With just two days to go before the start of the Australian Open, things are heating up in Melbourne. Fans will be treated to more fascinating action on Friday, with Jannik Sinner and Roger Federer set to take to the court.
The draw for the Australian Open has been made, and there are some mouth-watering matches in store for fans over the next two weeks. Before that, let’s review the schedule for Friday, Jan. 16.
Australian Open Schedule For Friday, January 16
All the top seeds will be looking to shore up their skills as they hit the practice courts on Friday. Aryna Sabalenka, Jannik Sinner, Alex de Minaur, Venus Williams, and Elena Rybakina are among the players with scheduled practice sessions on Friday. The full practice schedule for Friday was shared by journalist Michal Samulski on X.
Friday practice sessions incl.#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/eZ8JbFMcec
— Michal Samulski (@MichalSamulski) January 15, 2026
In addition, fans will also get to see the legendary Roger Federer in action at Melbourne Park on Friday, with the Swiss maestro set to take part in a practice session with Casper Ruud. Limited seats are available to watch the 20-time Grand Slam champion live at the Rod Laver Arena.
The day’s action will end with Jannik Sinner and Felix Auger-Aliassime facing off in an exhibition match at the Rod Laver Arena, starting from 5:15 pm local time (1:15 am ET). This match will be followed by the Red Bull BassLine, a tie-break tournament played to the beat of an on-court DJ.
Nick Kyrgios, Taylor Fritz, Matteo Berrettini, and Flavio Cobolli are among the players who have signed on to take part in this event.
Australian Open Draw
The draw for the 2026 Australian Open was made on Thursday, and it served up some fascinating matches. Coco Gauff and Venus Williams are on a collision course in round two, with Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner on the same half of the draw.
Meanwhile, Carlos Alcaraz will begin his campaign against home favorite Adam Walton as he looks to secure his career Grand Slam. The Spaniard is in the same half as Alexander Zverev, who will face Gabriel Diallo in the first round.
Iga Świątek will face Yue Yuan in the first round, with a possible fourth round against Naomi Osaka awaiting her. Aryna Sabalenka will face Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah in the first round, with Emma Raducanu a possible third-round opponent.
Meanwhile, reigning women’s singles champion Madison Keys will begin her Australian Open campaign against Oleksandra Oliynykova.
