The first tennis Grand Slam of 2022 kicks off Sunday with the Australian Open, a tournament defined as much by the extracurricular events featuring a previous champion before the start of play as any involving players who will actually compete for the title over the next two weeks.

On the women's side, Naomi Osaka will look to bounce back from a devastating performance at the U.S. Open, while Aussie Ashleigh Barty will attempt to bring the title home to the host country.

Among the men, Daniil Medvedev will seek to establish momentum as he attempts to follow up his U.S. Open win with a second, consecutive Grand Slam. Rafael Nadal, looking for his 21st Grand Slam singles title, and a host of young, high-ranked opponents make up the competition.

What are some of the storylines to watch in Melbourne and where can you find all of this year's action? 

Find out with this preview of the prestigious tournament.

Schedule

ESPN will have coverage of the Australian Open this year, including "first ball to last ball each day" on ESPN+.

All times below are Eastern.

• Sunday, January 16: 7-11 p.m. (live, ESPN and ESPN+); 11 p.m.-7 a.m. (live, ESPN+)
• Monday, January 17: 2-5 p.m. (same day, ESPN2); 7-11:30 p.m. (live, ESPN+); 11:30 p.m.-2 a.m. (live, ESPN2 and ESPN+); 2-7 a.m. (live, ESPN+)
• Tuesday, January 18: 2-5 p.m. (same day, ESPN2); 7-9 p.m. (live, ESPN+); 9-11:30 p.m. (live, ESPN2 and ESPN+); 11:30 p.m.-7 a.m. (live, ESPN+)
• Wednesday, January 19: 2-5 p.m. (same day, ESPN2); 7-9 p.m. (live, ESPN+); 9-11:30 p.m. (live, ESPN2 and ESPN+); 11:30 p.m.-7 a.m. (live, ESPN+)
• Thursday, January 20: 2-5 p.m. (same day, ESPN2); 7-9 p.m. (live, ESPN+); 9-11:30 p.m. (live, ESPN2 and ESPN+); 11:30 p.m.-7 a.m. (live, ESPN+)
• Friday, January 21: 2-5 p.m. (same day, ESPN2); 7-9 p.m. (live, ESPN+); 9-11:30 p.m. (live, ESPN2 and ESPN+); 11:30 p.m.-7 a.m. (live, ESPN+)
• Saturday, January 22: 8-11 a.m. (same day, ESPN2); 7-9 p.m. (live, ESPN+); 9-11:30 p.m. (live, ESPN2 and ESPN+); 11:30 p.m.-7 a.m. (live, ESPN+) (Round of 16)
• Sunday, January 23 (Round of 16): 9-11 a.m. (same day, ESPN2); 4-5 p.m. (taped, ABC); 7-9 p.m. (live, ESPN+); 9-11:30 p.m. (live, ESPN2 and ESPN+); 11:30 p.m.-7 a.m. (live, ESPN+) 
• Monday, January 24 (Quarterfinals): 2-5 p.m. (same day, ESPN2); 7-11 p.m. (live, ESPN2 and ESPN+); 11 p.m.-1 a.m. (live, ESPN+); 3-6 a.m. (ESPN+) 
• Tuesday, January 25 (Quarterfinals): 2-5 p.m. (same day, ESPN2); 7-9 p.m. (live, ESPN2 and ESPN+); 9 p.m.-1 a.m. (live, ESPN+); 3-6 a.m. (ESPN+) 
• Wednesday, January 26 (Women's Semifinals): 2-5 p.m. (same day, ESPN2); 3:30-7 p.m. (live, ESPN and ESPN+); 3:25-6:30 a.m. (live, ESPN Deportes) 
• Thursday, January 27: 2-5 p.m. (encore, ESPN2); 8-10 p.m. (live, ESPN+, Mixed Doubles Championship); 10:30 p.m.-1 a.m. (live, ESPN and ESPN+, Men's Semifinal); 3:30-6 a.m. (live, ESPN and ESPN+, Men's Semifinal)
• Friday, January 28: 2-5 p.m. (encore, ESPN2); 3-3:30 a.m. (live, ESPN Deportes, Women's Championship Preshow); 3:30-5:30 a.m. (live, ESPN and ESPN+, Women's Championship); 3:30-6 a.m. (live, ESPN Deportes, Women's Championship); 5:30-7:30 a.m. (live, ESPN+, Men's Doubles Championship)
• Saturday, January 29: 8-11 a.m. (encore, ESPN2); 2-3 p.m. (taped, ABC); 11 p.m.-1 a.m. (live, ESPN+, Women's Doubles Championship); 3-3:30 a.m. (live, ESPN Deportes, Men's Championship Preshow); 3:30-6 a.m. (live, ESPN and ESPN+, Men's Championship); 3:30-7:30 a.m. (live, ESPN Deportes)
• Sunday, January 30: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. (encore, ESPN2); 6-10 p.m. (encore, ESPN2)

Men's Storylines

With nine-time and defending Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic unable to compete after the second revocation of his travel visa was held up in a court of law Sunday, the men's field opens up considerably. 

Medvedev, the world No. 2, is coming off his first Grand Slam title at September's U.S. Open and figured to be Djokovic's toughest competition. 

The 25-year-old is 3-1 thus far in 2022, with all of his wins coming against right-handers and the lone lefty accounting for his loss. He won the first set in all four matches, putting away three of them. It will be interesting to see if Medvedev can continue to assert dominance early on by winning that initial set and if his loss to left-hander Ugo Humbert in the ATP Cup is an anomaly or a matchup flaw other lefties will be able to exploit.

His win-loss percentage against lefties (.595) is a considerable decline from that against right-handers (.705). 

2009 champion Rafael Nadal, a lefty, stands in his way of a second Grand Slam.

The No. 6-ranked player will be seeking a record-shattering 21st Grand Slam. The Australian Open has not been particularly kind to him, though, proving to be the one big tournament he has struggled to win more than once.

Medvedev and Nadal will be tested by a relatively young field of top competitors, with No. 3 Alexander Zverev and No. 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas both having the skill to bounce them from the tournament and take home the title.

Women's Storylines

Two-time and defending Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka was last seen leaving the world's tennis stage dejected, her head down following a loss to unranked teenager Leyla Fernandez in the round of 32 at the U.S. Open last September. 

In Osaka's defense, Fernandez did go on to become the tournament's runner-up.

Since then, she has competed only once, at the Melbourne Summer Set, dropping the semifinal via walkover.

The eyes of the tennis world will be on the 24-year-old star, who once appeared to have the sport in the palm of her hand but now must silence doubters who wonder if we have already seen the best of her. It will not be easy, with a crowded first quarter that also features Australia's own Ash Barty.

Barty has the weight of Australia on her and addressed media questions about the pressure she feels representing her home country on one of tennis' grandest stages.

"I just have to hope that everyone understands that I'm giving it my best crack. It doesn't always work out exactly how you want to. But you go about it the right way, you do the right things and try and give yourself the best chance, that's all you can do," she told reporters.

Barty has never made it past the semifinals in her home Slam, something the No. 1-ranked player in the world hopes she can change this year.

Potential dark-horse contenders to watch, especially in that first quarter of the field, include Amanda Anisimova and 22nd-seeded Belinda Bencic.

Do not sleep on ninth-seeded Ons Jabeur, who has repeatedly proved to be a tough out in any tournament. In 2020, she made it to the quarterfinals in Melbourne Park and then followed up with another quarterfinal appearance at Wimbledon.

Emma Raducanu, winner of the U.S. Open in September, has failed to build on the momentum of that tournament, going just 2-4 in her last six matches and not advancing past the quarterfinals of any competition since.

There will be considerable attention paid to the 19-year-old's performance in this tournament. If the Briton can rediscover the level of play that earned her the win in New York, she will have every opportunity to leave Australia with her second Grand Slam.