The first round of the Australian Open men’s and women’s singles tournaments is underway in Melbourne after storms delayed play on the outside courts.

Aryna Sabalenka took to the opening night session on Rod Laver Arena and defeated Sloane Stephens 6-2 6-3 to begin her title defence with a strong performance.

Earlier, there were wins for last year’s runner-up Qinwen Zheng, Mirra Andreeva and Donna Vekic, while Casper Ruud and Arthur Fils also progressed.

Kei Nishikori won a five-set thriller to reach the second round at the age of 35, with World No 2 Alexander Zverev also in action later against Lucas Pouille.

Follow all the latest action from Melbourne Park below:

Australian Open first round LIVE

• The first round of the Australian Open is underway

• Storms disrupt play on outside courts on opening day

• Aryna Sabalenka up and running with 6-3 6-2 win over Sloane Stephens

• Alexander Zverev faces Lucas Pouille next on Rod Laver Arena

• Casper Ruud, Arthur Fils and Kei Nishikori battle through to second round

• Qinwen Zheng, Mirra Andreeva and Donna Vekic all secure wins

• Defeat for Sonay Kartal, the only British player in action on Sunday

Australian Open latest scores: Zverev vs Pouille

11:47 , Jamie Braidwood

The last thing Lucas Pouille could afford to do after losing the first set against Alexander Zverev was dropping his serve in the opening game.

But he did and from there Zverev serves it out to take a big step closer to the second round. It’s 6-4 6-4 to the World No 2 and second seed.

Elsewhere, Lebanese qualifier Hady Habib broke new ground for the strife-torn nation on Sunday as he beat China’s Bu Yunchaokete 7-6(4) 6-4 7-6(6) to reach the second round of the Australian Open.

The world number 219 became his country’s first player to win a men’s singles main draw match at a Grand Slam in the professional era and soaked up wild cheers from a rowdy crowd packing the small terraces on Melbourne Park’s Court 13.

With fans chanting his name, the Texas-born 26-year-old raised his racket at the crowd and held up a Lebanese flag after claiming the decisive tiebreak.

Reuters

Australian Open latest scores: Zverev vs Pouille

10:38 , Jamie Braidwood

Alexander Zverev, so strong behind his serve when it is firing, takes the opening set 6-4 againt France’s Lucas Pouille on Rod Laver Arena.

The Wold No 2 had to fight for that. Pouille put up some resistance late in the first set and saved four set points, but the big German found his serve to get over the line.

A defeated semi-finalist here last year, Zverev expects to be in contention again this month. He’s racing against the clock tonight, as he takes the first set at 9:30pm Melbourne time.

Aryna Sabalenka on ‘tough’ opening match against Sloane Stephens

10:00 , Jamie Braidwood

Aryna Sabalenka after beating Sloane Stephens 6-3 6-2:

“It was a tough match. They are always tough matches against her. I don’t feel like I played my best probably but I’m glad that I managed to close this match in straight sets.

“I’m super happy to be back. I love this place and we have a full stadium, I mean I couldn’t dream for more. Thank you so much for coming and supporting us. I really enjoy playing in front of you every time.”

Game, set and match! Aryna Sabalenka 6-3 6-2 Sloane Stephens

09:29 , Jamie Braidwood

Aryna Sabalenka’s winning run continues in Melbourne! Bidding for a third Australian Open title in a row, Sabalenka secures her 15th consecutive win at the tournament with a straight-sets victory over Sloane Stephens.

Sabalenka raced out of the blocks and although Stephens, a former US Open champion, had some moments, the Belarusian was too strong as the World No 1 secured a 6-2 6-3 win in just over an hour.

Sterner tests to come, but a good start for the defending champion.

Australian Open results: Defeat to Great Britain’s Sonay Kartal

09:12 , Jamie Braidwood

There was just one British player in action today but Sonay Kartal has gone down to Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro to taste defeat in the opening round.

After a one-sided opening set, Kartal battled back in the second but was edged out in a tiebreak as Bouzas Maneiro won 6-1 7-6 (7-5).

Bouzas Maneiro will now play the winner of the match currently on Rod Laver Arena, with Sabalenka breaking Stephens early to lead 3-1 in the second set.

Australian Open: Aryna Sabalenka vs Sloane Stephens

08:58 , Jamie Braidwood

Just as quickly as Stephens battled back, Sabalenka closes the door and takes the opening set 6-3 under the sunlight on Rod Laver Arena.

A wobble of concentration from Sabalenka, perhaps, but she gets the job done behind serve to take the first set in 38 minutes.

Australian Open: Aryna Sabalenka vs Sloane Stephens

08:44 , Jamie Braidwood

Well then. All of a sudden, Sabalenka gets a little ragged and Stephens finds some class and inspiration. The American breaks Sabalenka, holds her serve, and then breaks the defending champion again with some newfound confidence. Sabalenka’s lead has been cut to 4-3 in the opening set.

Where has this come from? Game on.

Australian Open: Aryna Sabalenka vs Sloane Stephens

08:34 , Jamie Braidwood

A ruthless start from Sabalenka, who dictates the points right from the start to cruise into a 4-0 lead in the first set. Stephens is unable to disrupt the rhythm of the defending champion, who has picked up where she left off last year.

Australian Open: Aryna Sabalenka vs Sloane Stephens

08:19 , Jamie Braidwood

Here we go. Aryna Sabalenka opens her bid of three Australian Open titles in a row against former US Open champion Sloane Stephens.

Overall, Sabalenka stands with a 27-1 combined record at the last four hard-court grand slams. Last year, she won a second Australian Open title without dropping a set and overcoming Jessica Pegula to win the US Open despite a near-wobble will only imbue the new World No 1 with more confidence as she looks to maintain her dominant form.

As she begins her bid for a three-peat, a feat not achieved at the Australian Open since Martina Hingis won three in a row between 1997 and 1999, it is the American Gauff who perhaps stands as her closest rival for the title. Here, opponent Stephens has not won match since last year’s Wimbledon.

Australian Open results: Casper Ruud

07:57 , Jamie Braidwood

Casper Ruud survived a scare to advance to the fifth round, after the Norwegian was taken to five sets by Spain’s Jaume Munar.

Ruud, the sixth seed, proved too strong in the deciding set to claim a 6-3 1-6 7-5 2-6 6-1 victory in three hours and 21 minutes.

Kei Nishikori fought his way to a brilliant win over Thiago Monteiro 4-6 6-7(4) 7-5 6-2 6-3, as the 35-year-old saved two match points in a thriller.

Nishikori, a four-time quarter-finalist at the Australian Open, has made an extraordinary comeback to tennis after struggles with injury.

Elsewhere, Arthur Fils came from a set down to beat Otto Virtanen 3-6 7-6(4) 6-4 6-4. The 20-year-old Frenchman, seeded 20th in the men’s draw, is up and running.

Australian Open results: Qinwen Zheng through to second round

07:52 , Jamie Braidwood

Olympic champion and last year’s runner-up Qinwen Zheng got her Australian Open campaign off to a winning start as champion defeated Romanian qualifier Anca Todoni 7-6(3) 6-1.

17-year-old 14th seed Mirra Andreeva became the first player to move into the second round after the teenager beat Czech Marie Bouzkova 6-3 6-3.

And elsewhere in the women’s draw, Croatian 18th seed Donna Vekic, runner-up at the Paris Olympics, defeated France’s Diane Parry 6-4 6-4.

Australian Open: Storms hit opening day

07:50 , Jamie Braidwood

Play was suspended for up to six hours on the opening day of the Australian Open due to torrential rain at Melbourne Park.

Play continued under closed roofs on the four showcourts and a fixture backlog is less likely after an extra day was added to the tournament last year.

There have been just six matches completed so far.

Can Iga Swiatek win the battle with herself?

07:45 , Chris Wilson

Iga Swiatek remains the undisputed queen of clay after winning her third French Open title in a row in 2024. However, the five-time major champion lost her position at World No 1 to Aryna Sabalenka and under-performed at the other grand slams, particularly on the hard courts at the Australian Open and US Open.

Since then, Swiatek’s turbulent off-season was dominated by her one-month suspension for a doping violation, but it also brought a change of coach. The Australian Open will see her work with Wim Fissette, a former coach of Naomi Osaka and Kim Clijsters, and the first test will be improving her record at Melbourne Park - where the Polish star has lost in the fourth and third round in the last two years.

The good news for Swiatek, though, is that the draw has been fairly kind and Coco Gauff has landed on the same side as Sabalenka, as well as Qinwen Zheng and Jessica Pegula. There was a time not too long ago where the 23-year-old Swiatek was the favourite for every tournament she entered. The dynamic is different now, which may suit her, but Swiatek is likely to face a battle with herself as much as those who stand in front of her.

Will there be a first-time men’s grand slam winner?

07:30 , Jamie Braidwood

The 2024 tennis season signalled the end of the ‘Big Three’ era. For the first time since 2002, none of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal won a grand slam, with Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz splitting the majors. While Djokovic’s performances in winning Olympic gold suggested he is not quite done yet, do Sinner and Alcaraz dominate the grand slams once again in 2025 - or will someone else get a look in at long last?

Alexander Zverev got even closer to a grand slam breakthrough last year, reaching the French Open final as well as the semi-finals of the Australian Open and quarter-finals of the US Open. If there is a first-time winner, the German’s consistency marks him as favourite among the non-grand slam champions, but the tough defeats continue to leave their mark: last year, Zverev was beaten by rival Daniil Medvedev from two sets up, and similarly blew the French Open final against Alcaraz. This year’s draw does him no favours, either.

Taylor Fritz, meanwhile, was impressive in his run to the US Open final, only for Sinner to find a different level. There is potential for a rematch in the semi-finals, and it will be a test of Fritz as the No 4 seed to see if he can reach that point. Three-time Australian Open finalist Daniil Medvedev struggled for form over the second half of last year and Fritz can display some authority against up-and-coming threats such as Ben Shelton and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. Sinner, though, is a different calibre.

Alcaraz makes first bid at career slam

07:15 , Chris Wilson

All eyes have been on the Australian Open ever since Alcaraz captured his first Roland Garros title at the French Open last June. In Melbourne, the 21-year-old Spaniard will have the first of three opportunities to break Rafael Nadal’s record and become the youngest man to achieve the career grand slam, a feat his legendary compatriot achieved at the age of 24.

Alcaraz is already the youngest man in history to win grand slams on the three different surfaces, and he added a second Wimbledon title to his French Open and US Open triumphs in July. The Australian Open is what is missing, with the opening grand slam of the year the tournament where Alcaraz has had the least success so far in his career.

Last year, Alcaraz went down to an inspired Alexander Zverev in the quarter-finals. This year, the draw puts him on a collision course with Novak Djokovic in the last eight, with Zverev a potential opponent in the semi-finals and Jannik Sinner on the other half of the draw. It’s as tough a draw as it gets, with even Britain’s Jack Draper a threat in the fourth round.

It’s safe to say a player of Alcaraz’s ability has a very good chance of winning the Australian Open at some point. But, with a new serving motion on display following the pre-season, that will invariably need some work, is it too early to shatter the career slam record?

Jack Draper ready to handle heat at Australian Open

06:30 , Chris Wilson

Jack Draper feels ready to handle the heat in Melbourne after a disrupted build-up to the Australian Open.

Expectations for the British number one have soared since his run to the semi-finals of the US Open last summer and he goes into the first grand slam of the new season as the 15th seed and a dark horse.

Draper was unable to start his season as planned at the United Cup because of a hip problem picked up in winter training, which also forced him to miss a week in Spain with Carlos Alcaraz.

Jack Draper ready to handle heat at Australian Open

Why Andy Murray walked away from retirement to face Novak Djokovic’s tantrums

06:00 , Chris Wilson

Andy Murray was on the golf course, again, content with his life away from tennis and telling his playing partner that he couldn’t think of “anything worse” than returning to the sport as a coach.

Then, within half an hour, Novak Djokovic was on the phone with an offer: Murray’s long-time rival, and the winner of 24 grand slam titles, was asking him for help, presenting the “unique opportunity” of joining his team for the Australian Open. Murray was shocked, but interested. Within weeks of retiring at the Paris Olympics, the pull of the game was too strong to resist.

With it, Murray and Djokovic’s reunion on the same side of the net has become the box-office draw ahead of the opening grand slam of the year. A combination that at first felt like an April Fools’ joke has become clearer as the Australian Open arrives.

Why Andy Murray walked away from retirement to face Novak Djokovic’s tantrums

When is Novak Djokovic playing at the Australian Open?

05:30 , Chris Wilson

Novak Djokovic returns to the Australian Open with coach Andy Murrayin his corner in what promises to be a fascinating partnership.

The 37-year-old Djokovic is a 10-time champion in Melbourne and is aiming to win both his 100th career title and 25th grand slam title this month. Victory on Rod Laver Arena would give him the outright singles record, ahead of Margaret Court.

And the Serbian made an eye-catching move to recruit the recently retired Murray to his team. The former World No 1 admitted that hecouldn’t think of “anything worse” than coaching before receiving the call from Djokovic and deciding the opportunity was too good to turn down.

When is Novak Djokovic playing at the Australian Open?

Australian Open 2025: Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have a real rivalry atop men's tennis

04:30 , Chris Wilson

When Carlos Alcaraz is on court for a training session, perhaps working on his newly revamped service motion, he’s doing so to buttress a game already good enough to claim four Grand Slam titles.

He’s also got his young rival, Jannik Sinner, in mind.

“The good thing for me is, when I’m seeing him winning titles, when I’m seeing him in the top of the ranking, it forces me to practice even harder every day. In practice, I’m just thinking (about) the things that I have to improve to play against him,” Alcaraz said Saturday, a day before the start of the Australian Open. “That, I think, is great for me: Having him (and) such a great rivalry, so far, just to (force me to) give (my best), every day.”

Australian Open 2025: Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have a real rivalry atop men's tennis

Aryna Sabalenka three-peat, Carlos Alcaraz ‘slam’ and Australian Open storylines

04:00 , Chris Wilson

The Australian Open returns with Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenkalooking to defend their titles and a number of other storylines to watch out for in the opening grand slam of the tennis season.

Novak Djokovic’s partnership with Andy Murray has dominated the headlines and will be a subject of focus in Melbourne as the Serbian bids for a record-extending 11th title.

World No 1 Sinner makes his first defence of a grand slam while Sabalenka bids for a third title in a row on Rod Laver Arena. But Carlos Alcaraz and Coco Gauff will be leading the challenge.

Aryna Sabalenka three-peat, Carlos Alcaraz ‘slam’ and Australian Open storylines

Australian Open prize money 2025: How much do players win round by round?

03:45 , Chris Wilson

The Australian Open singles champions will each take home £1.75m (AU$3.5m) in 2025 with the total prize money for the grand slam increasing by 12 per cent from last year.

Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka are the defending champions and stand as favourites among the 128-player fields for both the men’s and women’s singles competition.

The total prize pool including singles, doubles and mixed doubles now stands at around £48.5m (AU$96.5m).

There has also been an increase for the early rounds from last year, with players who reach the main draw earning £66,300 (AU$132,000)  even if they do not progress beyond the first round.

Australian Open prize money: How much do players win round by round?

Where can I watch the Australian Open?

03:30 , Chris Wilson

In the UK, the Australian Open will be broadcast live on Eurosport. Subscribers can also stream the action online on the Eurosport website or with the discovery+ app.

The tournament takes place every day from midnight UK time each day on the outside courts and 1am on the show courts, while night sessions will start at 8am.

If you want to stream major sporting events while you are travelling or watching from abroad you’ll need a VPN. Get the best VPN deals in the UK. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.

Australian Open start date, TV channel and how to watch online

03:00 , Chris Wilson

The Australian Open kicks off another tennis year with the opening grand slam of the season bursting with narrative.

Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka return as defending champions and both World No 1s will be favourites to defend their titles.

But the challengers will be up for the fight, as Carlos Alcaraz prepares for his first attempt at completing the career grand slam and Coco Gaufflooks to build on her impressive form and win a second major.

Much will be made of Novak Djokovic’s new partnership with Andy Murray, but the 10-time Australian Open champion faces a difficult draw as he is only seeded 7th for the tournament.

The British charge will be led by Jack Draper as looks to build on his run to the US Open semi-finals, while Emma Raducanu will attempt to take further steps from her Billie Jean King Cup performances.

Australian Open start date, TV channel and how to watch online

Australian Open intended order of play - Sunday 12 January

02:30 , Chris Wilson

Here’s the full schedule for the day, with some matches already underway (all times are in GMT):

Rod Laver Arena

12:30 AM GMT

Anca Todoni (ROU) vs. Qinwen Zheng (CHN) [5]

Not before 2:00 AM GMT

Casper Ruud (NOR) [6] vs. Jaume Munar (ESP)

From 8:00 AM GMT

Aryna Sabalenka [1] vs. Sloane Stephens (USA)

Lucas Pouille (FRA) vs. Alexander Zverev (GER) [2]

Margaret Court Arena

12:30 AM GMT

Otto Virtanen (FIN) vs. Arthur Fils (FRA) [20]

Diane Parry (FRA) vs. Donna Vekic (CRO) [18]

From 8:00 AM GMT

Jiri Lehecka (CZE) [24] vs. Li Tu (AUS)

Anna Blinkova vs. Daria Saville (AUS)

John Cain Arena

From 12:00 AM GMT

Marie Bouzkova (CZE) vs. Mirra Andreeva [14]

Kei Nishikori (JPN) vs. Thiago Monteiro (BRA)

From 5:00 AM GMT

Paula Badosa (ESP) [11] vs. Xinyu Wang (CHN)

Ugo Humbert (FRA) [14] vs. Matteo Gigante (ITA)

KIA Arena

From 12:00 AM GMT

Yuliia Starodubtseva (UKR) vs. Leylah Fernandez (CAN) [30]

Gauthier Onclin (BEL) vs. Reilly Opelka (USA)

Not before 3:30 AM GMT

Damir Dzumhur (BIH) vs. Aleksandar Vukic (AUS)

Nao Hibino (JPN) vs. Marta Kostyuk (UKR) [17]

1573 Arena

From 12:00 AM GMT

Bernarda Pera (USA) vs. Tatjana Maria (GER)

Clara Tauson (DEN) vs. Linda Noskova (CZE) [29]

Sumit Nagal (IND) vs. Tomas Machac (CZE) [26]

Court 3

From 12:00 AM GMT

Hugo Gaston (FRA) vs. Omar Jasika (AUS)

Adam Walton (AUS) vs. Quentin Halys (FRA)

Cristina Bucsa (ESP) vs. Chloe Paquet (FRA)

Not before 6:00 AM GMT

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova [27] vs. Yue Yuan (CHN)

Court 5

3:00 AM GMT

Sonay Kartal (GBR) vs. Jessica Bouzas Maneiro (ESP)

Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN) vs. Aziz Dougaz (TUN)

Court 6

12:00 AM GMT

Veronika Erjavec (SLO) vs. Suzan Lamens (NED)

Hady Habib (LBN) vs. Yunchaokete Bu (CHN)

Juncheng Shang (CHN) vs. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (ESP)

Court 7

2:00 AM GMT

Jaime Faria (POR) vs. Pavel Kotov

Jule Niemeier (GER) vs. Maja Chwalinska (POL)

Court 13

3:00 AM GMT

Tamara Zidansek (SLO) vs. Anastasia Potapova

Pedro Martinez (ESP) vs. Luciano Darderi (ITA)

Australian Open order of play and schedule

Australian Open first round LIVE

02:15 , Chris Wilson

Two-time Australian Open champion and World No 1 Aryna Sabalenkahighlights the opening day of play at Melbourne Park, as the tournament gets underway on a Sunday for the second time.

The Australian Open became a 15-day event last year with the stated aim of helping reduce the number of late finishes at the event - although there were still instances of matches running into the early hours.

Sabalenka faces former US Open winner Sloane Stephens in the first night session of the tournament, in a battle of grand slam champions. The Belarusian is the hot favourite to defend her title and is aiming to become the first player to win three women’s titles in a row since Martina Hingis in 1999.

Earlier, Olympic champion Qinwen Zheng faces Anca Todoni, with the Chinese player aiming to avenge her defeat to Sabalenka in last year’s final. Zheng and Sabalenka happen to be on a collision course for the quarter-finals this year.

On the men’s side, World No 2 Alexander Zverev and World No 2 Casper Ruud are in action - with both players among those out to finally win a grand slam after several near-misses.

There is just one British player in action on the opening Sunday: Sonay Kartal, who won her first WTA title last season to crack the world’s top 100 for the first time, is in action against Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.

Australian Open first round LIVE

02:00 , Chris Wilson

Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s coverage of the first round of the Australian Open in Melbourne.

Arthur Fils, Casper Ruud and Alexander Zverev are the big men’s names in action early on, with women’s champion Aryna Sabalenka starting her title defence at around 8am.

There’s plenty more going on too, with women’s fifth seed Qinwen Zheng also in action alongside Paula Badosa and Mirra Andreeva beforehand.