Australian Open 2025: Sinner, Sabalenka Face Challenges

The Australian Open 2025 is set to kick off on January 12th, with several key storylines to watch out for, including Jannik Sinner's title defense amidst a doping row and Aryna Sabalenka's bid for a record-breaking third consecutive title.

Jannik Sinner, the men's world number one, is facing a doping row that could impact his title defense, despite his dominance in 2024, which earned him seven titles, including the US Open and ATP Finals. Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic, seeded seventh, is looking to win a record-extending 11th title, which would move him clear of Margaret Court as the sole leader of all-time Grand Slam singles titles. Other notable players, such as Emma Raducanu and Nick Kyrgios, are also set to make their mark in the tournament, with Raducanu seeking to kick on from a difficult year and Kyrgios making his Grand Slam return after a two-year layoff due to injuries.

Aryna Sabalenka, the women's world number one, aims to win a record-breaking third consecutive title, having won 27 of her last 28 matches in Australia. The tournament will be played on outdoor hard courts at Melbourne Park, with retractable roofs on the three largest courts, and will run for 15 days, with the singles schedule running from January 12-26. The total prize money is 96.5 million Australian dollars (approximately $60 million), with the singles champions receiving 3.5 million Australian dollars (approximately $2.15 million).

The Australian Open 2025 is expected to be an exciting tournament, with many top players competing for the top prize. Fans can watch the tournament on ESPN and Tennis Channel in the US, or stream it on various platforms in other countries. With the draw set to take place on Thursday in Australia, fans are eagerly anticipating the start of the tournament on Sunday morning in Australia, which is Saturday night in New York.