<p>The Australian Open kicks off the tennis calendar every January, and for punters, it's one of the best betting events of the summer. Two weeks of high-quality tennis, predictable scheduling, and a huge range of markets make it a favourite for both casual punters and serious bettors.&nbsp;</p> <p>The 2026 edition runs from 18 January to 1 February at Melbourne Park, with Jannik Sinner and Madison Keys defending their 2025 titles.&nbsp;</p> <p>Check the latest <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/events/australian-open">Australian Open 2026 betting odds</a> for current prices on outright and match markets.</p> <p>This guide covers the key tournament details, the main betting markets available, and some historical trends that might help you find value across the fortnight.</p> <h2>When and Where Is the 2026 Australian Open?</h2> <p>The 2026 Australian Open takes place at Melbourne Park from 18 January to 1 February.</p> <p>Opening Week runs from 12 to 17 January, featuring qualifying rounds, charity matches, and the official draw on Thursday 15 January.</p> <p>The main draw kicks off on Sunday 18 January, marking the third consecutive year the tournament has started on a Sunday rather than the traditional Monday.</p> <p>The women's singles final is scheduled for Saturday 31 January, with the men's singles final wrapping things up on Sunday 1 February. Both finals are night sessions at Rod Laver Arena.</p> <p>This is the 114th edition of the tournament and the 58th in the Open Era. Prize money has jumped to a record A$111.5 million, a 16% increase from 2025. For Australian viewers, Nine broadcasts the tournament free-to-air across Channel 9, 9Go and 9Gem, with streaming available on 9Now. Stan Sport offers every match live and on demand for subscribers.</p> <h2>Australian Open Format Explained</h2> <p>The singles draws feature 128 players each, with 32 seeds protected in the first round. Men play best-of-five sets throughout the tournament, while women play best-of-three. Final sets use a first-to-10-points tiebreak at 6-6, introduced in 2019. This rule replaced the advantage final set and tends to produce slightly quicker finishes in tight matches.</p> <p>Melbourne Park has three stadiums with retractable roofs: Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court Arena, and John Cain Arena. This matters for bettors because roof closures change playing conditions.</p> <p>When the roof goes on, the court plays faster, the ball stays dryer, and big servers tend to benefit. Night sessions also play quicker than day sessions due to cooler temperatures.</p> <p>The surface is GreenSet, a cushioned acrylic hardcourt rated as 'Medium Fast' by the ITF. It replaced Plexicushion in 2020 but kept the iconic blue colour. The medium-fast pace suits aggressive baseliners and strong servers, though the consistent bounce means counterpunchers can also thrive.</p> <p>Compared to the US Open's slower Laykold surface, the Australian Open rewards players who can hit through the court.</p> <h2>Main Betting Markets for the Australian Open</h2> <p>Tennis offers a solid range of markets, and Grand Slams like the Australian Open have the deepest betting pools. Here's what you'll typically find.</p> <h3>Outright Winner</h3> <p>The tournament winner market opens months before the event and fluctuates based on form, injuries, and draw release. Early odds can offer value if you're confident about a player's trajectory, but they also carry more risk since a lot can change. Once the draw drops, odds adjust based on each player's path to the final. A brutal draw quarter can blow out a contender's price.</p> <h3>Match Betting</h3> <p>Head-to-head markets are the bread and butter of tennis betting. You pick the winner of a specific match, simple as that. Odds reflect each player's ranking, recent form, head-to-head record, and surface suitability. Early rounds often feature heavy favourites at short odds, while later rounds see tighter lines.</p> <h3>Set Betting and Handicaps</h3> <p>Set betting lets you predict the exact set score, like 3-1 or 2-0. It pays better than match betting but requires more precision. Handicap markets add or subtract sets or games from a player's total, levelling the playing field when there's a clear favourite. A -1.5 set handicap on a favourite means they need to win in straight sets for your bet to land.</p> <h3>Over/Under Games</h3> <p>Total games markets let you bet on whether the match will be high-scoring or low-scoring without picking a winner. A line might be set at 35.5 games, and you bet over or under. These markets suit punters who have a read on match tempo but aren't sure which player will win. Two big servers grinding out tiebreaks? Probably unders. Two counterpunchers in a physical battle? Could go overs.</p> <h3>Live Betting</h3> <p>In-play markets let you bet during matches, with odds shifting based on score, momentum, and time. Live betting rewards punters who watch matches closely and can spot momentum swings before the bookies adjust. A player down a break but hitting cleaner? Their price might be inflated. Live markets include next game winner, next set winner, and updated match winner odds.</p> <h2>Men's Singles: What We Know So Far</h2> <p>Jannik Sinner enters as the defending champion after beating Alexander Zverev in straight sets in the 2025 final. That was his second consecutive Australian Open title, and he'll be looking to become only the second man in the Open Era to win three straight in Melbourne.</p> <p>Novak Djokovic achieved that feat from 2011 to 2013 and has won the tournament a record 10 times overall. For a deeper look at potential matchups once the bracket is released, check our <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/huddle/australian-open/predictions/mens-draw-2026">2026 men's draw predictions</a>.</p> <p>Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have dominated the Grand Slam circuit recently, splitting the four majors between them in 2024 and 2025.</p> <p>Their rivalry is the main storyline heading into Melbourne, though both have had mixed results at this tournament historically. Alcaraz has yet to reach an Australian Open final, while Sinner has made Melbourne Park something of a fortress.</p> <p>Djokovic remains a genuine threat despite turning 37. His record at Melbourne Park is unmatched, and he's still chasing a 25th Grand Slam title to break the all-time record.</p> <p>Daniil Medvedev has been the bridesmaid multiple times, reaching three Australian Open finals in four years without winning any of them. Alexander Zverev continues to search for his first major title after falling short in the 2025 final.</p> <p>Local interest always spikes at Melbourne Park. Alex de Minaur carries Australian hopes as the highest-ranked home player, while <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/huddle/australian-open/news/nick-kyrgios-in-doubt">Nick Kyrgios' participation remains uncertain</a> heading into the tournament.</p> <p>The Melbourne crowd gets behind Aussie players like few other venues, and that home support has been known to push locals to unexpected results.</p> <h2>Women's Singles: What We Know So Far</h2> <p>Madison Keys pulled off a genuine upset in 2025, beating Aryna Sabalenka in the final to claim her first Grand Slam title.</p> <p>That result denied Sabalenka a three-peat in Melbourne. The last woman to win three consecutive Australian Opens was Martina Hingis from 1997 to 1999. For more on the tournament's historical dominance, see our breakdown of <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/huddle/australian-open/news/most-womens-titles-of-all-time">the most women's Australian Open titles of all time</a>.</p> <p>Sabalenka enters 2026 as the favourite despite the loss. Her record at Melbourne Park over the past three years is exceptional, and the hard court surface suits her aggressive game.</p> <p>Iga Swiatek has struggled to replicate her clay court dominance on the Australian hardcourts, though she remains a genuine contender at any major. Coco Gauff continues to improve and could make a deep run if the draw falls kindly.</p> <p>Keys defending her title would be a story, but she'll face different pressure as champion rather than challenger. The women's draw tends to be more volatile than the men's, with upsets more common in the early rounds. That volatility creates both risk and opportunity for bettors.</p> <h2>Historical Betting Trends</h2> <p>Looking at the past decade of Australian Open results reveals some patterns worth knowing.</p> <p>Underdogs win about 25% of matches across the first three rounds. That's roughly one in four, so backing every favourite isn't a guaranteed strategy.</p> <p>The upset rate stays consistent through the second and third rounds before dropping sharply in the knockout stages. Men's semifinals see underdogs win only about 5.6% of the time, suggesting the cream rises to the top.</p> <p>In women's matches, 69% finish in straight sets over the past 10 years. Rounds one and two both see straight-sets finishes above 69%, dropping to 63% in round three and 61% in round four.</p> <p>For men, only 46% of matches finish 3-0, with round three actually having the highest straight-sets rate at 51%. The third set of a women's match and the fourth or fifth set of a men's match often see the underdog fight back.</p> <p>Early rounds offer the best underdog value because the draw hasn't been tested yet. A qualifier or unseeded player fresh off a good lead-up tournament can cause problems for seeds still finding their rhythm. By the second week, the survivors have proven themselves and upsets become rarer.</p> <h2>Tips for Betting on the Australian Open</h2> <p>The Australian summer heat is a genuine factor. Melbourne can hit 40°C during the tournament, and the Extreme Heat Policy kicks in when conditions become dangerous.</p> <p>At level 4 on the Heat Stress Scale, players get extended breaks between sets. At level 5, play on outside courts stops entirely, and the roof can close on show courts.</p> <p>Heat tends to favour fitter players and those who handle humidity well. Europeans who've spent their off-season in cooler climates sometimes struggle early.</p> <p>Watch the lead-up tournaments. Brisbane, Adelaide, and the United Cup give clues about player form heading into Melbourne.</p> <p>A player who scraped through qualifying in Brisbane might be finding their feet, while someone who dominated a warm-up event could carry that confidence forward. Equally, a deep run in the lead-up might leave a player fatigued for the main event.</p> <p>Live betting is where the Australian Open shines. Matches are scheduled predictably, day and night sessions have set start times, and the broadcast coverage is comprehensive.</p> <p>You can watch the match unfold and bet accordingly. A player cramping in the fourth set? Their live odds might not reflect how cooked they are. A big server who's just lost their rhythm? Their price to win the next set could be value.</p> <p>First-round matches on outside courts can produce surprises. The atmosphere is different without a stadium crowd, and conditions vary more without the roof protection.</p> <p>Seeds sometimes struggle to find their intensity against unknown qualifiers on Court 6 at noon. If you're looking for upsets, that's where to start.</p> <h2>Australian Open Betting FAQs</h2> <h3>When does the 2026 Australian Open start?</h3> <p>The main draw begins on Sunday 18 January 2026 and runs until Sunday 1 February. Opening Week, including qualifying and charity events, starts on Monday 12 January.</p> <h3>Who are the defending champions?</h3> <p>Jannik Sinner won the men's singles in 2025, his second consecutive Australian Open title. Madison Keys won the women's singles, her first Grand Slam title.</p> <h3>What surface is the Australian Open played on?</h3> <p>Melbourne Park uses GreenSet, a cushioned acrylic hardcourt rated as 'Medium Fast' by the ITF. The surface has been in use since 2020.</p> <h3>How can I watch the Australian Open in Australia?</h3> <p>Nine broadcasts the tournament free-to-air on Channel 9, 9Go, and 9Gem. Streaming is available free on 9Now. Stan Sport offers every match live and on demand for subscribers.</p> <h3>What happens if it gets too hot?</h3> <p>The Australian Open uses a Heat Stress Scale from 1 to 5. At level 4, players get extended breaks between sets. At level 5, play on outside courts is suspended and roofs can close on the main stadiums.</p>