Australian Open 2016 TV Schedule: Day-by-Day Listings for Entire Tournament
The 2016 Australian Open begins on Monday with a talented field led by the two defending champions, Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams.
It's Djokovic's world, and everyone else is playing in it when it comes to this tournament. He is the defending champion, and a championship win would be his fifth in Melbourne in the past six years.
Williams is looking to win back-to-back Australian Open titles for the second time in her career after winning three Grand Slam championships in 2015.
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The tournament begins on Monday and concludes with the women's final on Jan. 30 and the men's final on Jan. 31.
Here's a look at the complete TV schedule, as well as a quick rundown of what to watch for on both draws.
| 7 p.m.- 7 a.m. | First round | ESPN2 | |
| 7 p.m.-9 p.m. | First round | Tennis Channel | |
| 9 p.m.-7 a.m. | First Round | ESPN2 | |
| 7 p.m.-9 p.m. | Second Round | Tennis Channel | |
| 9 p.m.-7 a.m. | Second Round | ESPN2 | |
| 7 p.m.- 9 p.m. | Second Round | Tennis Channel | |
| 9 p.m.-7 a.m. | Second Round | ESPN2 | |
| 7 p.m.-11 p.m. | Third Round | Tennis Channel | |
| 11 p.m.-7 a.m. | Third Round | ESPN2 | |
| 7 p.m.- 9 p.m. | Third Round | Tennis Channel | |
| 9 p.m.-7 a.m. | Third Round | ESPN2 | |
| 7 p.m.-9 p.m. | Round of 16 | Tennis Channel | |
| 9 p.m.-2 a.m. | Round of 16 | ESPN2 | |
| 3 a.m.-7 a.m. | Round of 16 | ESPN2 | |
| 7 p.m.-9 p.m. | Round of 16 | Tennis Channel | |
| 9 p.m.-2 a.m. | Round of 16 | ESPN2 | |
| 3 a.m.-6:30 a.m. | Round of 16 | ESPN2 | |
| 7 p.m.-10 p.m. | Quarterfinals | Tennis Channel | |
| 9 p.m.-2 a.m. | Quarterfinals | ESPN2 | |
| 3 a.m.-6 a.m. | Quarterfinals | ESPN2 | |
| 7 p.m.-10:30 p.m. | Quarterfinals | Tennis Channel | |
| 9 p.m.-2 a.m. | Quarterfinals | ESPN2 | |
| 3:30 a.m.-6 a.m. | Quarterfinals | ESPN2 | |
| 7 p.m.-11 p.m. | Quarterfinals | Tennis Channel | |
| 9:30 p.m.-2 a.m. | Women’s semifinals | ESPN2 | |
| 3:30 a.m.-6 a.m. | Men’s semifinal | ESPN | |
| 3:30 a.m.-6 a.m. | Men’s semifinal | ESPN | |
| 3 a.m.-5:30 a.m. | Women’s championship | ESPN | |
| 3 a.m.-6:30 a.m. | Men’s championship | ESPN |
Men's Tournament: What to Watch For
The Defending Champ: Djokovic. After an 82-6 season in 2015 and a hot start to 2016, Djokovic looks to defend the title he picked up by knocking off Andy Murray last year, 7-6 (7-5), 6-7 (4-7), 6-3, 6-0.
The Favorite: Djokovic. Do you see the recurring theme here? The defending champion stands at -150 to win a second straight Open, per Odds Shark. Next in line—but far behind—is Murray at +500.
The Sleeper: Murray. So this isn't really going out on a limb considering he's played in four Australian Open finals, but he's also yet to win one. At 28—the same age as Djokovic—it's not like he's over the hill. He's experienced and knows what it takes to get to the finals, according to the Australian Open official Twitter account:
Of course as the No. 2 seed, if he does get there, it means a likely date with Djokovic for the fourth time with the championship on the line.
The Rising Star: Chung Hyeon. The No. 51 player in the world got a tough draw with Djokovic, but there is no doubt he is seen as an up-and-comer on the tour. He is just the second South Korean to rank in the ATP top 100, per Leigh Walsh of Wimbledon.com.
It will be interesting to see how the 19-year-old competes against someone he idolizes, per Walsh.
"I look up to Djokovic because his play is fantastic and he is very strong mentally," Chung said.
The Winner: While it might be good for TV ratings for someone to take down Djokovic, it would be crazy at this point to pick against the player who is clearly the best in his sport. He hasn't lost a set in five matches this season and is comfortable playing here. He might get pushed, but this is his tournament to lose.
Women's Tournament: What to Watch For
The Defending Champ: Williams. A win this year would be the seventh in 14 years for the 34-year-old.
The Favorite: It's Williams again. Odds Shark lists both defending champions as the respective favorites, although at +250, she's not expected to win with near the kind of certainty Djokovic is as she deals with a sore knee. Victoria Azarenka, who has two Australian Open titles under her belt, is next in line behind Williams at +400.
The Sleeper: Maria Sharapova. The 28-year-old Russian has five Grand Slam wins, her latest coming in the 2014 French Open. She won once at Australia, although it was eight years ago.
The Rising Star: Madison Keys. At 20, Keys has been steadily improving each year, ranking as high as 16th on the tour and finishing the season in 18th, per Nick McCarvel of espnW. She has been up and down in her young career, but this is chance to prove she can play with the best players in the world. She's never advanced further than the quarterfinals in any Grand Slam.
The Winner: Azarenka. Look, Williams is the better player, but she hasn't played since September, when her bid for a calendar-year Grand Slam fell just short with a semifinals loss in the U.S. Open. She already pulled out of one tournament in 2016 with knee inflammation. Whenever you pick against Serena, it doesn't feel very smart, but it might take a little while before she gets back to form, and Azarenka already has proved she can win in Australia.
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