Australian Open draw schedule confirmed as Alcaraz and Sabalenka await paths
Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty ImagesJames ShearmanThu, January 15, 2026 at 7:32 PM UTC·1 min read
Schedule for the 2024 Australian Open Draw Release
The schedule for when the men’s and women’s singles draws at the 2024 Australian Open will be announced has been confirmed.
It means that Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka will learn who their opponents are in the first round of the tournament.
It also means that each player can start thinking about their route to a potential final, including when they could face other big names along the way.
The Australian Open gets underway on Sunday, January 14, and runs through to Sunday, January 28. In total, there will be more than 100 singles matches played across both men’s and women’s competitions.
Photo by Christopher Pike/Getty Images
Alcaraz, the second seed, will take on Richard Gasquet in the opening round. The Spaniard will be aiming to go beyond his best-ever finish at Melbourne Park after exiting in the third round last year.
Sinner’s bid for back-to-back Australian Open titles begins against Botic van de Zandschulp. The world No 1 could then face either Benjamin Bonzi or Dan Evans in the next round.
Here are some of the other notable matches from the men’s first-round draw:
Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka will start her title defence against Germany’s Ella Seidel.
Meanwhile, world No.1 Iga Swiatek opens against 2020 champion Sofia Kenin, and 2023 runner-up Elena Rybakina faces former world No.13 Karolina Pliskova.
Tenth seed Beatriz Haddad Maia takes on former US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez, while unseeded threats include Sloane Stephens and Kaia Kanepi.
READ MORE: Roger Federer shares thoughts on whether Joao Fonseca can rival Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner
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