Australian Open 2023: Schedule, scores, results, draw, how to watch, seeds, notable matches

The first Grand Slam of the tennis season is underway in Melbourne

By Isabel Gonzalez

Jan 28, 2023 at 7:42 am ET • 3 min read

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The end of the 2023 Australian Open is approaching with final stage officially set. This competition has already seen it all, from weather delays, late-night battles and shocking upsets. Players are competing for a record pool of $76.5 million in prize money, and there is no shortage of interesting storylines:

Novak Djokovic, who has won at Melbourne Park a record nine times, is just one Grand Slam title shy of tying Rafael Nadal's career record of 22 major titles. Djokovic was deported from Australia a year ago because of his unvaccinated COVID-19 status, but he is back in Melbourne after the country relaxed its vaccine restrictions. After a shaky start, he came out victorious in the semifinal round with a 7-5, 6-1, 6-2 result against American Tommy Paul.
Djokovic will take on Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final. Whoever wins could be world No. 1 in the next ATP rankings.
Tsitsipas battled it out with Karen Khachanov in the semifinals before punching his ticket to the final round with a 7-6 (7-2), 6-4, 6-7 (6-8), 3-6 victory. He has never won a Grand Slam before and this is the deepest run he's ever seen in the Australian Open.
Paul had reached the first major semifinal of his career and became just the fourth American man to make a Grand Slam semifinal since 2017. Although he couldn't take down Djokovic, the 25-year-old can brag about top wins over top opponents including Carlos Alcaraz, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Alexander Zverev.
Nadal, last year's Australian Open winner, was looking to defend his title as the No. 1 seed but fell to Mackenzie McDonald in the second round after he aggravated a hip injury during the second set. This was Nadal's earliest exit from a Grand Slam since the 2016 Australian Open. No. 2 seed Casper Ruud was also ousted in the second round as American Jenson Brooksby pulled off a 6-3 7-5 6-7 (4-7) 6-2 upset.

The men's competition is missing world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, who pulled out due to a right leg injury he sustained in training. Also missing will be Marin Cilic, a former finalist in Melbourne Park, due to an injury.

On the women's side, 24-year-old Aryna Sabalenka became the latest first-time Grand Slam winner with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Elena Rybakina. With the win Sabalenka became the second Belarusian player to win a major singles title, after two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka (2012, 2013). The win puts Sabalenka's early 2023 season in dominant territory -- She's won 11 straight matches, and has only dropped one set all year. The win also moves her up to No. 2 in the world in the next WTA rankings, behind only Iga Swiatek.

Here is all you need to know about the 2023 Australian Open: