Tournament dates and schedule, ticket tiers and pricing explained; ground passes, Opening Week and AO Live breakdown; list of stars

On Sunday you can start at the Kia Arena to see some Aussies in action, which always provides an exciting atmosphere. Wildcard holder Talia Gibson plays Anna Blinkova starting at 11 a.m. and follows Tristan Schoolkate against No. 32 seed Corentin Moutet of France.

A fun option is court 6, also known as party court. Before the double-decker bar gets too rowdy, you can see Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia, a former ten-year-old actress, play Yulia Putintseva, also from 11am, and sip a cocktail in the meantime.

Sometimes you have to queue to get a spot on the show courts, but it’s worth watching women’s 20th seed Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine (now known as ANZ Arena) against runner-up Elsa Jacquemot of France on court 3.

Kostyuk defeated three top-10 opponents en route to the Brisbane International final last week. He also refused to shake the hand of winner and world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus. Belarus supports Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine.

For British fans, former world No. 8 Cameron Norrie, who finished second to Benjamin Bonzi at the 1573 Arena, is worth a look.

If you’re going to play tennis with friends or family and manage to find a spot on the show court, take turns running for bathroom breaks and food and drinks. No one will object to you if you book for a short period of time.

Wear plenty of sunscreen – some seats are in the blazing sun at certain times of the day – take a bottle of water and refill it using the water fountains around the park. There are also misty fans who will keep looking for you between matches.

Tickets for any individual sessions are purchased through Ticketmaster. Similarly, event “experiences” (including hospitality with your seat) are purchased through the “AO Booking” option.

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Australia has one man in the world’s top 10, Alex de Minaur, while the top-ranked local woman is Maya Joint. In the women’s draw, 2024 winner Aryna Sabalenka, Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek, two-time major winner Coco Gauff and last champion Madison Keys are the notable names.

Denmark’s Holger Rune (Achilles) and Brit Jack Draper (arm) are the only men missing due to injury, while women’s stars Ons Jabeur (maternity leave) and last year’s pantomime villain Danielle Collins will also miss the game.

However, Venus Williams received a wildcard at the age of 45.

Australian draw card Nick Kyrgios will play doubles only. He launched his latest touring comeback late last month and continued at the Brisbane International but did not seek a wildcard for the singles draw. Thanasi Kokkinakis also had to withdraw from singles due to his injury.

AO events and activities

There will be music and entertainment (with AO Live badge) throughout the tournament.

In the second week, The Kid Laroi (Wednesday, January 28), Spacey Jane (Thursday, January 29), The Veronicas and Sofi Tukker (Friday, January 30), Reneé Rapp (Saturday, January 31) and Peggy Gou (Sunday, February 1) will perform at John Cain Arena.

Admission to these shows is via a separate ticket that includes floor pass access.

There is also pre-match entertainment each night at Rod Laver Arena, including Cody Simpson, Leo Sayer, Casey Donovan, didgeridoo player Neenan, as well as Olivia Coe-Fox and Jude York (included in match ticket). Sophie Ellis-Bextor will perform in the men’s final.

Click here for full AO Live details.

What is this opening ceremony?

The opening ceremony is a new venture in 2026, with crowd favorite and six-time Australian Open champion Federer set to grace his beloved Rod Laver Arena again on the eve of the tournament (Saturday, January 17). Federer has been invited to the “battle of the world No 1s” alongside Andre Agassi, Lleyton Hewitt and Pat Rafter. Crowded House provides the entertainment. But it’s not cheap. Adult tickets sell for $199, while the “Roger Federer Q&A” ticket sells for $2,500.

The Federer event signaled the end of “Opening Week”, Tennis Australia’s way of ensuring the tournament lasted three weeks instead of two. The usual qualifying and training sessions were supplemented with exhibition matches, fan tackles and live music.

But the “opening week”, which begins on Monday 12 January, has faced some public criticism for its marketing tactics, with some fans who purchased tickets expressing confusion over the actual time of the tournament.

What are the food and beverage options?

Popular Melbourne restaurants on site will include AO debutant Hector’s Deli (sandwiches and homemade sodas), Layla (a Middle Eastern-inspired menu), Shake Shack, Season (Vietnamese fried chicken), Ho Jiak (Malaysian cuisine), JollyGood (Melbourne burgers), Stalactites x Taverna (Greek food collaboration) and Suupaa (Japanese).

Returning to Melbourne Park are Entrecôte, Vic’s Meat – The Chefs Butcher, DOC, Fishbowl and Wonder Pies.

For fine dining at AO Reserve, restaurants include L’Enclume and Umbel (Simon Rogan), Bennelong and Quay (Peter Gilmore), Tasmania’s Agrarian Kitchen, SK Steak and Oyster, Brisbane’s Sushi Room, Victoria and Farmer’s Daughters and cocktail bar Caretaker’s Cottage.

What else can I see and do?

Once the tournament is in full swing, add the following dates to your calendar:

January 21 (Evonne Goolagong Cawley Day): First Nations art, music, language and storytelling.
January 27 (All Abilities Day): A celebration for the disabled community.
January 29 (Women’s and Girls’ Day): Same day as the women’s singles semi-finals.
January 30 (Pride Day): The last weekend of the tournament is the “Glam Slam”, an LGBTQ+ tournament.

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Also follow last week’s AO Legends Cup, the tournament’s wheelchair championships (January 26-31), the AO Deaf Tennis Slam and the AO Intellectually Handicapped Tennis Slam.

How do I get there?

Melbourne Park is approximately a 20-25 minute walk from the Melbourne CBD, along the Yarra River and along Birrarung Marr.

For those traveling by car, there is public parking at nearby Yarra Park. There are designated carpool zones along Olympic Boulevard.

AO is easily accessible by public transport. Train passengers can exit from Flinders Street Station, Jolimont Station or Richmond Station. Pedestrian signs will direct you to one of the park’s three entrances.

AO ticket holders can ride trams on line 70/70a free of charge from January 12 to February 1.

You don’t need to touch your Myki, but make sure you have your AO ticket with you.

AO entrance tram stops:

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• Stop 7B – Rod Laver Arena / MCG Gates 1-3: Best for Garden Square access.
• Stop 7A – William Barak Bridge: Short walk to Birrarung Marr Entrance.
• Stop 7C – MCG Gates 4-7 / John Cain Arena: Cross the footbridge onto Olympic Boulevard for the Grand Slam Oval Entrance.
• Fans will also be able to walk from the new Town Hall Station, which offers access to the nearby Birrarung Marr entrance, just as they can from Flinders Street Station. To celebrate the opening of the Melbourne Metro Tunnel, public transport users will be able to benefit from free weekend travel until February 1.

How can I watch tennis on TV?

Host broadcaster Nine (owner of this imprint) is covering the tournament wall-to-wall.

Each court can be streamed online on 9Now and Stan Sport. You’ll also see many of the main matches via Nine’s free-to-air channels.

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Nine has assembled a highly reliable team of presenters and expert commentators, including John McEnroe and former Australian Open champion Jim Courier, to cover the event from start to finish.

Expert commentary will be provided by Courier, McEnroe, Todd Woodbridge, Jelena Dokic, Lleyton Hewitt, Sam Stosur, Dylan Alcott, John Millman, Casey Dellacqua, Sam Smith and Alicia Molik.

On Nine’s main channel the presenters are James Bracey, Sylvia Jeffreys and Tony Jones, while on 9Gem you’ll see Georgie Parker, Nick McArdle and Brett Phillips in the chair.