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When is the Australian Open draw? Start time and how to watch

jamie braidwood
·3 min read

The Australian Open draw will take place with several huge names lurking dangerously as unseeded players after making injury returns.

But there will be no return for 22-time men’s grand slam champion Rafael Nadal, who has been forced to withdraw from the opening grand slam of the year due to a fresh hip injury. Four-time women’s grand slam champion Naomi Osaka will be hoping to make her comeback, however, after having given birth to her first daughter, Shai, last summer.

From a British perspective, Emma Raducanu and Andy Murray are also unseeded ahead of the draw. Raducanu has been granted a place in the main draw due to her protected ranking after missing eight months of last season following wrist and ankle surgeries, while Murray just misses out following a dip in form to end last season.

World No 1 and 10-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic is the top seed in the men’s draw while Iga Swiatek is the top seed in the women’s draw, with defending champion Aryna Sabalenka seeded second and newly crowned US Open champion Coco Gauff third.

Here’s everything you need to know.

When is the Australian Open draw?

The Australian Open main draw for the men’s and women’s singles will be held on Thursday January 11.

The draw ceremony will take place at 1pm local time in Australia, which is 2am GMT in the UK.

How can I watch it?

The Australian Open draw will available to watch on a free live stream, which can be accessed on the Australian Open’s YouTube and Facebook channels.

When does the Australian Open start?

The Australian Open main draw starts on Sunday 14 January and runs until Sunday 28 January, with the opening grand slam of the year now played as a 15-day event.

That means play will get underway at Melbourne Park on a Sunday for the first time, in a move that organisers hope will limit the potential of late finishes in the opening week.

The women’s singles final will be played on Saturday 27 January, with the men’s singles final played the following day on Sunday 28 January.

Australian Open 2024 tournament schedule

Sunday 14 January: Round 1, men’s singles, women’s singles

Monday 15 January: Round 1, men’s singles, women’s singles

Tuesday 16 January: Round 1, men’s singles, women’s singles

Wednesday 17 January: Round 2, men’s singles, women’s singles

Thursday 18 January: Round 2, men’s singles, women’s singles

Friday 19 January: Round 3, men’s singles, women’s singles

Saturday 20 January: Round 3, men’s singles, women’s singles

Sunday 21 January: Round 4, men’s singles, women’s singles

Monday 22 January: Round 4, men’s singles, women’s singles

Tuesday 23 January: Quarter-finals, men’s singles, women’s singles

Wednesday 24 January: Quarter-finals, men’s singles, women’s singles

Thursday 25 January: Semi-finals, women’s singles

Friday 26 January: Semi-finals, men’s singles

Saturday 27 January: Women’s singles final

Sunday 28 January: Men’s singles final

  • Men’s & women’s doubles: 16-28 January

  • Mixed doubles: 18-27 January

  • Wheelchair events: 23-27 January

  • Junior events: 20-27 January

Australian Open 2024 prize money

Men’s and women’s singles, (Per player – 128 draw)

Winner: £1,674,000 (AU $3,150,000)

Runner-up: £925,000 (AU $1,725,000)

Semi-finals: £530,000 (AU $990,000)

Quarter-finals: £321,000 (AU $600,000)

Round 4:  £201,000 (AU $375,000)

Round 3: £137,000 (AU $255,000)

Round 2: £96,000 (AU $180,000)

First Round: £64,000 (AU $120,000)

Is the Australian Open on TV in the UK?

You can watch the Australian Open live on Discovery+ and Eurosport in the UK. The action will be broadcast on Eurosport’s TV channels, or fans can tune intoDiscovery+ to stream the tournament, where an Entertainment & Sport pass is available foreither £6.99/month or £59.99/year.

If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch major sporting events, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includesdeals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.