Tennis is once again reigning in the middle of the Down Under summer, with the Australian Open grand slam championships finally upon us.
The world's best tennis players are competing over a three-week event to crown the first grand slam champions of 2026.
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The main draw of the Australian Open kicked off on Sunday, January 18, with 16 players in the men's and women's categories competing for the ultimate prize.
India have only one representative in this year's Australian Open as doubles player Niki Kaliyanda Poonacha qualified for the main tournament, alongside his partner, Thailand's Pruchya Isaro.
India's highest-ranked singles player, Sumit Nagal, participated in the regional play-off but crashed and burned in the quarterfinals of the competition.
MORE: Australian Open LIVE: Schedule, results, scores, updates for AO tennis 2026
Who is Grace Hayden? TV presenter covering Australian Open 2026 for Sony Sports in India
Like the previous editions, Sony Sports Network have the right to broadcast the Australian Open 2026 in India. To present duties, the Indian broadcaster has hired Australian TV presenter Grace Hayden.
Grace is quite a popular name among the Indian sports audience, especially the cricket-watching lot, as she is the daughter of legendary former Australian batter Matthew Hayden.
Matthew Hayden served the Australian national team with distinction for over a decade and holds multiple records in the Test and ODI formats. The southpaw has also featured for the five-time Indian Premier League champions, Chennai Super Kings, in the initial seasons of the competition.
Grace has also become extremely popular as a TV presenter in her own right. Starting her career as a fashion reporter for Channel 7 in Australia, the 23-year-old slowly moved into TV presentation. She shares love for cricket with her father and has presented events in the world of horse racing.
It will be interesting to see how the young and attractive presenter captures the imagination of the Indian audience with her first time presenting Tennis.
Related links:
- India's sports calendar 2026
- HIL 2026: Schedule, scores, prize money and TV information
- Australian Open prize money 2026: Winnings breakdown for AO singles by round
- Should ISL follow IPL auction model?