when does ao start

The Australian Open (AO) main draw starts on 18 January 2026 and runs until 1 February 2026.

Key dates

• Main tournament window: 18 January 2026 to 1 February 2026, held at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia.

• Opening/qualifying week: Event “Opening Week” activity at Melbourne Park begins around 12 January 2026, with qualifying and fan events leading into the main draw.

• Finals: Women’s singles final is scheduled for 31 January 2026, and the men’s singles final for 1 February 2026.

Quick scoop style recap

• If the question is “when does AO start?” in a TV-guide sense, the main draw tennis action starts on 18 January 2026.

• If you care about being on site early , fan events and qualifying pick up from around 12 January 2026 as part of Opening Week at Melbourne Park.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.