World primary Aryna Sabalenka shall be scorching favorite to safe an Australian Open hat-trick, having received the previous two years at Melbourne Park. In-form Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek are her largest threats, however Zheng Qinwen may very well be primed for a Slam breakthrough after a stellar 2024, whereas rising expertise Mirra Andreeva may upset some high names. We spotlight 5 girls to look at on the first Grand Slam of the yr beginning on Sunday:
Aryna Sabalenka
The Belarusian comes into the Australian Open on the again of the most effective yr of her profession through which she received the US Open in addition to retaining her Melbourne Park crown.
The highly effective 26-year-old additionally received in Cincinnati and on the WTA 1000 at Wuhan, her fourth title of the yr, which helped her unseat Iga Swiatek as world primary.
The defending champion is unbeaten in Melbourne since 2022, when she misplaced within the third spherical to Marketa Vondrousova.
Sabalenka started 2025 by successful the Brisbane International, dropping just one set on the best way to the title.
Iga Swiatek
The 23-year-old Pole received her fourth French Open final yr however ended 2024 beneath a doping cloud after serving a one-month ban.
Swiatek examined constructive for the center medicine trimetazidine in an out-of-competition pattern in August however the International Tennis Integrity Agency accepted that the violation was not intentional.
News of the saga solely emerged in late November however Swiatek made a assured return within the mixed-teams United Cup in Sydney final week as Poland reached the ultimate, dropping solely one in every of her 5 singles matches — to Coco Gauff.
Swiatek’s Australian Open file is patchy and he or she has solely progressed past the fourth spherical as soon as, in 2022, when she was shocked by Danielle Collins within the semi-finals.
Coco Gauff
Arguably the most well liked participant in girls’s tennis proper now, Gauff has loved a shocking few months after struggling together with her serve and forehand within the wake of successful the US Open in 2023.
After parting with coach Brad Gilbert, Gauff received the WTA 1000 in Beijing and the WTA Tour Finals working with the little-known Matt Daly as she rescued a faltering yr in very good type.
The 20-year-old world quantity three started her 2025 marketing campaign with a run to the ultimate of the United Cup the place she beat Swiatek 6-4, 6-4 within the ultimate.
Zheng Qinwen
The 22-year-old loved a breakthrough 2024, beating Swiatek on her technique to successful Olympic gold in Paris and claiming three WTA titles.
“Queen Wen” ended the yr at a career-high quantity 5 after claiming the Pan Pacific Open title in Tokyo.
She then reached the championship match on the WTA Tour Finals in Riyadh, the place she was edged in a final-set tiebreak by Gauff.
Zheng got here near changing into solely the second Chinese participant after Li Na to win a Grand Slam singles crown when she was overwhelmed within the Australian Open ultimate by Sabalenka a yr in the past.
With a robust serve and heavy forehand, Zheng may once more emerge as Sabalenka’s closest challenger on Melbourne’s laborious and quick courts.
Mirra Andreeva
The Russian could also be solely 17 however pushed by the fearlessness of youth she confirmed final yr she will be able to win on each floor.
The world quantity 15 possesses a high-quality array of photographs and a tactical nous that belies her age. She received a maiden WTA title in Iasi, Romania, in July.
With seasoned coach and former Grand Slam winner Conchita Martinez in her nook, Andreeva’s trajectory would look like relentlessly upward.
She beat Sabalenka on her technique to a maiden Slam semi-final at Roland Garros however the world primary turned the tables within the semi-finals in Brisbane final week, though the Belarusian’s 6-3, 6-2 win was rather a lot nearer than the scoreline advised.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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