Things to do during AO Opening Week presented by Herald Sun

With official proceedings not kicking off until Sunday, there's still plenty to get up to this week at Melbourne Park.

See the greats play with heart when they come together in exhilarating charity matches, with proceeds supporting the Australian Tennis Foundation and their work inspiring brighter futures for kids through tennis. Plus, grab your little legends for the annual Kids Tennis Day at the Happy Slam on Saturday 13th!

Find Opening Week Tickets

AO Qualifying & Practice Matches

Be among the first to spot future legends as they take their shot at Grand Slam glory in the qualifying matches from January 8-11.

You can also get up close and personal with your favourites as they hone their skills during the practice matches from January 8-12 on the legendary Rod Laver Arena from 12:00-4:00pm. Check out the schedule here.

AO24 Charity Matches

Over the course of the week there will be a number of charity matches featuring some of the world’s biggest stars.

Fans of up-and-coming superstar Carlos Alcaraz will get to see him play off against local hero Alex De Minaur. De Minaur is fresh off a huge upset win over world no.1 Novak Djokovic and will be looking to continue that form as he heads into the Australian open. Then on the 12th, Alcaraz will be back to battle it out against Casper Ruud.

A night with Novak & friends

Join 24-time grand slam champion Novak Djokovic and friends for an unforgettable Charity match on the court. Djokovic will present a tennis celebration alongside world No. 6 and AO 2023 finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas. They will be joined by AO 2023 champion Aryna Sabalenka and world No. 8 Maria Sakkari. A number of other special surprise guests will join in the fun on the night.

All matches will commence at 6.30pm.

Kids Tennis Day

Kids of all ages are invited to dive into a world of tennis-filled fun and dream big. Bounce between high-octane arena shows, character meet and greets, hits of tennis on the Hot Shots Tennis courts, yummy food and drinks PLUS water adventure at the AO Ballpark presented by Emirates.