The Australian Open will kick off Sony Sports Network’s Grand Slam calendar in 2023, with top and rising tennis stars competing for the coveted title.

The Australian Open is the first of three Grand Slams that will be live televised on Sony Sports Network in 2023, followed by Roland Garros and the US Open.

The Australian Open will be broadcast live on Sony Sports Ten 5 and Sony Sports Ten 2 channels with English commentary and Sony Sports Ten 3 channels with Hindi commentary from January 16 to 29, 2023. The Grand Slam will also be streamed live on SonyLiv.

Hyundai Ionic 5 and Samsonite have joined the network as co-presenting sponsors, and Panasonic has joined as an associate sponsor for the Australian Open 2023.

‘Extraaa Serve,’ Sony Sports Network’s flagship live tennis studio show, will return for the tournament. Hosted by Arpit Sharma, Extraaa Serve will feature Olympian, Commonwealth Games Gold Medalist, and Former No. 1 India Tennis Player, Somdev Devvarman, former tennis player Gaurav Natekar and Davis Cup player Purav Raja. In addition to this, the Hindi commentary for the tournament will be provided by Gaurav Natekar, Manish Batavia, and Atish Thukral.

As per a press release, the men’s singles draw will feature top-seeded players such as the returning Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Daniil Medvedev, and Stefanos Tsitsipas. In the women’s singles, World No. 1 Iga Witek will enter the tournament as the favorite, but she will be up against strong competition from Ons Jabeur, Jessica Pegula, and Caroline Garcia.

Young players like Casper Ruud, Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Holger Rune, among others, will also look to make their mark on the court. However, the cynosure of all eyes will be India’s very own Sania Mirza, who will team up with Anna Danilina in her final appearance at the Australian Open before retiring.

In the run-up to the tournament, Sony Sports Network launched the ‘#SlamOfTheGreats’ campaign, which pays tribute to the ‘Greats of Tennis in this Era,’ such as Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams, Ashleigh Barty, and other tennis legends, while also highlighting the rise of a new young crop of tennis stars vying to leave their mark on the tournament on their path to greatness.

With the retirement of Federer and Barty, the Australian Open in 2023 will usher in a new era that will see the rise of players such as Daniil Medvedev, Iga Witek, Nick Kyrgios, and others.

Rajesh Kaul, Chief Revenue Officer, Distribution and Head – Sports Business, Sony Pictures Networks India, said, “Sony Sports Network is the home of tennis in India and the Australian Open is the first of three Grand Slams along with Roland Garros and US Open that will be live telecast through the year on Sony Sports Network. Over the years the Australian Open has consistently been the most-watched tennis Grand Slam in India with almost 23 million viewers tuning in to watch our TV coverage of the tournament in 2022. Roland Garros and US Open have also experienced dramatic growth in viewership after moving to Sony Sports Network. We have roped in Hyundai Ionic 5. and Samsonite as co-presenting sponsors and Panasonic as an associate sponsor for Australian Open 2023. This is a testament to our coverage of sports properties and positions us as the premier destination for tennis viewing In India.”