Idman.biz
The "Australian Open" has once again brought together the world's strongest tennis players on the courts of Melbourne Park.
According to Idman.Biz, the tournament is traditionally met with great interest not only among tennis fans but also among Australians - local fans enthusiastically support their compatriots during the nearly three-week competition.
Melbourne is rightly considered the sports capital of Australia. The tournament is often called the "Happy Slam" and is considered the most attended Grand Slam event. Last year, approximately 1.2 million spectators visited Melbourne Park.
These days, qualifying matches are taking place on the courts, and this stage will end on January 15. Tennis players who are not in the top 100 of the world ranking and have not received a wild card compete in the qualifying stage. To advance to the main stage, it is necessary to win three victories - a total of 16 places are contested in singles competitions between men and women.
The official draw ceremony for the "Australian Open" 2026 will be held on Thursday, January 15, before the qualifying matches are over. The event will be hosted by well-known Australian tennis players Jelena Dokic and Todd Woodbridge.
As for wild card invitations, they have already been distributed. Among men, Jordan Thompson, Christopher O'Connell, and three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka have received the last three wild cards to the main stage.
This year, the tournament's prize fund has been increased by 16 percent. The winners of the singles competitions will each receive $4.15 million.
Speaking of favorites, world number one Aryna Sabalenka is returning to Melbourne after losing in the final to Madison Keys last year. The Belarusian tennis player comes to the tournament in excellent form; she recently won the Brisbane International tournament and aims to win her third title at the "Australian Open".
Other favorites include Coco Gauff, who defeated Sabalenka at "Roland Garros", Iga Swiatek, who is ranked second in the world and is the current Wimbledon champion, as well as Wimbledon finalist and participant in key matches of the past season, Amanda Anisimova.
Among men, the main confrontation of the year will continue between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. In 2025, Sinner won the "Australian Open" and "Wimbledon", while Alcaraz became the champion of the "Roland Garros" and "US Open" tournaments.
Novak Djokovic will also compete in the tournament, despite recently withdrawing from participation in Adelaide International. The Serbian tennis player, who has 10 "Australian Open" titles to his name, said that he is fully focused on preparing for the tournament in Melbourne.
Australian fans will follow Alex de Minaur, who is ranked seventh in the world, with particular interest. In addition, Nick Kyrgios has officially confirmed that he will not participate in singles competitions.
In short, the "Australian Open" is gaining momentum, and in the coming days, the world's strongest tennis players will appear on the courts of Melbourne.
