Tennis › Grand Slams › Australian Open › Schedule
Australian Open 2027 schedule: dates, rounds and finals
In short
The Australian Open 2027 runs from 11 to 31 January, with qualifying through 16 January and the main draw starting Sunday 17 January. 128 players per draw compete in a single-elimination format: men best-of-5, women best-of-3. Hardcourt is the medium-paced surface, and Rod Laver Arena and Margaret Court Arena both have a roof against rain and the Extreme Heat Policy.
Australian Open 2027 tournament dates
The Australian Open 2027 is planned from Monday 11 January to Saturday 31 January 2027, at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia. Like the US Open, the tournament is played on hardcourt, and it opens the professional tennis calendar year.
The opening week runs from 11 to 16 January 2027, with qualifying rounds for players not directly seeded into the main draw. The main draw itself begins on Sunday 17 January 2027.
The women's final is scheduled for Saturday 30 January, and the men's final for Sunday 31 January 2027. This schedule splits the two weeks of play so the finals always fall on a fixed day, which makes planning easier for players and spectators alike.
These are planned dates; official confirmations and any small shifts will follow closer to the tournament. For the most up-to-date schedule, check the official Australian Open website.
Structure and round-by-round format
The Australian Open follows the classic Grand Slam format: 128 entrants per draw in the main tournament, all in a single-elimination format. Lose your first match and you're out, with no second chance in the main draw.
Men play best-of-5 sets, meaning whoever wins three sets first goes through. Women play best-of-3 sets. That difference in set format means men's matches generally run longer than women's matches, even between the same players on the same surface. On Melbourne's hardcourt, men's matches can easily run three to four hours, while women's matches typically last between an hour and a half and two and a half hours.
For the exact order of play, meaning which court and what time, check the official website close to and during the tournament, as well as the live tennis page, where you'll find the court schedule and the day's progress.
The starting point of the tennis season
The Australian Open is the first Grand Slam of the professional tennis calendar year. Many top players launch their season here, giving an early read on who's in form and who's still building after the winter break.
For players who've already competed in smaller warm-up events in early January, the Australian Open is usually the season's first major challenge. For fans too, it's a first test of form and favourites for the year.
This seasonal rhythm differs from Roland Garros (May-June, on clay), Wimbledon (June-July, mid-season) and the US Open (August-September, after the grass season). The Australian Open therefore occupies a unique spot on the calendar: it's the first real look at what that tennis year has in store.
Hardcourt versus clay and grass
The Australian Open is played on hardcourt, a medium-paced surface. In terms of speed, hardcourt sits between clay (the slowest Grand Slam surface, at Roland Garros) and grass (the fastest, at Wimbledon).
On hardcourt, the ball bounces consistently and relatively high. That supports both solid baseline play and more aggressive net attacks. Players don't have to adapt their style as drastically as on more extreme surfaces: a strong clay-courter still holds an edge on hardcourt, and players who prefer an attacking game find opportunities there too.
| Aspect | Hardcourt (Australian Open) | Clay (Roland Garros) |
|---|---|---|
| Bounce | Consistent, moderately high | High and slower |
| Speed | Medium, between clay and grass | Slowest Grand Slam surface |
| Favours | A wide range of playing styles | Baseline players |
Compare that with Roland Garros on clay, where the ball bounces high and points run much longer, favouring baseline players. Or with Wimbledon on grass, where the ball stays low and fast serves and net play dominate. Hardcourt sits in between: predictable enough, without favouring one particular playing style too strongly. That's what makes the Australian Open interesting to watch: you see different playing styles thrive on the same surface, which adds variety to the tournament.
Rod Laver Arena and the heat policy
The prestigious Rod Laver Arena is the Australian Open's main court and has had a retractable roof since it opened in 1988, helping the tournament deal better with rain and extreme temperatures. Margaret Court Arena has also had a roof since 2015.
Those roofs aren't just useful for rain: Melbourne can see extreme heat in January, sometimes above 40 degrees Celsius. The tournament therefore runs what's known as an Extreme Heat Policy. That policy can pause, delay or adjust play if temperature and humidity cross a certain threshold, to protect players, officials and spectators.
This heat policy makes the Australian Open unique among the Grand Slams in terms of official precautions against heat. The roofs at Rod Laver Arena and Margaret Court Arena help limit that risk, but heat breaks can still be needed on the uncovered courts.
Qualifying and building up to the tournament
Qualifying tournament
Held the week before the opening week, for players who don't gain direct entry to the main draw through their ranking.
Warm-up events
Late December and early January, often in Australia or New Zealand, to adjust to the time difference and the hot, dry conditions.
Alongside the 128 directly seeded players per draw, a separate qualifying tournament is played the week before the opening week. Players who don't gain direct entry through their ranking can still earn a spot in the main draw through qualifying. Players who come through qualifying often start the main tournament with less rest than the directly seeded players, but those runs regularly produce surprising names in the first round.
The Napoleon Sports app
Follow the Australian Open schedule on the go with the Napoleon Sports app: check the day's order of play and browse the tennis betting markets from your smartphone. Available features and markets may vary by device or app version.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Australian Open 2027?
The Australian Open 2027 runs from Monday 11 January to Saturday 31 January 2027. The main draw begins on Sunday 17 January. These are planned dates; confirmations and any small shifts will follow closer to the tournament.
How many players compete in the main draw?
128 players per draw. It's a single-elimination tournament: lose your match and you're out.
When are the finals?
The women's final is scheduled for Saturday 30 January 2027, the men's final for Sunday 31 January 2027.
Why do men's matches last longer than women's matches?
Men play best-of-5 sets, women play best-of-3 sets. On Melbourne's hardcourt, that creates a clear difference in match length.
Why is hardcourt faster than clay but slower than grass?
Ball bounce determines the speed. On hardcourt, the ball bounces consistently and at a moderate height: not as low as on grass, but not as high as on clay. That makes hardcourt suited to a range of playing styles.
What is the Extreme Heat Policy?
A policy that can pause or delay play if temperature and humidity get too high. Melbourne can see extreme heat in January; the policy protects players and spectators from health risks.
Do all Australian Open courts have a roof?
No, only Rod Laver Arena and Margaret Court Arena have a roof. The other courts are open-air, so rain can still cause small delays there.