The Australian Open starts Sunday, the first major tournament on the calendar and the unofficial kickoff for the 2025 tennis season. Let the bright sun and electric blue courts of Melbourne transport you to the other side of the world,

Novak Djokovic claimed today that he was “poisoned” by lead and mercury in his food during his troubled and brief stay in Melbourne in 2022 before he was deported on the eve of the The former world number one had his visa cancelled and was eventually kicked out of the country over his refusal to be vaccinated against Covid.

Australian Open begins January 12 in Melbourne, and the draws for the men’s and women’s singles are intriguing — and have thrown up some blockbuster first-round matches. The Athletic’s tennis writers,