The Australian Open is one of tennis’s biggest stages, opening the Grand Slam calendar and setting the tone for the season ahead. In 2026, the tournament once again turned Melbourne Park into a daily headline machine, with storylines ranging from early-round upsets and comeback wins to the growing pressure on favorites as the draw tightened. With the finals still ahead and the tournament set to wrap up on February 1, the last days of competition are typically when public attention peaks, media coverage intensifies, and search demand becomes more concentrated around the biggest names and decisive matches.

That makes this the perfect moment to look at how the Australian Open has played out in Google’s mobile News Boxes in Australia so far. For Australian publishers, this event is one of the most valuable recurring visibility opportunities of the year: it is local, it runs for more than two weeks, and it consistently produces high-frequency search behavior across schedules, live scores, and homegrown storylines. Even when the tournament narrative is driven by global superstars, the Australian angle often becomes a major visibility driver, whether through local players, local reactions, or the simple fact that audiences search for the event in a distinctly Australian way.

This analysis examines Australian mobile News Box rankings from January 12 to January 29 using data from the Trisolute News Dashboard. To focus on the most meaningful search patterns during the tournament, only keywords that reached 50 rankings or more in the analyzed time frame were included. In total, this resulted in 78 Australian Open-related keywords with 13,468 rankings, offering a clear view into which terms and topics Google surfaced most consistently during the first two and a half weeks of the event.

The article is structured in two parts. First, the keyword section breaks down the dataset into two categories: general Australian Open terms and player-focused keywords. This makes it easy to see how much visibility came from broad event framing versus individual names and match-driven narratives. The second part shifts the focus to the publishers: based on the same keyword set, it highlights the top 10 outlets in Australia’s mobile News Boxes and tracks how their visibility developed across the tournament timeline, revealing who dominated early, who peaked during key moments, and which editorial strategies translated into sustained News Box presence.

With the tournament entering its final stretch, the data already shows which coverage patterns worked best and which publishers managed to turn Australia’s home Grand Slam into a measurable visibility advantage. Let’s dive into the data!

The most ranked keywords on the 2026 Australian Open

Between January 12 and 29, a total of 78 Australian Open–related keywords reached at least 50 rankings in Australia’s mobile News Boxes, adding up to 13,468 individual rankings. These keywords reflect the search terms and headline phrasing Google surfaced most prominently during the first 18 days of the tournament, covering the build-up, early rounds, and the key storylines leading into the final week.

To better understand what drove visibility, the keyword set was divided into two groups: General keywords, which capture broad tournament framing such as the event name, schedule, and results queries, and Players, which highlight which athletes dominated the News Box landscape through performance, match coverage, or local interest.

The General keywords category generated 6,079 rankings, making up 45.1% of total rankings (6,079 out of 13,468) while representing only 21.8% of all keywords (17 out of 78). This shows that Australian Open visibility in Australian mobile News Boxes wasn’t just driven by player names but heavily anchored in broad event framing and utility searches.

Most visibility concentrated around the tournament name and its common shorthand forms. “australian open” (988), “aus open” (890), “open” (645), and “ao” (644) combined for 3,167 rankings, meaning these four keywords alone made up 52.1% of the General category and 23.5% of the entire dataset. Google clearly rewarded the simplest, most recognizable event labels rather than relying on one “correct” phrasing.

A second strong pattern is the importance of practical, real-time intent. Schedule and results keywords like “tennis scores” (341), “australian open schedule” (259), “ao results” (152), “tennis results” (152), and “australian open results” (132) show that News Boxes surfaced publishers who matched what users needed during the tournament: quick navigation, live updates, and daily tracking.

The year-specific keyword “australian open 2026” (551) also performed strongly, proving that including the year in headlines still helps during recurring annual events. Smaller but interesting terms like “rod laver” (160) and “1 point slam” (126) suggest that Google also picked up on venue identity and tournament branding, not just match coverage.

The Players category contributed 7,389 rankings, which equals 54.9% of the total visibility in the dataset (7,389 out of 13,468). It also made up 78.2% of all keywords (61 out of 78), which shows that the Australian Open conversation in Australia’s mobile News Boxes was heavily driven by individual names rather than general tournament phrasing. Even though the keyword set contains a wide range of players, most visibility was still concentrated around a handful of standout storylines.

One of the most interesting patterns is the split between male and female player keywords. While 37 out of the 61 player keywords contained male names, which equals 60.7% of the player keyword set, those terms only generated 1,567 rankings, or 21.2% of all player-related rankings. Female player keywords appeared less often, with 24 out of 61 keywords (39.3%), but they produced 2,970 rankings, meaning they accounted for 40.2% of the entire Players category. This suggests that women’s storylines were more visibility-dominant and concentrated in fewer high-performing names, while male visibility was spread across many smaller keywords.

Locality also played a major role in shaping which players surfaced. Keywords containing Australian player names formed the largest nationality cluster, with 17 keywords generating 2,010 rankings. That equals 27.9% of player keywords and 27.2% of player rankings, making Australian players the single strongest national driver of visibility in the dataset. The USA was the second-largest group with 6 keywords and 648 rankings, which translates to 9.8% of player keywords and 8.8% of player rankings. Kazakhstan came in third with 5 keywords, but this cluster is heavily shaped by just two athletes, since two of the keywords referenced Alexander Bublik and two referenced Elena Rybakina. Overall, this reinforces that nationality trends can sometimes be driven by a small number of highly visible players rather than broad national coverage.

At the same time, direct matchups played almost no role in the keyword landscape. Only three keywords were phrased as player-versus-player pairings, meaning matchups accounted for just 4.9% of the player keyword set. That is a strong indicator that Google’s News Boxes primarily framed the tournament through individual player narratives and name recognition, rather than head-to-head searches, even when major matchups were taking place.

Another clear structural pattern is how often Google surfaced full-name phrasing. A total of 35 out of 61 keywords used players’ full names, which equals 57.4% of player keywords, and those terms generated 4,063 rankings, or 55.0% of player-related visibility. Meanwhile, 26 keywords used only last names (42.6%), producing 3,326 rankings (45.0%). Both formats performed well, but full names carried a slight advantage overall, likely because they reduce ambiguity and match the way many headlines and official tournament references are written.

Despite the large number of different names in the dataset, visibility still clustered around a few headline-heavy players who appeared in multiple variations. Alex de Minaur ranked strongly both as “de minaur” and “alex de minaur,” Naomi Osaka surfaced prominently as both “naomi osaka” and “osaka,” and Novak Djokovic also performed well across both surname-only and full-name phrasing. This kind of duplication matters because it shows how Google doesn’t just reward one keyword version when a player becomes a central storyline, but instead reinforces visibility across multiple query variants at the same time.

The top 10 publishers on the 2026 Australian Open

After breaking down which Australian Open keywords gained visibility in Australia’s mobile News Boxes, the next step is to look at which publishers benefited most from that search demand between January 12 and January 29. Based on the keyword set analyzed in the previous section, the chart below from the Trisolute News Dashboard shows the top 10 most visible outlets and how their visibility developed throughout the tournament, from the opening rounds to the final stages.

Because News Box rankings react quickly to match outcomes, breakout performances, and daily schedule momentum, the visibility curves reveal when each publisher managed to capture peak attention and whether their presence was driven by consistent coverage or short-lived spikes. The following section takes a closer look at each outlet’s performance, including their overall visibility share, key peak moments, most ranked keywords, and the articles that contributed most to their presence in the News Boxes.

Top 10 publishers in Australian mobile news Boxes on the Australian Open 2026

1. ABC

   ABC led the visibility race across the analyzed Australian Open period with a 16.74% share of total visibility in Australia’s mobile News Boxes. Its peak occurred on January 29, when it reached 30.59%, driven by the article “The honest feedback Alcaraz gave shattered de Minaur after Aus Open exit.” Across the tournament window, ABC started extremely strong, climbing from 21.44% on January 12 to a sustained early peak phase between January 14 and 16 (25.26% to 27.52%). Visibility then dropped sharply on January 17 and 18 (9.16% and 9.25%), before stabilizing mostly in the 10% to 18% range through January 28. The final day of the dataset brought ABC’s strongest surge, jumping from 18.22% on January 28 to its peak of 30.59% on January 29.

   In total, ABC achieved 2,077 keyword rankings, the highest total among the top 10 publishers. Its top three most ranked keywords were “aus open” (327 rankings), “australian open” (327), and “australian open 2026” (128). ABC’s most visible article overall during the entire analysis period was “The junior tennis champ who beat Sinner and an AFL star to win $1m,” showing that its strongest performance combined tournament relevance with standout storytelling that extended beyond match reporting alone.

2. Nine

   Nine secured second place with a 13.25% visibility share and showed a pattern of repeated spikes throughout the tournament rather than one sustained peak window. Its highest point came on January 13, when it reached 20.77%, supported by the article “‘It feels pretty addictive’: Daria Kasatkina claims first home win since Aussie switch.” Visibility began at 13.84% on January 12, surged to its peak the next day, then dropped sharply to 8.36% on January 14 before recovering. After another low on January 17 (5.75%), Nine returned to consistent double-digit visibility across most remaining days, including strong highs on January 19 (17.23%), January 21 (20.2%), and January 23 (17.09%). It closed the analyzed period with stable visibility, ending at 12.53% on January 29.

   Across the full time frame, Nine accumulated 1,764 keyword rankings. Its top three most ranked keywords were “tennis” (163 rankings), “australian open” (96), and “naomi osaka” (84). The most visible article overall for Nine during the tournament was “Alex de Minaur unfazed as Australian Open draw wreaks havoc following Thanasi Kokkinakis withdrawal,” reflecting a focus on Australian player angles and tournament context content that performs well during early-round uncertainty and draw changes.

3. News.com.au

   News.com.au reached a total visibility share of 11.58% and recorded its peak on January 14 with 20.82%. That peak was linked to the article “Tomic act leaves tennis world in disbelief,” highlighting how off-court controversy and personality-driven narratives can generate strong News Box visibility. Across the period, News.com.au opened at 12.84% on January 12, remained steady on January 13 (11.02%), then surged to its peak on January 14. Visibility stayed elevated through January 15 (15.22%) and January 17 (15.88%) before dropping into a lower mid-tournament phase around January 19 to 21 (7.9% to 7.87%). A second major surge occurred on January 22 (16.18%), followed by mostly stable mid-range performance until a sharp late decline, ending at 4.5% on January 29.

   In total, News.com.au recorded 1,439 keyword rankings. Its top three most ranked keywords were “aus open” (255 rankings), “australian open” (247), and “ao” (85). The publisher’s most visible article overall across the entire Australian Open dataset was “‘Jerk’: Storm erupts over ugly Novak act,” reinforcing that News.com.au gained much of its strongest visibility through high-emotion, high-reaction story framing rather than purely match-driven reporting.

4. Fox Sports

   Fox Sports delivered 10.99% total visibility and peaked late in the dataset on January 29 at 18.92%, supported by the article “Novak bristles at reporter over ‘chasing’ claim as heartbroken star reveals brutal injury truth.” Unlike some outlets that dominated early rounds, Fox Sports built its visibility across multiple peaks, often aligned with major match moments and results-driven search behavior. It began at 4.69% on January 12 and climbed steadily to 13.45% on January 14 before dipping to 6.73% on January 15 and reaching a low point on January 16 (1.55%). From there, Fox Sports rebounded strongly, with major surges on January 19 (18.26%), January 23 (16.99%), January 28 (15.97%), and its final-day peak on January 29.

   Fox Sports generated 1,392 keyword rankings overall. Its top three most ranked keywords were “tennis scores” (143 rankings), “ao” (128), and “aus open” (109), showing a strong alignment with utility-based queries and real-time audience intent. Its most visible article overall during the analyzed period was “Champ QUITS giving Aussie free win; angry Djoker nearly DQd for ballgirl act — AO Wrap,” a headline style that blends results, drama, and quick-scan summaries in a way that often performs strongly in mobile News Box environments.

5. Australian Open

   The official Australian Open page achieved a 6.27% share of total visibility and reached its peak on January 18 at 9.58%. The top article on that peak day was “AO Opening Ceremony: Roger returns to Rod Laver Arena,” showing that official channels gained their strongest traction when publishing around ceremony moments and major legacy figures. Across the analyzed period, Australian Open visibility started low at 2% on January 12 and 1.54% on January 13, then rose sharply through January 14 (6.38%) and January 15 (8.72%). It continued to fluctuate but maintained a fairly stable mid-level presence through January 26, often ranging between 5% and 9%. After January 26 (9.24%), visibility dropped significantly in the final days, ending at 2.42% on January 29.

   In total, the Australian Open publisher achieved 963 keyword rankings. Its top three most ranked keywords were “ao” (269 rankings), “ao 2026” (129), and “australian open schedule” (84), highlighting strong performance for event-branded shorthand and practical tournament navigation searches. Its most visible article overall was “Marathon Stan snaps 48-year drought at AO 2026,” demonstrating that match-history narratives still created standout visibility even for the official event publisher.

6. Sydney Morning Herald

   The Sydney Morning Herald captured 5.86% total visibility and reached its peak on January 26 with 12.18%. The article driving that peak was “Australian Open LIVE updates: Inglis opens up on ‘life-changing’ moment; Djokovic’s words of warning as he advances,” which also remained its most visible article overall for the entire analyzed period. Visibility began relatively high on January 12 at 9.27% and then dropped through January 15 and 16 (1.76% and 1.41%). From January 17 onward, Sydney Morning Herald maintained a steadier presence, with consistent mid-range visibility between roughly 5% and 8% across most days, before its late surge on January 26. After that peak, it declined gradually toward the end of the dataset, finishing at 2.13% on January 29.

   Across the tournament window, the Sydney Morning Herald achieved 980 keyword rankings. Its top three most ranked keywords were “naomi osaka” (91 rankings), “de minaur” (45), and “australian open” (40), indicating that its strongest visibility was driven by a combination of major global star coverage and high local interest in Australian players.

7. The Guardian

   The Guardian recorded a 5.84% visibility share and peaked on January 29 at 13.45%, supported by the article “Australian Open 2026: Ben Shelton v Jannik Sinner – as it happened.” Its visibility curve shows a clear late-tournament climb, with minimal presence in the earliest days and stronger performance as the tournament narrative intensified. The Guardian had 0% visibility on January 12 and January 14, and only 1.32% on January 13, before breaking through on January 16 with 10.18%. After a drop on January 17 (0.91%), it gradually rebuilt across the later stages, rising consistently from January 22 onward and finishing with a strong multi-day climb from January 26 (7.56%) to its peak on January 29 (13.45%).

   The Guardian achieved 833 keyword rankings in total. Its top three most ranked keywords were “australian open” (60 rankings), “alcaraz” (58), and “open” (41). Its most visible article overall during the full dataset was “Zverev survives Tien challenge, Sabalenka through to semis – as it happened,” reinforcing that its strongest visibility came through live-blog formats and multi-match coverage structures that align well with News Box surfacing during busy match days.

8. The Age

   The Age reached 5.62% total visibility and peaked on January 21 at 14.25%, supported by the article “Australian Open day 3 as it happened: ‘Not the way you want to win’, says victorious Sinner; Kasatkina out at first hurdle; Inglis’ anguish despite win.” This was also The Age’s most visible article overall across the full analysis period. Visibility started low at 2% on January 12, rose modestly on January 13 (3.09%), then dropped to 0% on January 14. After that, it recovered steadily through January 15 (5.71%) and saw strong mid-tournament momentum with notable highs on January 19 (8.77%), January 20 (11.26%), and its peak on January 21. Following that peak, visibility declined gradually, ending at 1.63% on January 29.

   The Age recorded 784 keyword rankings in total. Its top three most ranked keywords were “australian open” (100 rankings), “de minaur” (84), and “australian open 2026” (48), showing that it benefited heavily from the core tournament framing keyword plus strong local-player visibility through Alex de Minaur coverage.

9. BBC

   BBC held a 1.64% share of visibility and reached its peak on January 17 with 6.37%. The article associated with that peak was “Australian Open 2026: Alcaraz v Sinner, Djokovic eyes history, Sabalenka and Swiatek go for Grand Slam glory,” which also remained its most visible article overall for the Australian Open within the dataset. BBC’s visibility fluctuated at relatively low levels throughout the tournament window, beginning at 3.23% on January 12 before dropping to 0.44% on January 13. It peaked on January 17, then returned to a mostly low range between 0.36% and 2.65% across the remainder of the period, finishing at 1.58% on January 29.

   In total, BBC achieved 232 keyword rankings. Its top three most ranked keywords were “australian open 2026” (37 rankings), “emma raducanu” (30), and “tennis results” (23), indicating a stronger focus on internationally recognizable players and general results-oriented searches rather than Australian-local storylines.

10. ATP Tour

    The ATP Tour rounded out the top 10 with a 1.63% visibility share and peaked on January 17 at 6.3%. The article linked to that peak was “Federer returns to Rod Laver Arena, practises with Ruud,” highlighting the visibility impact of Federer-related content even during an active tournament period. ATP Tour’s visibility was generally low but showed a few distinct spikes, beginning at 2.18% on January 12 and 3.52% on January 13, dipping down through January 16 (0.26%), then peaking on January 17. After that, visibility stayed minimal through January 25, before rising again late in the dataset with 3.56% on January 26 and 4.02% on January 27, ending at 2.17% on January 29.

    The ATP Tour achieved 248 keyword rankings overall. Its top three most ranked keywords were “tennis results” (33 rankings), “tennis scores” (32), and “davidovich fokina” (28). Its most visible article overall across the dataset was “Medvedev keen to keep perspective following Tien loss at Australian Open,” showing that ATP Tour’s strongest performance combined match result context with a player-focused reaction angle.

Key takeaways for news publishers

Want some more reading material? Check out our in-depth analysis of how Australia performed on Google News in 2025.

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