The first week of the season was men’s tennis cast in miniature. In fact, it illuminated wealth inequality more broadly. The billionaire class—Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner—flew to a lavish exhibition. They batted around balls, smiling throughout. They collected seven-figure checks. And then they shared a private plane to Melbourne.

Andy Roddick is the most recent American to win a slam slam title on the men's side when he captured the 2003 US Open. Since, tennis has been dominated by three of the best players in history, including Novak Djokovic, who will appear in the Australian Open along with the emergence of Sinner and Alcaraz.

The field is set for the 2026 Australian Open, and everyone is chasing Jannik SInner on the men's side after a dominating tournament win a year ago. The Italian phenom enters this year's tennis competition as the second seed while his Spanish counterpart Carlos Alcaraz occupies the top spot.

Jannik Sinner and Madison Keys begin their Australian Open title defences from Sunday - and you can follow it across the BBC.

Check out the American’s possible path to a maiden title, AO seeded players, live streaming info, and everything you need to know about the Grand Slam

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Get ready for the 2026 Australian Open with a guide that tells you everything you need to know about how to watch the first Grand Slam tennis tournament of the season on TV, who the defending champions are, what the schedule is and more:

The Australian Open’s One-Point Slam marked an overwhelming success. In fact, people are now calling for it to be implemented across all Grand Slam events, such was the enjoyment experienced by fans and players alike.