The Australian Open 2026 official draw will be conducted from 2.30pm AEDT on Thursday 15 January.
Hosted by Todd Woodbridge and Jelena Dokic, the ceremony will see the men’s and women’s singles main draws unveiled, setting the stage for first-round matches which begin Sunday 18 January – as well as potential clashes ahead.
Fans at Melbourne Park for AO Opening Week presented by Herald Sun can attend the official draw, which for the first time will take place at the Grand Slam Oval fan stage. It will also be broadcast live on the big screens throughout the precinct.
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Defending champions Jannik Sinner and Madison Keys are expected to attend, with the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup and the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup in tow.
Fans watching from afar can tune into a live stream of the draw, which will be hosted on ausopen.com, the Australian Open YouTube channel, and the tournament’s Facebook page.
Seedings will be confirmed earlier in the week, determining where the top players will be placed throughout the 128-player draws.
Thursday 15 January is a bumper day, and night, for fans visiting Melbourne Park.
As well as the official draw, it’s the day final-round qualifying matches are completed, with successful qualifiers placed in the draw after its completion on Thursday afternoon.
ENTRY LISTS: Australian Open 2026 qualifying
Meanwhile, Rod Laver Arena is accessible to fans from midday to watch the world’s best players practise and prepare for AO 2026, while in the evening, it will host the Opening Week Showdown between Carlos Alcaraz and Alex de Minaur.
Alcaraz v De Minaur is one of several Opening Week Showdowns scheduled at RLA from 13-16 January, for which tickets are still available.
Over at TOPCOURT, Melbourne-born DJ Cassian will get fans jumping with support from Willo, OLIIV, and Jordz, as part of AO LIVE Opening Week – a brand-new series of exclusive live music events.
For young fans on site, there will also be Hot Shots Tennis racquet giveaways and autograph signings, as well as feature shows at AO Ballpark presented by Emirates.