In the build-up to Australian Open 2025, players are seeking all the match practice they can get.
What better way to prepare than in conditions that replicate the big stage of a Grand Slam tournament?
Throughout AO Opening Week presented by Herald Sun, a series of charity matches will be held at Rod Laver Arena, pitting stars of the game against one another.
AO OPENING WEEK: Stars set to shine as locals chase Grand Slam glory
They’ll feature as part of an exciting program of events at Rod Laver Arena from 7-10 January. There’s also:
- Red Bull Bassline, featuring six of the world’s best players in a unique, one-night only, tie-break tennis event
- A Night With Novak, back by popular demand and starring Djokovic and other pros in an entertaining event with a few surprises
- A mixed doubles charity match, with Aryna Sabalenka, Alexander Zverev and Coco Gauff already signed up.
You can buy tickets for each night, starting at just $30, to watch matches up close from the stands – the perfect end to a memorable day out given charity match tickets include access to Melbourne Park that day to catch all the Opening Week action.
It’s also nice to know that all proceeds go towards supporting a range of charities through the Australian Tennis Foundation.
Here’s what you can look forward to when the charity matches get underway in just over a week.
Jannik Sinner v Alexei Popyrin
When: Tuesday 7 January, 4pm
World No.1 Jannik Sinner, the reigning AO and US Open champion, will look to recapture the magic when he returns to Rod Laver Arena 12 months after his Slam breakthrough.
There are few better players to test his level against than Popyrin, the rising Australian star who lifts when facing the game’s biggest names.
Popyrin was a revelation in 2024, winning his first ATP Masters title in Montreal and stunning Novak Djokovic en route to the last 16 of the US Open, his best result at a major.
TICKETS: Jannik Sinner v Alexei Popyrin
He has also won five of his past six matches against top-10 players – and his only previous meeting against Sinner.
That was in 2021, and since then Sinner has risen to become the game’s dominant player.
He has lost just twice in the past five months, winning 29 of his most recent 30 matches.
Zheng Qinwen v Elina Svitolina
When: Wednesday 8 January, 5pm
After announcing herself on the world stage with a run to the AO 2024 final, Zheng flourished as the season unfolded.
She won singles gold for China at the Paris Olympics, claimed the Tokyo 500 title, and reached big finals in Wuhan and at the WTA Finals.
She became a top-five player, a superstar in her homeland and one of the world’s highest-paid female athletes.
TICKETS: Zheng Qinwen v Elina Svitolina
But she’s yet to rise as high in the rankings as Svitolina, a former world No.3 who has also tasted Olympic success.
The Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist maintained a top-30 ranking in 2024, her second season on tour as a mother.
With her gritty defence and consistency up against Zheng’s powerful shot-making, expect a memorable occasion at RLA.
Carlos Alcaraz v Alex de Minaur
When: Wednesday 8 January, 7pm
Of all the charity matches, this one – between two top-10 players – is perhaps the most highly anticipated.
Leading Aussie Alex de Minaur, the world No.9, enters Australian Open 2025 seeking his first quarterfinal at Melbourne Park. He reached the fourth round in 2024, the only Slam this year at which he did not reach the last eight.
TICKETS: Carlos Alcaraz v Alex de Minaur
He’ll get a great hit-out against Carlos Alcaraz, the Spanish superstar and reigning Roland Garros and Wimbledon champion.
Alcaraz, ranked No.3 and a four-time major winner, leads the head-to-head series 2-0 – but De Minaur did manage to reach match point against him in Barcelona in 2022.
Carlos Alcaraz v Alexei Popyrin
When: Friday 10 January, 5pm
Two days later, Alcaraz will return to Rod Laver Arena to face another Aussie.
This time it will be Popyrin, who despite his success against the game’s best players has yet to face Alcaraz as a top-10 star.
TICKETS: Carlos Alcaraz v Alexei Popyrin
They met once, back in 2021 in Winston-Salem, when both were ranked outside the top 50. Alcaraz won in a third-set tiebreak.
Both Alcaraz and Popyrin have come a long way since that clash, which sets the stage for a thrilling re-match ahead of AO 2025.
Jannik Sinner v Stefanos Tsitsipas
When: Friday 10 January, 7pm
This is one of the game’s most fascinating match-ups.
Stefanos Tsitsipas won five of the first six, but Sinner has won two of the most recent three, and the head-to-head battle is beginning to tilt in his favour.
TICKETS: Jannik Sinner v Stefanos Tsitsipas
You could argue their rivalry hinged on their epic fourth-round match at Australian Open 2023. Tsitsipas won it in five, but Sinner had never before gotten so close in defeat, especially at a major.
Back then, Tsitsipas was ranked No.4 and Sinner 16th. Now, Sinner is the world No.1 while Tsitsipas has slipped outside the top 10.
Can the Greek get the match-up back under his control?