The start of 2025, or any year for that matter, brings the Australian Open as the inaugural Slam for the tour-level calendar. The hardcourt showcase, slated to kick off at Melbourne Park on January 12, invites the finest talents in the sport to compete for the ‘Happy Slam’ trophy. Seeing as the tournament’s commencement is days ahead, fans are scouring social media to find out when the main draw list will be released.

Like every other Slam, Melbourne parks a heap load of fans waiting for action from players at the hard court Rod Laver, John Cain and Margaret Court arenas. As for the defending champions, World No. 1 Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka take the podium as they await their respective campaigns at the event. However, these two players are some of the few headliners prepping for the mega event. Serbian Novak Djokovic is set to showcase his maiden coaching partnership with arch-rival Andy Murray for the AO.

Other contestants include Carlos Alcaraz, the 4-time Slam winner Spaniard, who hasn’t enjoyed much luck on the Melbourne grounds during his career. As for marking comebacks, players like Emma Raducanu have already excited fans ahead of the season-opening action, whereas, on the other hand, Caroline Wozniacki‘s much-awaited return to the tour suffered a setback after she silently withdrew from the event.

Fast forward to the real question: what is the release date of the Australian Open main draw?

As per the tournament’s official website, the draw will be made on Thursday, January 9 at 3.30 am GMT (2.30 pm local time) at the steps of the Margaret Court Arena, where defending champions Sinner and Sabalenka will bring their respective AO trophies. In case you won’t be able to witness the events unfold at Melbourne Park, don’t fret. The draw ceremony will be live-streamed on the tournament’s official YouTube Channel and Facebook page.

Players boasting a higher ranking will gain direct access to the main draw, with 104 contestants heading straight into the singles draw alongside eight wildcard entries and 16 qualifiers. Now you must be wondering:

Where can I watch the Australian Open?

The following is a list of broadcasters of the Australian Open 2025:

• Africa: beIN Sports and SuperSport.
• Europe: Eurosport, SRG SSR.
• Asia Pacific & Oceania: ESPN, Tennis Channel, beIN Sports, CCTV, iQIYI, GDTV, WOWOW, Nine, Stan Sport, Digicel, CJ ENM, TDM, ESPN International, SKY, Sportcast and K-Plus.
• India & subcontinent: Sony Sports Network.
• Latin America & Caribbean: ESPN International.
• Middle East: beIN Sports.
• North America: ESPN, TSN, RDS and Tennis Channel.
• Central Asia: Sony Sports Network and Eurosport.

The Australian Open presents a two-week format for players competing in the main draw and concludes on Sunday, January 26. Are you ready for the action?