If the ATP has any say in it, the Australian Open is staying put in Melbourne forever as the season-opening grand slam once again boasts record crowds and bumper TV ratings. Officially branded the grand slam of Asia Pacific, the Open could conceivably come under threat from the likes of cashed-up China or Saudi Arabia.

To most of us, mention Saudi Arabia and visions of blindingly hot deserts are conjured up, but the two men reliving an epic 1927 road trip between London and Melbourne reckon northern Australia tops the Middle East for roasting.

The comments from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman came after Trump put a price tag on returning to Saudi Arabia as his first foreign trip.

Jessica Pegula feels the decision to give herself an extra week to recover from a niggling knee injury has paid off as the American heads into the Australian Open on the back of a run to the final of the tune-up tournament in Adelaide.

Coco Gauff has made improvements to her serving and her forehand. And the strides in both of those areas are among the reasons she's considered one of the few women ready to challenge two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka for the title at the Australian Open.

UNITED NATIONS (United States) - Ceremony on the occasion of the World Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust (1600 GMT) VIDEO. LIVE VIDEO. UNITED NATIONS (United States) - ICC Prosecutor's Report to UN Security Council on Darfur (2000 GMT)

Ottawa's Gabriela Dabrowski and her doubles partner Erin Routliffe were eliminated by the newly formed team of Hsieh Su-Wei of Taiwan and Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia in the Australian Open women's doubles semifinals on Friday.

Mongolia expects to sign green hydrogen and renewable energy agreements with Saudi Arabia worth several billion dollars over the next few months and is in talks with the United Arab Emirates for similar investments,

Considering the challenges Ottawa’s Gabriela Dabrowski and her doubles partner Erin Routliffe faced ahead of the Australian Open, including limited preparation, a semifinal finish in the women’s doubles was a good result.

On top of his £100k Australian Open prize cheque, Fonseca earned an eye-watering sum when he won the Next Gen ATP Finals in Saudi Arabia at the end of 2024. As an undefeated champion, the Brazilian banked £424k for winning the aged 20-and-under event. Fonseca joined the likes of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz in the list of tournament champions.

There has never been a more lucrative time to be a tennis player, with prize money at the Australian Open doubling in the last 10 years.

Saudi Economy Minister Faisal Alibrahim said on Friday that the $600 billion of expanded investment and trade with the United States mentioned by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman includes investments as well as procurement from the public and private sectors.