When does the 2021 Australian Open start? Dates, schedule, draw, odds and more before Grand Slam in Melbourne

Melbourne Park will host the first Grand Slam of the year, with a restricted crowd due to the coronavirus pandemic

The Australian Open is back (Getty Images)

The Australian Open is set to take place next month after a three-week postponement to allow players from all over the world to self-isolate upon arrival.

Melbourne Park will host the first Grand Slam of the year, with a restricted crowd due to the coronavirus pandemic.

There will also be a revised timetable of tournaments ahead of the Open, with two ATP 250s and the team-based ATP Cup all taking place in Melbourne the week before the Grand Slam.

Last year saw Novak Djokovic take the win over Dominic Thiem, while Sofia Kenin won her first Grand Slam singles title after three sets against Garbine Muguruza.

Joe Sailsbury and Rajeev Ram took the men’s doubles crown, as Timea Babos and Kristina Mladenovic won the female equivalent.

When is the tournament?

The 2021 Australian Open will get under way on Monday 8 February and finish with the men’s singles title on Sunday 21 February. It will be available to watch on Eurosport.

Who is playing?

Men’s Singles:

The men’s singles tournament will see some of the world’s best playing, including World No.1 and defending champion Novak Djokovic, World No.2 Rafael Nadal, 2020 US Open winner Dominic Thiem, Daniil Medvedev, Alexander Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Only Roger Federer will not be playing from the top 15 in the world.

Andy Murray had to pull out of the tournament after he tested positive for coronavirus, but the current British No.1 Dan Evans will be competing.

Women’s Singles:

World No.1 Ashleigh Barty leads the women’s singles tournament, alongside World No.2 Simona Halep, defending champion Sofia Kenin, 2020 US Open winner Naomi Osaka, Aryna Sabalenka, Elina Svitolina, and Karolina Pliskova.

Serena Williams will be looking for a record-tying 24th Grand Slam singles title by winning an eighth Australian Open, while 2020 French Open winner Iga Swiatek and two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka will also be taking part.

Current British No.1 Johanna Konta will be competing as 13th seed.

Kiki Bertens is the only player from the world’s top 15 to not compete due to a foot injury.

Men’s Doubles:

Colombian World No.1 and 2 doubles players Robert Farah and Juan Sebastian Cabal headline the men’s doubles tournaments, with no.4 and 7 Croatian duo, Mate Pavic and Nikola Mektic also competing. Pavic won last year’s US Open with Bruno Soares, who will be playing in this tournament with Jamie Murray.

The defending champions, Brit Joe Salisbury and American Rajeev Ram will be back with hopes to reclaim their title.

2020 French Open winners, German’s Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies will also be competing.

Women’s Doubles:

Timea Babos and Kristina Mladenovic will be hoping to defend their title from last year’s Australian Open. The duo went on to win the French Open later in the year.

Joining them will be World No.1 and no.2 Su-Wei Hsieh and Barbora Strycova, as well as 2019 US Open winners Elise Mertens and Aryna Sabalenka, Samantha Stosur and Zhang Shuai, Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova, and Gabriela Dabrowski and Bethanie Mattek-Sands.

When are the matches?

8 February – Men’s and women’s singles first round

9 February – Men’s and women’s singles first round

10 February – Men’s and women’s singles second round

11 February – Men’s and women’s singles second round

12 February – Men’s and women’s singles third round

13 February – Men’s and women’s singles third round

14 February – Men’s and women’s singles fourth round

15 February – Men’s and women’s singles fourth round

16 February – Men’s and women’s singles quarter-finals

17 February – Men’s and women’s singles quarter-finals

18 February – Women’s semi-finals and first men’s semi-final

19 February – Second men’s semi-final

20 February – Women’s final

21 February – Men’s final

Odds

Men’s Singles

Novak Djokovic – 11/8

Rafael Nadal – 23/4

Dominic Thiem – 5/1

Daniil Medvedev – 11/2

Women’s Singles

Ashleigh Barty – 10/1

Simona Halep – 11/1

Naomi Osaka – 11/2

Aryna Sabalenka – 9/1