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Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka is favourite to triumph a 3rd Australian Open successful 4 years but faces beardown contention from a United States contingent led by Coco Gauff and defending champion Madison Keys.
World fig 2 Iga Swiatek is different large menace portion two-time Melbourne champion Naomi Osaka volition anticipation to beryllium successful the premix erstwhile the archetypal Grand Slam of the twelvemonth begins connected Sunday (January 18, 2026).
Keys stunned title-holder Sabalenka 12 months agone successful a classical three-set last to triumph her archetypal large rubric aged 29.
But she failed to footwear connected from there, not winning different tourney each year, and the satellite fig 9 volition person a people connected her backmost arsenic the rubric holder.
Three different Americans are ranked wrong the world’s apical 10: Gauff (third), Amanda Anisimova (fourth) and Jessica Pegula (sixth).
The 21-year-old Gauff past twelvemonth bushed Sabalenka astatine the French Open for her 2nd large crown, but her champion show connected the Melbourne Park hardcourts was making the semi-finals successful 2024.
Speaking astatine the mixed-teams United Cup, wherever she launched her 2026 campaign, Gauff said she spent the off-season “just wide becoming amended and much comfy with my game”.
Her service has been her biggest failing and she suffered a astonishment decision to Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro astatine the United Cup, but recovered to decision Swiatek 6-4, 6-2 successful a connection victory.
It was Gauff’s 4th triumph successful a enactment implicit Swiatek.
The 24-year-old Anisimova has emerged arsenic a superior menace aft enjoying the champion twelvemonth of her vocation successful 2025, reaching the finals of Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, and winning 1000 titles successful Beijing and Qatar.
She besides made the season-ending WTA Finals for the archetypal time, going down to Sabalenka successful 3 sets successful a high-octane semi-final.
“She ever pushes maine to play my champion tennis,” said Sabalenka.
Like Pegula, a archetypal large rubric remains elusive for Anisimova contempt going close.
Swiatek, Sabalenka’s semipermanent rival for the apical ranking, is overdue thing peculiar successful Melbourne.
The Pole is simply a six-time Grand Slam champion and the Australian Open is the lone large she has yet to win.
She matched her champion Melbourne show by reaching past year’s semi-finals, and did truthful successful rampant style, lone to suffer to an inspired Keys.
“At a Grand Slam you person to truly play large for 2 weeks, not person immoderate atrocious days, beryllium consistent,” the 24-year-old said astatine the United Cup.
Japan’s erstwhile satellite fig 1 Osaka would beryllium a fashionable victor if she were to adhd to her 2019 and 2021 Melbourne triumphs.
Now ranked 16th, the 28-year-old indispensable fertile arsenic an outsider, susceptible of conjuring up her champion tennis successful flashes but incapable to bash it consistently and enactment acceptable for agelong stretches.
World fig 5 Elena Rybakina, the Moscow-born Kazakh, is different to watch.
Imperious Sabalenka
It is hard to look beyond Sabalenka.
Having been stunned by the unfancied Keys, the Belarusian suffered much Grand Slam heartbreak successful the French Open last against Gauff.
She past went down to Anisimova successful the Wimbledon past four, earlier roaring backmost to get revenge implicit the American and clasp her U.S. Open title.
The Australian Open champion successful 2023 and 2024, Sabalenka volition beryllium successful an unfamiliar relation erstwhile she goes into the tourney arsenic runner-up from 12 months ago.
“Honestly, determination is nary difference,” the hard-hitting Sabalenka said successful Brisbane this month, wherever she won the rubric for a 2nd successive twelvemonth successful an ominous connection of intent.
“Every time, if I’m defending champion, if I mislaid archetypal circular past year, the extremity is ever the aforesaid -- to bring my champion tennis and to amended my game.”
Outside the rubric contenders determination volition beryllium fascination successful however Venus Williams performs erstwhile she becomes the oldest pistillate to play successful the main gully astatine Melbourne.
The seven-time Grand Slam singles champion was handed a wildcard aged 45.
The American, who has played lone a constricted fig of singles matches successful caller years, volition vie astatine the Australian Open for the archetypal clip since 2021.
