Australian Open 2024: The draw, how to watch and is Emma Raducanu playing
Emma Raducanu will make her return at a major tournament against American Shelby Rogers at the Australian Open.
Rogers was one of the players Raducanu beat on her way to the US Open title in 2021.
The Briton is playing her first major tournament for a year following surgery on both wrists and one ankle.
All the British women avoided seeds in the first round, with Katie Boulter drawing China’s Yuan Yue and Jodie Burrage taking on German Tamara Korpatsch.
There was no such luck for Andy Murray, who was the only British player to draw a seed in the Australian Open, with the five-time former finalist taking on No 30 seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry.
Should the Scot make the third round, he would expect to find himself up against top seed Novak Djokovic, who will open against a qualifier.
Cameron Norrie, the only British seed at 19, faces Peru’s Juan Pablo Varillas, with Jack Draper meeting American Marcos Giron and Dan Evans playing Italian Lorenzo Sonego.
There are also eye-catching match-ups in the women’s draw: world No 1 Iga Swiatek will face former champion Sofia Kenin, with the winner to play either another past winner in the returning Angelique Kerber or former finalist Danielle Collins.
Naomi Osaka, who like Kerber is returning after having a baby, makes her grand-slam tournament comeback against 16th seed Caroline Garcia.
When does the Australian Open start?
The tournament begins on Sunday, January 14. It is the first Sunday start in the tournament’s history.
“We’ve listened to feedback from the players and fans and are excited to deliver a solution to minimise late finishes while continuing to provide a fair and equitable schedule on the stadium courts,” Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley said.
“The additional day will achieve this, benefiting scheduling for fans and players alike. The first round will now be played over three days instead of two, also giving fans an extra day of unbelievable tennis, entertainment, food and family fun.”
When do the Australian Open finals take place?
The women’s final is on Saturday, January 27. The men’s final is on the following day: January 28.
How to watch the Australian Open on TV in the UK
In the UK, Eurosport has the broadcasting rights to live action from Melbourne and will be showing 260 hours of tennis. To watch on discovery+, an Entertainment & Sport pass is £6.99/month or £59.99/year.
This year, Nick Kyrgios will be part of Eurosport’s English-language commentary team, and will be one of the highlights of a camera stream direct from the commentary booth. Kyrgios will be joined in Australia by presenters John McEnroe, Barbara Schett and Laura Robson, and from a London studio by new host Rachel Stringer.
How to watch the Australian Open on TV in the US
ESPN has the broadcasting rights to show the tournament.
Australian Open men’s draw
There are some tantalising openers in the men’s draw, with Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz meeting French veteran Richard Gasquet and Stefanos Tsitsipas squaring off against Matteo Berrettini.
Here is the full draw:
Australian Open women’s draw
Aryna Sabalenka, last year’s champion, begins her campaign against a qualifier, while Elena Rybakina faces former world No 1 Karolina Pliskova.
Here is the full draw:
What is the Australian Open prize money?
This year’s Australian Open total prize money is a record 13 per cent increase on 2023 – £46.3 million will be shared by the field with the winners each taking home £1.68 million.
“We’ve upped prize money for every round at the Australian Open with the major increases in qualifying and the early rounds of singles and doubles,” Tiley said. “We want to ensure Australia remains the launchpad for the global tennis season and the players and their teams have everything they need to help them perform at their best and continue to enjoy the happy slam.”
Which British players will be involved?
The top four British men will all feature at the Australian Open: Cameron Norrie (the world No 19), Daniel Evans (No 40), Andy Murray (No 44) and Jack Draper (No 62).
Among the women, Britain will be represented by Katie Boulter (the world No 57), Jodie Burrage (No 102) and Raducanu (who qualified based on her protected ranking).
Will Emma Raducanu play at the Australian Open?
Raducanu will play at the Australian Open after the withdrawals by Lauren Davis, Karolina Muchova, Petra Kvitova, Irina-Camelia Begu and Caty McNally opened up a spot in the main draw and meant she avoided having to go through qualifying.
Who are the defending champions?
Last year, Novak Djokovic claimed the men’s singles title for a record-extending 10th time after beating Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Aryna Sabalenka claimed her first grand slam singles title in the women’s draw when she defeated Elena Rybakina in three sets.
Latest odds
To win the men’s title
Novak Djokovic 11/10
Carlos Alcaraz 10/3
Jannik Sinner 7/1
Daniil Medvedev 11/1
Alexander Zverev 25/1
To win the women’s title
Iga Swiatek 9/4
Aryna Sabalenka 5/1
Elena Rybakina 5/1
Coco Gauff 7/1
Naomi Osaka 27/1
