HOW THE LEADING WOMEN’S CONTENDERS AND BEST AUSSIE HOPE SHAPE UP FOR THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN STARTING ON SUNDAY:
ARYNA SABALENKA (BLR)
Age: 26
Ranking: 1
Plays: right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Career prize money: $US30,299,298
Career titles: 18
Grand slam titles: 3 (Australian Open 2023, 2024; US Open 2024)
Australian Open win-loss record: 22-5
Best Australian Open results: champion 2023, 2024
The two-time defending champ could not have enjoyed a better build-up, winning the season-opening Brisbane International to underline her favouritism to become the first woman to complete a Melbourne Park hat-trick since Martina Hingis in 1999.
IGA SWIATEK (POL)
Age: 23
Ranking: 2
Plays: right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Career prize money: $US33,742,891
Career titles: 22
Grand slam titles: 5 (French Open 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024; US Open 2022)
Australian Open win-loss record: 16-4
Best Australian Open result: semi-finals 2022
The former world No.1 brushed off a one-month doping ban to win four of her five first matches back last week. The Pole’s grand slam credentials cannot be questioned but she has yet to fully fire in Melbourne and she did finish the United Cup under somewhat of a fitness cloud.
COCO GAUFF (USA)
Age: 20
Ranking: 3
Plays: right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Career prize money: $US22,488,989
Career titles: 10
Grand slam titles: 1 (US Open 2023)
Australian Open win-loss record: 12-5
Best Australian Open result: semi-finals 2024
Long dubbed as the future of women’s tennis, the 20-year-old’s time is increasingly looking like now. The American backed up her storming run to WTA Finals glory in Saudi Arabia to lead the USA to a second United Cup mixed teams’ title.
JASMINE PAOLINI (ITA)
Age: 29
Ranking: 4
Plays: right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Career prize money: $US8,796,787
Career titles: 4
Grand slam titles: 0
Australian Open win-loss record: 3-5
Best Australian Open result: fourth round 2024
The Italian pocket rocket proved the revelation of 2024, emerging from relative obscurity to reach back-to-back grand slam finals at Roland Garros and Wimbledon to send her ranking soaring. Another big run in Melbourne should not surprise, especially with a top-four seeding.
QINWEN ZHENG (CHN)
Age: 22
Ranking: 5
Plays: right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Career prize money: $US8,311,577
Career titles: 5
Grand slam titles: 0
Australian Open win-loss record: 8-3
Best Australian Open result: finalist 2024
The Chinese excitement machine proved her fairytale to last year’s Open title decider was no fluke by collecting two titles from four other finals in a blazing 2024, including stretching Gauff to a deciding third-set tiebreaker in the showpiece match at the season-ending championship.
ELENA RYBAKINA (KAZ)
Age: 25
Ranking: 6
Plays: right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Career prize money: $US16,156,340
Career titles: 8
Grand slam titles: 1 (Wimbledon 2022)
Australian Open win-loss record: 11-5
Best Australian Open result: finalist 2023
The big-hitting, power-serving former Wimbledon champion enters the Open as Ash Barty’s pre-tournament tip to take the trophy after going awfully close in a three-set finals loss to Sabalenka two years ago.
BEST OUTSIDER
MIRRA ANDREEVA (RUS)
Age: 17
Ranking: 15
Plays: right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Career prize money: $US2,808,807
Career titles: 1
Grand slam titles: 0
Australian Open win-loss record: 3-1
Best Australian Open result: fourth round 2024
The 2023 Australian Open junior runner-up has rocketed up the rankings after long being earmarked as a future superstar. Made the last 16 on her main-draw debut last year before charging to the French Open semi-finals to confirm her grand slam bona fides.
BEST AUSSIE HOPE
KIM BIRRELL
Age: 26
Ranking: 99
Plays: right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Career prize money: $US1,363,434
Career titles: 0
Grand slam titles: 0
Australian Open win-loss record: 3-5
Best Australian Open result: third round 2019
The new Australian No.1 has fought back from more than two years of crippling injuries to hit a career-high ranking inside the world’s top 100 and earned a nice draw without a seed in early sight. A good run wouldn’t shock.
Content Source: www.perthnow.com.au