How is Australian Open different from other Grand Slams

As the first Grand Slam of the year, the Australian Open (AO) has its own history, feel, and pulse. Held in the Southern Hemisphere, far from the other three majors, it naturally feels different. That distance, both literal and cultural, is exactly what makes it special. The Australian Open is where players get their first chance each year to make a statement. This season, the spotlight is on Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek, who both need one more major to complete a career Grand Slam. Winning in Melbourne would not only complete their collection, but also put them on track for a rare calendar-year sweep. With both players in great form, the stakes feel higher than usual.

Why the Australian Open feels different

The biggest stage in tennis

The Australian Open is the most attended tennis tournament in the world. Over three weeks, Melbourne Park welcomes fans from across Australia and beyond. In 2025, a record 1,218,831 people came to watch. But it’s not just about tennis; fans also come for live music, popular food spots, interactive experiences, and the famous evening matches played in warm summer air. The event feels more like a festival than a tournament.

Roofs that beat the weather

Anyone from Melbourne knows how unpredictable the weather can be. A sunny morning can easily turn into a storm by the afternoon. Melbourne Park is built for this, and its three main stadiums, Rod Laver Arena, John Cain Arena, and Margaret Court Arena, all have retractable roofs.

With the help of these roofs, matches continue to play, no matter the conditions, allowing fans to keep watching even when it rains.

Wheelchair tennis

The Australian Open has long pushed the sport forward and is the first major to officially introduce wheelchair tennis in 2002 and the first to put wheelchair finals on the main show courts. That commitment grows again in 2025, with new international events in Brisbane, Sydney, and Adelaide contributing to the expanded 2026 Australian Wheelchair Tennis Summer Series.

Australian Open 2026: Prize money pool

Players at this month's Australian Open will be competing for a record prize pool, with organisers on Jan 6 announcing a 16 per cent increase in the total purse to AUS $111.5 million (US $75 million). The winners of the men's and women's singles at the first Grand Slam of the year will each take home AUS $4.15 million (US $2.79 million), up 19 per cent from last year's AUS $3.5 million.

The players beaten in the opening round will get AUS $150,000 (US $100,750), while even those knocked out in the first round of qualifying receive AUS $40,500 (US $27,200).