Any pro tennis player determined to win the four Grand Slams in a calendar year must start Down Under. As in Melbourne, site of the Australian Open, the sport’s first Grand Slam of the year.

The first round of play is set for Jan. 18-20 on the hardcourts at Rod Laver Arena.

(A player who wins all four Grand Slams in a calendar year would be elevated into rarefied air. Only Rod Laver, Margaret Court and Steffi Graf have pulled off that feat in the Open Era, when prize money was awarded for Grand Slams.)

This year, on the men’s side, Italy’s Jannik Sinner will be looking for his third consecutive title at the Australian Open, but his chief rival, Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz, will be the top seed.

On the women’s side, American Madison Keys arrives as the defending champion. But Aryna Sabalenka, seeking her third title in four years, will be the favorite and Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff contenders.

Not to look too far ahead, but Grand Slam play will continue with the French Open starting in May, Wimbledon starting to in June and the U.S. Open starting in August.

When is the Australian Open? Dates and schedule

• Jan. 18-20: Round 1
• Jan. 21-22: Round 2
• Jan. 23-24: Round 3
• Jan. 25-26: Round 4 (Round of 16)
• Jan. 27-28: Quarterfinals.
• Jan. 29: Women’s semifinals.
• Jan. 30: Men’s semi-finals
• Jan. 31: Women’s final
• Feb. 1: Men’s final

Australian Open Times

• Melbourne is 16 hours ahead of New York, creating some challenging viewing times. Matches are scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. local time (7 p.m. ET) and as late as 7:30 p.m. local time (3:30 a.m. ET).
• Start times for matches will be 11 a.m. (7 p.m. ET), noon (8 p.m. ET), 7 p.m. (3 a.m. ET) and 7:30 p.m. (3:30 a.m.)

How to watch the Australian Open

The Australian Open will be broadcast across ESPN and ESPN 2. You can also stream on Fubo, which offers a free trial for new users.