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The season's first Grand Slam is just around the corner, with the 2022 Australian Open set to be held from January 17-30. It will be the 110th edition of the tournament.
The build-up to the event has been overshadowed by a huge controversy, involving defending champion Novak Djokovic, who has been embroiled in a visa saga that has put his participation in doubt.
The tournament is also set to miss some of the biggest names in tennis. Roger Federer, Serena and Venus Williams, Stan Wawrinka, Bianca Andreescu and Karolina Pliskova are all not participating.
Despite their absence, there's plenty of star power at the tournament, with a number of intriguing storylines that could unfold over the next fortnight.
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Djokovic and Naomi Osaka are the defending champions. While the Serb has successfully defended his title in Australia and at other Slams as well, Osaka has yet to do the same.
If he plays, Djokovic will be engaged in a battle with Rafael Nadal to become the first male player to win 21 Grand Slam titles. Daniil Medvedev, who won the 2021 US Open, will attempt to be the first player, other than the "Big 3," to win back-to-back Grand Slam titles. Next Gen players like Alexander Zverev and Matteo Berrettini are also in contention.
On the women's side, Ashleigh Barty is the favorite to win the title. But will the Australian be able to handle the pressure of delivering in front of her home crowd? Veterans Simona Halep, Garbine Muguruza and Victoria Azarenka are also playing well and are in contention for the first Major crown of the 2022 season.
Anett Kontaveit, Maria Sakkari and Ons Jabeur are also in the mix, while there's also the possibility of someone having a fairytale run at the tournament like Emma Raducanu did at the US Open.
There's a lot to look forward to as the season's first Grand Slam closes in:
All you need to know about the 2022 Australian Open
Tournament: Australian Open 2022.
Category: Grand Slam.
Prize money: A$75,000,000.
Venue: Melbourne Park.
Dates: January 17-30, 2022.
Australian Open 2022 TV Schedule
Main draw action will begin from January 17. The men's and women's singles draws will be released on January 13. There will be a live broadcast of the same on the Australian Open website and Facebook page.
Australian Open 2022 Live stream details
Viewers from the following countries can catch all the action live on the respective channels and sites:
USA: For viewers in the USA, ESPN will broadcast all the matches.
Canada: Fans in Canada can watch the matches on TSN.
India: For fans in India, the matches will be broadcast live on Sony 6.
UK - UK viewers can follow the action on Eurosport.
For more information regarding the broadcast of the 2022 Australian Open, click here.
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