The 2025 tennis season has kicked into high gear with the Australian Open, the season’s first Grand Slam, starting this week.
Aryna Sabalenka is bidding for her third straight Australian Open women’s title, while Jannik Sinner is the men’s defending champion.
While the best players in the world have descended upon Melbourne for the major, their ‘cartoon characters’ have also returned to our screens. Like last year, fans have the option of watching select matches in an animated form.
MORE: Australian Open LIVE: Schedule, results, scores, updates for 2025 grand slam tennis tournament
The Sporting News is on hand to bring you all you need to know to ensure you don’t miss a minute of the action.
How to watch Australian Open 2025 animated
The Australian Open’s official YouTube channel will feature select matches in animated form for free throughout the tournament.
Played on virtual courts, the animation will mimic what is happening in real-time with human commentary describing the action.
Why are Australian Open 2025 players shown as cartoon characters?
Tennis Australia said the reasoning behind the unique animated format was to attract a newer generation of audiences and make the sport more family-friendly.
Additionally, the free-to-stream option provided by YouTube is to make sure that tennis fans that don’t have access to live TV broadcasts or streams can follow the action. A paid subscription is needed to watch the Australian Open in most regions.
How to watch the Australian Open 2025: TV channel, live stream
| Region | TV Channel | Live Stream |
| Australia | Channel 9, Channel 90, Channel 92, Channel 93 | 9now, Stan Sport |
| US | ESPN, Tennis Channel | Fubo, ESPN+ |
| UK | Eurosport | Discovery+, Eurosport website |
| Canada | TSN | TSN+ |
Australian Open 2025 schedule
The first round of matches at the Australian Open 2025 will get underway on Sunday, January 12. The tournament will conclude on Sunday, January 26.
| Date | Events |
| Sunday, January 12 | Men’s & Women’s 1st Round |
| Monday, January 13 | Men’s & Women’s 1st Round |
| Tuesday, January 14 | Men’s & Women’s 1st Round |
| Wednesday, January 15 | Men’s & Women’s 2nd Round |
| Thursday, January 16 | Men’s & Women’s 2nd Round |
| Friday, January 17 | Men’s & Women’s 3rd Round |
| Saturday, January 18 | Men’s & Women’s 3rd Round |
| Sunday, January 19 | Men’s & Women’s 4th Round |
| Monday, January 20 | Men’s & Women’s 4th Round |
| Tuesday, January 21 | Men’s & Women’s Quarterfinals |
| Wednesday, January 22 | Men’s & Women’s Quarterfinals |
| Thursday, January 23 | Women’s Semifinals |
| Friday, January 24 | Men’s Semifinals |
| Saturday, January 25 | Women’s Singles Final, Men’s Doubles Final |
| Sunday, January 26 | Women’s Doubles Final, Men’s Singles Final |
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