Australian Open 2024 draw: When and where to follow

We are just days away from the season's first Grand Slam, the Australian Open 2024, which is set to be held at Melbourne Park from January 14-28. This is an historic edition of the Happy Slam; for the first time ever, it will have a Sunday start.

The Australian Open is now the second Major, after the French Open, to be held for 15 days.

Tennis fans are eagerly waiting for the draw to be unveiled, which is set to be announced on Thursday, January 11, at 3 pm local time (4 am GMT, 9.30 am IST on January 11; 11 pm ET on January 10).

The draw is expected to be revealed on the tournament's official YouTube (Australian Open TV) as well as on their Facebook page. Live updates of the draw will also be available on the tournament's social media handles.

All eyes will be on Rafael Nadal, a winner at the Australian Open in 2009 and 2022. The Spaniard's last Slam appearance was right here, at the 2023 Australian Open, where he lost to Mackenzie McDonald in the second round. He subsequently underwent an arthroscopic hip surgery that kept him out of action for the remainder of the 2023 season.

Nadal made his highly awaited comeback at this week's Brisbane International, reaching the quarterfinals. But in his three-set loss to Jordan Thompson, where he squandered three match points, the southpaw felt a sensation at the same place in his left hip where he went under the knife.

It now remains to be seen if the 37-year-old manages to regain full fitness ahead of the Major Down Under.

Aside from Nadal, there's plenty of star power to keep fans glued to their television screens over the course of the 15 days.

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Novak Djokovic & Iga Swiatek headline Australian Open 2024 entry lists

Iga Swiatek is eyeing her maiden Australian Open title.

The two reigning world No. 1s, Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek, lead the Australian Open 2024 entry lists.

The Melbourne Slam is a happy hunting ground for Djokovic. The Serb claimed a record 10th crown Down Under last year with a straight-sets win over Stefanos Tsitsipas. Although he suffered a wrist injury en route to his surprise loss to Alex de Minaur at the United Cup earlier this week, Djokovic is expected to bounce back by the time the Melbourne Slam arrives.

Iga Swiatek's best performance here, meanwhile, is a semifinal run in 2022. The 22-year-old has made a fantastic start to the new year, leading Team Poland to the United Cup final, and would be keen to build on it.

She, however, needs to be wary of defending women's singles champion Aryna Sabalenka and newly crowned Brisbane International winner Elena Rybakina. The two were the Pole's biggest competitors last year and will be hungry for more success.

US Open champion Coco Gauff is also a force to reckon with. The youngster made a dream start to the 2024 season by successfully defending her Auckland title, and will be looking to carry the momentum into the Melbourne Slam.

Former champions Naomi Osaka and Angelique Kerber, both of whom are using protected rankings, will be hoping to shake up the draw too.

As for the men's side, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, Jannik Sinner, Casper Ruud, Holger Rune, and Tsitsipas are some of the other names who could create fireworks.

The 2024 Australian Open entry lists can be found here.