Imagine a reigning Grand Slam champion beaten at the height of her powers in awe of her vanquisher, a barely tested 18-year-old Aryna Sabalenka, on one of the highest-pressure stages in the sport.
So it was in the aftermath of a shock defeat to the daring teenager in the Fed Cup final in 2017 that US Open champion Sloane Stephens showered Sabalenka in praise.
“I want to play like that. That was insane,” Stephens said at the time.
Seven years later, she wouldn’t be alone among her playing peers if she uttered those words again, such has been her now 26-year-old rival’s climb.
MORE: AO 2025 women's singles draw
On their day, the two are among the purest ball-strikers out there. On Sunday, their all-out aggression and athleticism will be on display under the lights at Rod Laver Arena when Sabalenka seeks to extend her unbeaten record to 5-0 against the American in the opening round of Australian Open 2025.
Now the shoe is on the other foot. Sabalenka is the reigning Grand Slam champion – she has three of those in the bag at last count, including last year’s Australian and US Opens – and the world No.1, while 31-year-old Stephens now finds herself at world No.84 following a season in which she picked up her eighth career trophy in Rouen, France.
If their past showdowns are any gauge on what’s to come, a win won’t come easily.
Three of their four meetings have gone the distance while their most recent, in the fourth round at Roland Garros two years ago, was also closely contested.
Sabalenka said her opponent – an Australian Open semifinalist in 2013 – had “nothing to lose”.
Stephens, though, was due to face an even more polished version of the player she last squared off against 20 months ago.
“I think, like, mindset changed a lot,” Sabalenka said. “Approach to the Slams is different. Priorities are different. I would say that mentally I changed a lot.
“I have that understanding that ‘okay, I got it, I know how to do that’. I know how to separate on-court and off-court life. Before, an extra day off would be too much for me because I would overthink about the upcoming match.”
Sabalenka’s beaten opponent from last year’s Australian Open final, fifth seed Zheng Qinwen, accepted she was no longer able to fly under the radar after a breakout season, which included an Olympic gold medal in Paris.
The Chinese 22-year-old ended the year with her fifth career title in Tokyo before a run to the WTA Finals title match in November. She hired Kei Nishikori’s former coach Dante Bottini in November for her Melbourne Park return while her full-time coach Pere Riba recovered from hip surgery.
Zheng opens Day 1 at RLA in a first meeting against 110th-ranked qualifier Anca Todoni.
The Romanian 20-year-old ended last season with her second WTA 125 title in Bolivia. She has claimed six of her seven matches in Australia this season, having qualified in Brisbane and for her Australian Open debut.
Zheng warned she now had the runs on the board to back up her firm self-belief against any rival.
“I believe if you want to beat your opponent, the first things I need to have is the confidence. If you don't believe, you are not going to make it,” she said.
“I allow myself to be confident, but still with control, not too much. I know sometimes when I'm overconfident, I can't listen to any advice. I'm trying to control in the best level. Not too much. Not too low.”
In the second night match at RLA, men’s second seed Alexander Zverev squares off against experienced Frenchman Lucas Pouille, determined to put memories of last year’s semifinal exit from two-sets-to-love up against Daniil Medvdevev behind him.
The German beat the 30-year-old wildcard at the Hopman Cup six years ago, the same year Pouille reached the last four at Melbourne Park before a straight-sets defeat to eventual champion Novak Djokovic.
Zverev reached his second major final last season at Roland Garros, and ended the season at his highest mark of world No.2.
Men’s sixth seed Casper Ruud, a three-time Grand Slam finalist who reached the fourth round at a major for the first time at Australian Open 2021, went unbeaten in two singles outings for Norway in the United Cup in Perth leading in.
MORE: AO 2025 men's singles draw
The 26-year-old looks to carry that form to RLA on Sunday when he meets world No.61 Jaume Munar, whom he owns a 2-1 record against.
The Spaniard also struck form leading in, when he beat Lorenzo Musetti to reach the Hong Kong semifinals.
Elsewhere, Brisbane champion Jiri Lehecka opens his campaign against Australian wildcard Li Tu, while Elena Rybakina’s conqueror from last year, Anna Blinkova, squares off against Aussie Daria Saville. Rising 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva meets Czech Marie Bouzkova.