Australian Open 2026: Full Schedule, Seeded Players and Prize Money Breakdown

Melbourne Park is ready for the first Grand Slam of 2026 — here’s the complete singles schedule, the seeded contenders to watch, and how the record prize pool is paid out.

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Key dates at a glance (Melbourne local time)

The 2026 Australian Open runs from Sunday, January 18 through Sunday, February 1 at Melbourne Park, with qualifying and “opening week” events beginning earlier in the week. (For official broadcast partners by country, check the Australian Open’s broadcaster list: ausopen.com.)

For a broader tournament explainer (including opening-week fan activities), see: SBS News’ Australian Open 2026 guide.

Seeded players: the headline contenders

Seeding matters at Melbourne: it shapes the early-round matchups and helps keep top names apart until the later stages. Here are the top seeds and a few fan-favourite names who could bend the draw.

Men’s singles — top seeds

• 1. Carlos Alcaraz
• 2. Jannik Sinner (defending champion)
• 3. Alexander Zverev
• 4. Novak Djokovic
• 6. Alex de Minaur (Australia’s leading seed)
• 11. Daniil Medvedev (three-time AO finalist)
• 8. Ben Shelton (big-serve chaos factor)
• 9. Taylor Fritz

Women’s singles — top seeds

• 1. Aryna Sabalenka
• 2. Iga Świątek
• 3. Coco Gauff
• 4. Amanda Anisimova
• 5. Elena Rybakina
• 6. Jessica Pegula
• 8. Mirra Andreeva
• 9. Madison Keys (defending champion)

Why seeds matter: once Round 3 arrives, the draw starts forcing seeded-vs-seeded clashes — and that’s when the tournament turns into a daily highlight reel. If you’re tracking a particular player, bookmark the official order of play and updated results on ausopen.com.

Want a quick “what’s new this year” overview, including opening week and schedule notes? AP has a clean breakdown here: AP’s Australian Open 2026 guide.

Prize money 2026: record pool, bigger paydays

The Australian Open’s total prize pool for 2026 has jumped to a record A$111.5 million (up 16% year-on-year), with the men’s and women’s singles champions each earning A$4.15 million. The big headline is the top prize — but the real story is how deeper payouts help players who grind through qualifying and early rounds.

• Total prize pool: A$111.5m
• Singles champions: A$4.15m each (men & women)
• Why it matters: wider increases across rounds make the event more sustainable for lower-ranked pros.

How to read prize money like a pro: champions get the headlines, but the “floor” of the event (qualifying + first/second round payouts) often decides whether players can afford a full season of travel, coaching and recovery. Keep an eye on the official Australian Open updates for the most current round-by-round breakdown as it’s published.

If you’re building a watch plan, use the schedule above to set reminders for the biggest days (QFs, semis, finals) — then follow daily match times via the official order of play.

Quick fan checklist

• Best days for drama: Jan 23–24 (Round 3) and Jan 27–28 (Quarterfinals).
• Final weekend: Women’s Final (Jan 31), Men’s Final (Feb 1).
• Follow live schedules: official order of play via ausopen.com.
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