WTA Australian Open 2026 - Women's Tennis Betting Markets, Tips & Live Stream

As one season ends, thoughts quickly shift to a new tennis campaign. More specifically, the WTA tennis stars will target success at the Australian Open, the first major tennis tournament of the 2025 season.

Although the likes of Serena Williams, Ashleigh Barty, Angelique Kerber, and Sofia Kenin previously graced the Australian Open with distinction, the current crop have moved things forward.

With our experts here at Stake, we’ll look at everything you need to know about the WTA Women’s Australian Open, the biggest names that will grace the big stage, when the competition will take place, and some tips and tricks for betting on tennis at Stake Sportsbook.

When & Where is the 2026 WTA Australian Open Tournament?

The Australian Open acts as the big curtain opener for the tennis year, the first Grand Slam on the calendar. It will get underway in the hot Melbourne summer, beginning on January 18 and running all the way to February 1.

History of the WTA Australian Open Tournament

The Australian Open dates back to the start of the 20th Century (1905) when it was held at the Warehouseman’s Cricket Ground in St Kilda, Melbourne, but women competed for the first time in 1922.

Margaret Court, a multiple Australian Open winner, transcended the game and has a stadium named after her. Evonne Goolagong also shaped women’s tennis before the game went professional in the early 1970s.

By the 1980s, the Australian Open laid down permanent roots in Melbourne. Flinders Park, now known as Melbourne Park. It has staged the Australian Open since 1988 as a hard-court event, and it continues to draw more visitors each year.

While the Australian Open isn’t as old as the Wimbledon Championships, French Open or the US Open, there have been some great champions over the past 10 years. Our table highlights these:

Who is Playing in the WTA Australian Open 2026?

The top women players will be calling Melbourne their home for a fortnight at the end of January, and unlike the ATP Australian Open, which has been dominated by Novak Djokovic and sees Jannik Sinner looking for a third winner in a row in 2026, this women’s competition feels like absolutely anyone can win it.

In this section, we will discuss the likely contenders in the draw:

Aryna Sabalenka

Currently the world no.1, Aryna Sabalenka will be one of the favorites for any tournament she is taking part in. There are few on the circuit that can match the Belarusian for power.

She will have been disappointed not to achieve the threepeat of Australian Opens when she lost the final to Madison Keys last year after going back-to-back in 2023 and 2024. Reclaiming her crown and the prize money in Melbourne will be top of her list, and it would continue the impressive form that saw her reach three Slam finals, winning the US Open, in 2025.

Iga Świątek

The 24-year-old Polish star, Iga Swiatek, appears destined to become one of the greatest of all time alongside the Williams sisters. She has won every Grand Slam other than the Australian Open, having finally won Wimbledon in 2025.

She reached the semi-final of this competition last year, which is the furthest she has ever gone, so she will be trying her hardest to achieve a clean sweep of the Slams. Doing so would go a long way to making people sit up and take notice of her ability on the tennis court.

Coco Gauff

Flying the flag for the USA is 21-year-old Coco Gauff. The young woman from Atlanta is quickly establishing herself as her country’s shining light. She’s seeded third in the Australian Open standings for a reason.

Last year, she won the French Open, adding to her one other Grand Slam, the US Open. She has reached the semifinals of this competition in 2024, and it would be a brave person to bet against her going further this time around. Adding to her 11 singles titles and 10 doubles titles will be her main goal, and the Australian Open could offer that opportunity.

Format and Schedule of the 2026 WTA Australian Open

A week of qualifiers precedes the main tournament. After the Australian Open begins in earnest, 128 players will be in the field, including 16 qualifiers and eight wildcards.

Alex De Minaur and Nick Kyrgios have flown the flag as home hopes for the men, while on the WTA side, Ajla Tomljanovic will carry the burden.

The knockout format of the tournament is the same as the ATP version, except women’s matches are all best-of-three sets.

We have circled the key dates for the women’s Australian Open to mark in your diaries. Tournament officials will be hoping everything runs to plan with no hiccups!

How to Bet on the WTA Australian Open & Tennis Bet Types

Betting on tennis is easy at Stake.com. Once you’ve opened your account with us, you’ll just need to add funds and navigate to our tennis markets. Once there, you will be able to find all the events, lines, and odds that you could need.

If you’re new to placing bets on tennis matches, check out our tennis betting guide. If you’re new to our platform, our sports betting guide will be able to help you get started. Below, we’ve listed a handful of bet types that it’s good to know:

• Moneyline wagers - Moneyline betting simply involves predicting the match winner. If Aryna Sabalenka were facing Coco Gauff in the Final, and you backed Sabalenka, you would get a return if Sabalenka won.

• Outrights - Also known as a futures betting market, outright betting involves guessing who will be crowned the champion.

• Handicaps - Handicap betting aims to distinguish the difference in quality between players, and you can use it on games or in set betting. If Zheng were facing Emma Raducana and Zheng was a -5 game favourite, you would be successful if Zheng won 6 more games than her opponent.

Live Stream Australian Open Tennis Matches & In-Play Betting Options

In addition to offering all the best markets and betting odds, Stake is home to live sporting action. You can watch all the biggest events right here, including matches on the women’s Australian Open schedule. Navigate to either live or upcoming matches and look for fixtures with the live streaming logo. Check out our guide to watching live sports for more information.

You can even place bets on the game as it plays out while you watch. In-play betting allows you to assess the action and place more informed bets. Take a look at our live v pre-match betting guide for more information.

Tennis Betting Tips & Strategies

Tennis can be an unpredictable sport, no matter how much of an expert you are. That’s why we’ve drawn up some tennis betting tips that you can use to set yourself up for a better experience:

• Stay informed: Keep up with all the Australian Open news so that you are able to better make informed decisions. It’s important to know how your picks are performing.

• Consider bet difficulty: Some bets are harder to predict than others. For example, a correct score bet is going to be longer tennis odds and easier to predict incorrectly than just selecting a match winner.

• Strategize: The best way to be successful when placing tennis bets is to manage your bankroll effectively. In our blogs, you can find guides on a number of strategies, including the Kelly Criterion, to help you keep on top of your funds.

• Listen to experts: You can learn from others, and listening to the experts is a good idea when you’re predicting who will win this Melbourne Grand Slam. Check out our Australian Open picks to help guide your choices.

Deposit & Withdrawal Methods for Betting on Tennis

When you’re ready to place a bet on the Australian Open, you just need to log in to your account with a secure method, such as using a passkey , and follow these easy steps:

1. Step 1 - Go to Wallet > Deposit and find your deposit address.

2. Step 2 - Select your chosen method.There are a number of local currencies that you can use at Stake, including options like Canadian Dollars, Mexican Pesos, Chilean Pesos, Argentine Pesos, Indian Rupees, Turkish Lira, Vietnamese Dong, and USD in Ecuador.If you would rather use crypto, we accept a wide range of coins, including popular options like BTC, ETH, EOS, USDT, SOL, TRX, DOGE, and LTC. When you’re ready to buy your coins, take a look through our crypto exchange guide, where you can learn how to use platforms like Mesh, Moonpay , and Swapped.com . You can also now use Swap Crypto , which allows you to exchange coins directly within your wallet.

3. Step 3 - Use your deposit address as the ‘send to’ location within your wallet or exchange.

4. Step 4 - When making a withdrawal, you need to go to Account > Wallet > Withdraw and enter the destination address - your wallet - and your cash-out amount.

You can reach out to our customer support staff for assistance with deposits and withdrawals. They can help with everything, including crypto security like using the Stake Vault to protect your funds.

Stake Sportsbook Promotions, VIP Club, & Responsible Betting

If you want to make your funds go further, you can use our sportsbook promotions. Whether it’s our rakebacks and reloads or our tennis-specific tiebreaker payout bonuses, you will be able to get extra value from your bets. Just remember to check out the fine print before using a bonus for details on things like minimum odds and time limits.

You may also be eligible to join our VIP Club as a regular player, where you will receive different rewards based on your staking history. At the highest levels, this even includes access to a dedicated VIP host. For more information, please read our VIP FAQs.

It’s important that you always gamble responsibly and only bet what you can afford. Take a look through our Stake Smart guidelines for information on staying in control, and use our monthly budget calculator and betting limit guide to help establish healthier gambling habits.