkacz (POL)
- Alex De Minaur (AUS)
- Casper Ruud (NOR)
- Taylor Fritz (USA)
- Grigor Dimitrov (BUL)
- Tommy Paul (USA)
- Karen Khachanov (N/A)
- Ben Shelton (USA)
- Frances Tiafoe (USA)
- Nicolas Jarry (CHL)
- Cameron Norrie (GBR)
- Adrian Mannarino (FRA)
- Ugo Humbert (FRA)
- Francisco Cerundolo (ARG)
- Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (ESP)
- Jan-Lennard Struff (GER)
- Lorenzo Musetti (ITA)
- Sebastian Baez (ARG)
- Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN)
- Tallon Griekspoor (NLD)
- Sebastian Korda (USA)
- Tomas Martin Etcheverry (ARG)
- Alexander Bublik (KAZ)
- Jiri Lehecka (CZE)
Women’s seeding
- Iga Swiatek (POL)
- Aryna Sabalenka (N/A)
- Elena Rybakina (KAZ)
- Coco Gauff (USA)
- Jessica Pegula (USA)
- Ons Jabeur (TUN)
- Marketa Vondrousova (CZE)
- Maria Sakkari (GRE)
- Barbora Krejcikova (CZE)
- Beatriz Haddad Maia (BRA)
- Jelena Ostapenko (LAT)
- Qinwen Zheng (CHN)
- Liudmila Samsonova (N/A)
- Daria Kasatkina (N/A)
- Veronika Kudermetova (N/A)
- Caroline Garcia (FRA)
- Ekaterina Alexandrova (N/A)
- Victoria Azarenka (N/A)
- Elina Svitolina (UKR)
- Magda Linette (POL)
- Donna Vekic (HRV)
- Sorana Cirstea (ROU)
- Anastasia Potapova (N/A)
- Anhelina Kalinina (UKR)
- Elise Mertens (BEL)
- Jasmine Paolini (ITA)
- Emma Navarro (USA)
- Lesia Tsurenko (UKR)
- Zhu Lin (CHN)
- Wang Xinyu (CHN)
- Marie Bouzkova (CZE)
- Leylah Fernandez (CAN)
Notable men’s first-round matches:
- No. 1 Novak Djokovic vs. TBD
- No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz vs. Richard Gasquet
- No. 3 Daniil Medvedev vs. TBD
- No. 4 Jannik Sinner vs. Botic van de Zandschulp
- No. 5 Andrey Rublev vs. Thiago Seyboth Wild
- No. 6 Alexander Zverev vs. Dominik Koepfer
- No. 7 Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. Matteo Berrettini
- No. 8 Holger Rune vs. Yoshihito Nishioka
- No. 9 Hubert Hurkacz vs. TBD
- No. 10 Alex De Minaur vs. Milos Raonic
- No. 17 Frances Tiafoe vs. Borna Coric
Notable women’s first-round matches:
- No. 1 Iga Swiatek vs. Sofia Kenin
- No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka vs. TBD
- No. 3 Elena Rybakina vs. Karolina Pliskova
- No. 4 Coco Gauff vs. Anna Karolina Schmiedlova
- No. 5 Jessica Pegula vs. TBD
- No. 6 Ons Jabeur vs. TBD
- No. 7 Marketa Vondrousova vs. TBD
- No. 8 Maria Sakkari vs. Nao Hibino
- No. 9 Barbora Krejcikova vs. Mai Hontama
- No. 10 Beatriz Haddad Maia vs. Linda Fruhvirtova
- Naomi Osaka vs. Caroline Garcia
