Australian Open 2022: Preview, schedule and how to watch the stars at the first tennis Grand Slam of the year
Rafael Nadal, Ash Barty, Naomi Osaka and Emma Raducanu are just a handful of names in action at tennis’ first Grand Slam of the year. Here is your one-stop guide to the first major of the new season.
Tennis
Serving up the tennis calendar’s first grand slam of the year will be the 2022 Australian Open.
Back in its usual January spot after it was postponed by three weeks last year, the hard-court tournament will run from 17 January to 30 January and will pit the world’s best up against one another as the vie for the chance to be crowned a Grand Slam champion.
So, who’s in and who’s out?
The pre-event talk has mostly focussed on defending men’s singles champion Novak Djokovic and the revocation of his visa. On Sunday (16 Janaury), the nine-time tournament winner finally lost his bid to stay in Australia and won't be able to compete for a slice of tennis history in Melbourne. Djokovic is currently tied for 20 Grand Slam singles titles, with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
Leading the charge in the women’s draw will be current reigning champion Naomi Osaka who marked her competitive return to the sport after a four-month-long break away just two weeks prior at the Melbourne Summer Set.
Here is your guide to the Australian Open including storylines to look out for, the tournament schedule and how you can watch the action as it gets underway at Melbourne Park.
Australian Open 2021: Nadal in, Federer out
With Novak Djokovic not competing, there are many willing to take the place of the world number one.
When it comes to assessing the potential challengers naturally attentions first turn to men’s tennis’ ‘Big Three’.
Given that Federer is also out following his recovery from multiple knee surgeries, expectations run high that Nadal might be the man to watch. His recent title win at the Melbourne Summer Set 1 on Sunday (9 January) certainly indicates that the Spaniard is faring well following his return from an injury that kept him side-lined for the latter quarter of 2021.
Going against Nadal is his less-than-perfect record at Melbourne Park. The 35-year-old has only claimed the title at the Australian Open once despite appearing in the final five times in his career. His last loss in the championship-deciding match was to Djokovic in 2019, where the Serb prevailed 6-3, 6-2, 6-3.
There are also plenty of other hungry contenders willing to step up and take the crown.
2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev, who denied Djokovic the calendar slam late last year is a credible candidate to win in Melbourne, as too is Tokyo 2020 gold medallist and two-time ATP Final winner Alexander Zverev.
Throw into the mix Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas and Matteo Berrettini of Italy – two Grand Slam finalists from 2021 – and the draw looks promisingly packed.
Australian Open 2022 men’s Top 10 seeds:
- Novak Djokovic (SRB) (withdrew before tournament)
- Daniil Medvedev (RUS)
- Stefans Tsitsipas (GRE)
- Alexander Zverev (GER)
- Andrey Rublev (RUS)
- Rafael Nadal (ESP)
- Matteo Berrettini (ITA)
- Casper Ruud (NOR)
- Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN)
- Hubert Hurkacz (POL)
Five-time runner-up at Melbourne Park and two-time Olympic champion Andy Murray will also be in the mix having been given a wildcard. He continues to mount his comeback after undergoing major hip-surgery in 2019, and showed good form in reaching the Sydney Tennis Classic men's final on the eve of the Australian Open.
Australian Open 2022: Can Ash Barty end a 44-year-long drought & deliver on home soil?
Tokyo 2020 cauldron lighter Naomi Osaka may be the current queen of Melbourne but her fourth-month long hiatus from the sport means her defence of her title is by no means guaranteed.
World number one, and home favourite, Ash Barty is the biggest obstacle standing in the way of the Japanese star. Given that Serena Williams is opting not to play, and Osaka is building on her return to court, the Australian knows there will unlikely be a no greater opportunity than now to become the first homegrown winner of the slam since Chris O’Neil in 1978.
Speaking to the Guardian ahead of the major Barty said she believed anyone could feasibly make it to the top:
“It’s as good as anyone,” the 2021 Wimbledon winner shared. “There will be 128 of us in the draw. We’ll all do the same thing; do the best we can do. That’s all we can ask; all we can do.
“There were certainly a number of breakout years through 2021, girls really stepped up, were able to play really consistent season which is exciting is exciting to see for the women’s game.”
While top-ranked Barty might be trying to shun the limelight her recent warm-up tournament win in Southern Australia at the Adelaide International on Sunday (9 January) points to the Australian being in fine form ahead of her home major.
Ons Jabeur, Maria Sakkari and Barbora Krejcikova are just some of the younger names that made significant statements of intent last year, and no less threatening are the older guard.
Simona Halep, who clinched her own pre-Grand Slam victory at the Melbourne Summer Set 1, made very public her intention to return to the top rungs following a calf injury that kept her out of action in 2021.
Australian Open 2022: women’s Top 10 seeds:
- Ash Barty (AUS)
- Aryna Sabalenka (BLR)
- Garbiñe Muguruza (ESP)
- Barbora Krejcikova(CZE)
- Maria Sakkari (GRE)
- Anett Kontaveit (EST)
- Iga Swiatek (POL)
- Paula Badosa (ESP)
- Ons Jabeur (TUN)
- Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS)
2021 US Open winner Emma Raducanu will also be in action at the Australian Open. It will be the first time the 18-year-old, who is seeded 19, will be entered into the main draw of a Grand Slam.
Australian Open 2022: tournament schedule and draws
The 2022 Australian Open will run from Monday 17 January to Sunday 30 January.
Play will be divided into a morning session and a night session for majority of the tournament before it moves into the final stages.
The morning session will begin on the Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court Arena, John Cain Arena and the Outside Courts at 11:00 local time with evening sessions kicking off at 19:00.
On Thursday 27 January the competition will heat up with the women’s singles semi-finals pencilled in for the evening slot. The men’s semi-finals are scheduled for the following day along with the mixed doubles final.
Saturday 29 January will see the junior final, the men’s doubles final and the women’s singles final and Sunday, the final day of the grand slam, will host the women’s doubles final and the men’s singles final.
You can find the main draws for the tournament here.
Australian Open 2022: How to watch
All the action from the Australian Open (17 January – 30 January) will be available to watch around the world.
To find out which broadcaster in your local region will be televising the Grand Slam live click here.
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