Australian Open 2023 preview: Djokovic, Nadal, Swiatek and other tennis stars in Melbourne - schedule, how to watch 

G'day, tennis fans.

The Grand Slam season kicks off on Monday (16 January) in Melbourne, Australia, at the Australian Open, the first of four majors of the year. The event is brimming with storylines, including if top seed and defending champion Rafael Nadal, the two-time Olympic champion, can recapture the magic that led him to the title in 2022.

He'll have nine-time AO winner Novak Djokovic in his way this year, while world No. 1 Iga Swiatek leads the women's singles draw off of two major titles last year. Reigning champ Ashleigh Barty, the Australian, retired in March after capturing her home Slam.

Also missing: Men's world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz (injury), the newly-retired Roger Federer and Serena Williams, and Venus Williams (injury).

There is plenty to watch out for over the fortnight, with Djokovic returning to Australia for the first time after he was deported from the country last year. He looks to match Nadal at 22 majors won, the men's record. And - can anyone stop Swiatek?

Here, a preview of the action to come, stars to watch, the tournament schedule - and how you can tune in from anywhere in the world.

Men's singles: With Alcaraz out, Nadal is top seed

Alcaraz, the 19-year-old who rocketed to world No. 1 with a standout 2022 that included the US Open title, withdrew in the days leading up to the AO due to a leg injury that he said he sustained in the off-season.

Nadal, the world No. 2, slots into the top seed at the event, where he came from two sets and a break down in the third to stun Daniil Medvedev a year ago in the final. Nadal lost both of his first two matches of the year in the newly-introduced United Cup team event this month, but said he's still confident heading into the AO, where he looks to even Serena's 23 majors won - an Open Era record.

Djokovic, meanwhile, won his 92nd career title at a warm-up event in Adelaide. He hasn't lost a match in Australia since the AO in 2018, when he fell to Chung Hyeon in the fourth round. 

Along with Nadal, Djokovic and Medvedev, it's US Open runner-up Casper Ruud, Greek star Stefanos Tsitsipas, Andrey Rublev and Felix Auger-Aliassime set to feature in the men's top eight.

Nineteen-year-old Holger Rune could turn heads having beaten Djokovic at the end of the 2022 year, while Tokyo 2020 gold medallist Alexander Zverev makes his return from a long injury layoff after the French Open.

Australian Nick Kyrgios will look to feed off of his 2022 Slam success: He won the doubles here with Thanasi Kokkinakis a year ago before making a run to the Wimbledon final, where he lost to Djokovic.

Women's: Swiatek vs. the field

Can anyone stop Iga? The 21-year-old Polish world No. 1 had an inspiring 2022 after Barty's retirement, taking the pole position in the rankings and running with it: She won 37 consecutive matches at one point, capturing her second French Open and first US Open while finishing with eight singles titles overall.

But the women's winner in majors has been unpredictable over the last five years, and challengers will include in-form top four players Ons Jabeur, Jessica Pegula and Caroline Garcia, as well as a host of other names to watch, including Olympic champ Belinda Bencic.

American teenager Coco Gauff won her third career title last week in Auckland, making her one to watch, while top 10 stalwarts Aryna Sabalenka and Maria Sakkari are looking for respective Slam breakthroughs.

Two-time AO champion Naomi Osaka joined Venus in the withdrawal list, the Japanese 25-year-old having not played a match since September.

Barty is sure to be present in Melbourne - off the court. The three-time major champion made headline news last week when she revealed she's expecting her first child.

Australian Open 2023 - Schedule

The AO follows the usual Grand Slam proceedings, with seven rounds of singles played over a two-week format, usually with players getting a day off between their matches.

Times are local (GMT+11)

Mon. and Tues. 16-17 Jan.

11am - Singles first round

Weds. and Thurs. 18-19 Jan.

11am - Singles second round, doubles begins

Thurs. 19 Jan.

Mixed doubles begins

Fri. and Sat. 20-21 Jan.

11am - Singles third round

Sat. 21 Jan.

Junior competition begins

Sun. and Mon. 22-23 Jan.

11am - Singles fourth round

Tues. and Weds. 24-25 Jan.

11am - Singles quarterfinals, wheelchair competition begins

Thurs. 26 Jan.

Women's semi-finals

Fri. 27 Jan.

Men's semi-finals

Sat. 28 Jan.

Women's final

Sun. 29 Jan.

Men's final

For a detailed day-to-day schedule you can check here.

How to watch the Australian Open 2023 tennis

Channel 9 is the domestic broadcaster of the Australian Open, with fans able to watch any live match court on its streaming platforms.

ESPN carries the AO in the U.S., with Eurosport airing the tennis throughout much of Europe and the U.K. TSN is the broadcaster in Canada, while CCTV airs the event in the People's Republic of China.

To see a full list of AO partner broadcasters, check this link.