A look at the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam tennis tournament of 2024: Surface: Hard courts Venue: Melbourne Park Schedule: Play begins Sunday morning in Australia (Saturday night ET) as part of what will be a scheduled 15-day tournament for the above time. In fact, Tennis Australia has to load an extra day of the festival to give itself a little more breathing space and avoid late night matches by moving Day 1 from Monday to Sunday. It also gives them the opportunity to sell more tickets, of course. The women’s individual final will take place on Saturday, January 27; The men’s singles final will take place on Sunday, January 28.
2023 Women’s Singles Champion: Aryna Sabalenka, Belarus 2023 Men’s Singles Champion: Novak Djokovic, Serbia Last year at the Australian Open: Sabalenka came back to beat Elena Rybakina 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 to win her first Grand Prix Slam Trophy. Sabalenka was 0-3 in the first semi-finals prior to this tournament and would soon reach the most sensible spot in the rankings later in the season. Djokovic beat Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 7-6(4), 7-6(5) to cap a successful, if tumultuous, return to Australia a year after his deportation for not being vaccinated against COVID-19 (he never did. Among the demanding situations this time around were a hamstring challenge and off-court distractions involving Djokovic’s father. It is Djokovic’s 10th Australian Open name and 22nd overall primary name, a total he has since raised to 24, the most of all in the sport’s Open era, which began in 1968.
On the most sensible of the rankings: Four-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek is No. 1 in the women’s rankings, along with Sabalenka at No. 2, Rybakina at No. 3, Coco Gauff at No. 4 and Jessica Pegula at No. 4. Djokovic is No. 1 on the men’s side, followed by two-time primary champion Carlos Alcaraz at No. 2, Daniil Medvedev at No. 3, Jannik Sinner at No. four and Andrey Rublev at No. 5.
Naomi Osaka is back: Naomi Osaka, Angelique Kerber and Caroline Wozniacki all have Australian Open titles and all return to the tournament after taking some time away from tennis for mothers. Osaka won two of her four Grand Slam trophies in Melbourne. in 2019 and 2021; Kerber won the Australian Open in 2016 and has 3 majors in total; Wozniacki’s only Grand Slam championship was held in Australia in 2018.
Rafael Nadal is absent: Rafael Nadal’s long-awaited return to the Grand Slams was put on hold when he withdrew from the Australian Open due to a small muscle tear near his hip that he injured in Melbourne a year ago in a second-round loss. Nadal, 37, underwent surgery in June and last week played his first competitive matches in a year. He won two of his 22 primary titles in Australia. Other notable players absent from the box include Nick Kyrgios (injured) and Simona Halep (doping suspension). ).
Key stats: 1 – Grand Slam titles for Gauff, the 19-year-old American who won the US Open in September and will now be in a primary for the first time with a primary trophy on her resume.
28 – Djokovic’s winning streak at the Australian Open, the longest by a player in the Open era there.
Prize money: The total prize money for the Australian Open is A$86. 5 million (about $58 million), up 13% from 2023. The two individual champions will get 3. 15 million Australian dollars (about $2. 1 million).
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