The 2022 Australian Open is on its way, friends. I know it was January 2021 five minutes ago, but somehow, Australia’s largest tennis event is fast-approaching once again, with athletes taking to the court in mere months.
If you’re hoping to follow along with the excitement of the 2022 Australian Open event, here’s everything you need to know.
Where can I watch Australian Open matches?
Hot wheels.@ashbarty ???????? #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/C3RBWdRO48
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) October 27, 2021
Channel Nine is your go-to venue for live Australian Open match broadcasting. The network will be airing matches across its platforms, with other major broadcasters reporting live on the events as they unfold.
Live tickets to Australian Open matches will be available for sale for those able to visit Melbourne for the event. COVID-safe restrictions will be put in place, and tickets will come with Booking Protection so folks don’t need to worry too much about being impacted by border closures and the like.
When is the Australian Open running?
The 2022 Australian Open is set to run from January 17 through to January 30.
What kind of prize money does the event see?
One element of the Australian Open that gets a lot of interest is the discussion of prize money. This varies, but according to Sporting News, the winning athletes won a $2.31 million prize each in 2021. 7 News reports the prize pool totals $80 million for the entire competition.
Here’s a breakdown of the prize money allocation from the Australian Open in 2020.
What else should I know?
Novak Djokovic and Naomi Osaka are the reigning champs from the 2021 Australian Open.
There is a chance, however, that the sporting lineup for the Australian Open may look a little different for 2022 as Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews confirmed no unvaccinated players would be permitted to attend.
“I’m not going to actually require people sitting in the grandstand, people working at the event to be vaccinated while players aren’t, so we’re not going to be applying for an exemption,” Andrews said.
This has led to questions regarding the attendance of players like Djokovic. As The Age reports, the tennis champ has said his vaccination status is “a private matter”.
“I’m going to decide on whether I go to Australia or not after I see the official statement from Tennis Australia,” Djokovic is quoted saying.
One thing we do know is that Aussie champ Ash Barty is keen to get an Australian Open win under her belt. Barty confirmed she respects the vaccination requirement, but also has no judgement for those who will not attend as a result.
“It’s personal to me. I had my vaccine in April, I had no issues. I was fit and healthy and I was doing that for the people around me and to make sure my family was safe. There’s no judgment from me.
“We know the team at the Australian Open will make good decisions and make sure the tournament is as safe as possible within the guidelines and the players that are here are going to do a fantastic job. I have to abide by the rules like everyone else,” Barty is quoted saying by The Age.
We’ll keep you posted as we hear more.
If you’d like to keep the sporting content going, you can find out how to watch the Super Bowl live in Australia through our little explainer here. And, here’s a useful recipe for Buffalo wings if you get hungry along the way.
This article has been updated to reflect the details of the 2022 Australian Open.