The main draw of the 2026 Australian Open begins on January 17 and runs through February 1. Does the first Grand Slam of the tennis year always fall a bit too early? Maybe. Players should be able to warm up a bit more for the major, just as fans should get used to the new season a bit before the big tournaments begin.
Still, no matter if the event falls sooner rather than later, fans know they are going to see some great tennis. Maybe this will be the year Carlos Alcaraz actually wins the major. He has gotten too used to seeing his greatest rival, Jannik Sinner, take home the trophy. Sinner just seems more ready for the new year than Alcaraz.
To be fair, though, the Italian is still likely the more consistently great hard-court player than the Spaniard. At least the Grand Slam is outdoors. On an indoor court, Sinner is nearly unbeatable. (Alcaraz should hope for sunny weather, however, as the three main courts at the Australian Open all have retractable roofs.)
How much money does a player earn (and how many ranking points) by playing in the 2026 Australian Open?
On the WTA side, the assumption is that Aryna Sabalenka will make a deep run in the tournament and probably be the favorite to win. She tends to make tournaments down under her own. She lost in the final last year to Madison Keys, but that was quite stunning.
The Belarusian simply doesn't lose much in Australia. She could use the win, too, as she will want to keep the point difference between her and No. 2 Iga Swiatek fairly wide. Should Sabalenka win the Australian Open in 2026, she will pick up 700 points, as she was only a finalist in 2025.
But how many points will a player pick up per round, and how much will they make? The money will be the same for men and women, but the points per round are slightly different until very late in the tournament.
Round | WTA | ATP | Money in US dollars | Money in Australian dollars |
|---|---|---|---|---|
First round | 10 | 10 | $100,918 | A$150,000 |
Second round | 70 | 50 | $151,378 | A$225,000 |
Third round | 130 | 100 | $220,507 | A$327,750 |
Fourth round | 240 | 200 | $322,939 | A$480,000 |
Quarterfinals | 430 | 400 | $504,593 | A$750,000 |
Semifinals | 780 | 800 | $840,989 | A$1,250,000 |
Final | 1,300 | 1,300 | $1,446,501 | A$2,150,000 |
Winner | 2,000 | 2,000 | $2,792,083 | A$4,150,000 |
The bottom line is professional tennis players participate in the sport in order to make a lot of money. By playing well at the Australian Open, players will do just that, no matter which country they live in.