World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka’s road to a third Australian Open title in four years is set and could include passing two of her greatest rivals, Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek, in succession to reclaim the silverware.
The 27-year-old and third seed Gauff – her Roland Garros 2025 tormentor – are pitted on a semifinal collision course, but she may first need to navigate a passage past 2021 US Open champion and 28th seed Emma Raducanu, big-hitting Danish 14th seed Clara Tauson and the seventh seed, two-time major finalist Jasmine Paolini just to reach that stage.
Gauff, who claimed her second major at Roland Garros last year, could run into 18-year-old Mirra Andreeva, the eighth seed, in the quarterfinals.
World No.2 Swiatek’s bid to complete the career Grand Slam is fraught with serious threats before the final, none bigger than the in-form fifth seed Elena Rybakina – unbeaten at the WTA Finals in November – in a potential quarterfinal.
The Pole could meet fourth-seeded Amanda Anisimova – the American who avenged their Wimbledon final in the US Open quarterfinals – in the semifinals.
Two-time major finalist Anisimova could face compatriot Jessica Pegula in the quarterfinals, but the sixth seed faces a daunting prospect of reigning women’s champion, ninth seed Madison Keys, in the fourth round.
First-round matches of note
Despite back-to-back fourth rounds at Melbourne Park, eighth seed Andreeva will be squarely focused on a tricky first assignment in her third campaign, a clash against former world No.17 Donna Vekic.
Andreeva required three sets to claim their only prior meeting in Beijing in 2024.
After warming up for her 22nd AO campaign in Auckland and Hobart, previous world No.1 and seven-time major champion Venus Williams opens against Serbian lefty Olga Danilovic, a player 21 years her junior.
The 45-year-old Williams has twice reached the Australian Open final; Danilovic beat seventh seed Pegula en route to the fourth round last year.
Andreeva’s often-times doubles partner, 23rd seed Diana Shnaider will have her work cut out when she squares off against two-time major winner Barbora Krejcikova in the first round.
The bandana-wearing 21-year-old reached the third round at Melbourne Park last year, while Krejcikova – on the comeback from injury – has twice reached the quarterfinals.
Projected match-ups
Arguably the biggest possible clash of the first week could come to pass if top seed Sabalenka runs into 2021 US Open winner Raducanu.
Sabalenka leads the ledger 3-0 but only narrowly snuck through in their most recent meeting in Cincinnati last year.
Following the disappointment of a narrow semifinal defeat to eventual champion Keys last year, Swiatek could find the second week tough going early in a potential fourth round against two-time champion Naomi Osaka, a player she owns a 2-1 record against.
After a barnstorming run to the final in Brisbane last week, including beating three top-10 players in succession, 20th seed Marta Kostyuk could pose a fourth-round obstacle to seventh seed Paolini, but she would first need to overcome a 0-2 record against 11th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova in the third round.
Should Anisimova pass a projected third-round test against AO 2020 champion Sofia Kenin, she could run into heavy-striking 13th seed Linda Noskova, the Czech who toppled top seed Swiatek in the third round two years ago.
Ninth seed Keys, in her bid for back-to-back Australian Open titles, could face a challenging third round against Canadian 22nd seed Leylah Fernandez, with the pair having split two previous meetings. The reward could be a fourth round meeting with US compatriot Pegula, an opponent she has beaten twice in three meetings.
How the Aussies fared
As the first seeded Australian in the women’s draw since 2022 champion Ash Barty, Maya Joint drew Czech teenager Tereza Valentova first up and could face a formidable third-round opponent in fifth seed Rybakina.
In a battle of the teenagers, 17-year-old wildcard Emerson Jones will aim to channel her home-crowd support in a first meeting against rapidly rising Canadian, 17th seed Victoria Mboko.
Daria Kasatkina, Kimberly Birrell, Priscilla Hon and Ajla Tomljanovic all open against qualifiers, while Talia Gibson is set to meet Anna Blinkova.
Taylah Preston, through to her first WTA quarterfinal in Hobart, takes on China’s Wang Xinyu.