After missing last year’s tournament when he was deported for being unvaccinated for Covid-19, Novak Djokovic beat Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece in straight sets to win his 22nd Grand Slam title. Aryna Sabalenka claimed her maiden major singles title by beating Elena Rybakina.
The 2023 Australian Open was a Grand Slam level tennis tournament held at Melbourne Park, from 16–29 January 2023.
It was the 111th edition of the Australian Open, the 55th in the Open Era, and the first major of the year. The tournament consisted of events for professional players in singles, doubles and mixed doubles. Junior and wheelchair players will competed in singles and doubles tournaments. As in previous years, the tournament’s main sponsor was Kia.
Novak Djokovic claimed the men’s singles title, his tenth Australian Open title and 22nd major title overall, tying Rafael Nadal’s all-time record. Djokovic was allowed to play this year despite remaining unvaccinated from COVID-19 after his three-year ban was lifted.
A year after Australia deported him over his refusal to be vaccinated against Covid-19, Djokovic reclaimed the Grand Slam title he has won more than any other, capturing a record 10th championship at the Australian Open by beating Stefanos Tsitsipas, 6-3, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5).
The ban was initially handed to him after he was deported in 2022, as Australia’s laws required foreigners to be vaccinated to enter the country when the tournament was played in 2022, but the ban was lifted as the vaccination requirement has been lifted. Nadal was the defending champion, but lost to Mackenzie McDonald in the second round.
Aryna Sabalenka won the women’s title, her first major singles title. Ashleigh Barty was the reigning champion in the women’s singles, but she retired from the sport in March 2022.
Sabalenka defeated Elena Rybakina in the final, 4–6, 6–3, 6–4 to win the women’s singles tennis title.
There is a total prize pot of AUD $76.5 million (around £43.3m) for the Australian Open 2023.
Spectators returned to full capacity for the first time since 2020, targeting to exceed 900,000 fans, after capacity restrictions in the last two events due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
With the elimination of world No. 1 Iga Świątek in the fourth round (defeated by 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina), this became the first edition of the Australian Open in the Open Era to feature neither of the top two singles seeds of either gender in the quarterfinals.
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