Australian Open 2025: Top Contenders in Women's Tennis

Get ready for the 2025 Australian Open with our preview of the top women's contenders, including Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, and Coco Gauff.

As the 2025 Australian Open approaches, all eyes will be on world number one Aryna Sabalenka, who is seeking a historic third consecutive title at Melbourne Park. The 26-year-old has dominated the tournament in recent years, and her impressive form makes her the top contender to win again.

However, Sabalenka will face stiff competition from several talented players. Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek, in particular, are expected to pose a significant threat to Sabalenka's title defense. Additionally, Zheng Qinwen could be on the verge of a breakthrough at the Slam level, building on her outstanding performances in 2024. Meanwhile, emerging talent Mirra Andreeva has the potential to cause upsets against top-ranked players, making her a fascinating player to watch.

Aryna Sabalenka

Aryna Sabalenka enters the Australian Open on a high note, following the most successful year of her career. In 2024, she claimed her first US Open title and successfully defended her Melbourne Park crown. Her impressive season also included victories at the Cincinnati Open and the WTA 1000 event in Wuhan, securing her fourth title of the year.

Sabalenka's outstanding performances propelled her to the top of the world rankings, overtaking Iga Swiatek as the world number one. The Belarusian has been nearly unbeatable in Melbourne, with an unblemished record since 2022, when she suffered a third-round loss to Marketa Vondrousova. Sabalenka carried her momentum into 2025, winning the Brisbane International without dropping a set, except for one, en route to the title.

Iga Swiatek

Iga Swiatek, the 22-year-old Polish tennis star, enjoyed a successful 2024 season, highlighted by her fourth French Open title. However, her year ended on a tumultuous note due to a doping controversy. In August, Swiatek tested positive for trimetazidine, a heart medication, in an out-of-competition sample.

Despite the setback, Swiatek was cleared of intentional wrongdoing by the International Tennis Integrity Agency, serving only a one-month ban. Following a brief absence, Swiatek made a strong return to competition at the United Cup in Sydney, where Poland reached the final. She performed impressively, losing only one of her five singles matches – a defeat at the hands of Coco Gauff. Swiatek now shifts her focus to the Australian Open, where she seeks to improve her inconsistent record.

Swiatek's past performances at the Australian Open have been uneven, with only one appearance beyond the fourth round – in 2022, when she reached the semi-finals, only to be upset by Danielle Collins. As she begins her 2025 campaign, Swiatek aims to build on her recent success and make a deeper run in Melbourne.

Coco Gauff

Coco Gauff is currently the most in-form player in women's tennis, having experienced a remarkable resurgence over the past few months. After struggling with her serve and forehand following her 2023 US Open victory, Gauff made a coaching change, parting ways with Brad Gilbert. This move proved to be a turning point, as she went on to win the WTA 1000 title in Beijing and the WTA Tour Finals under the guidance of new coach Matt Daly.

Gauff's impressive form has carried over into 2025, with the 20-year-old world number three reaching the final of the United Cup. In a standout performance, she defeated Iga Swiatek 6-4, 6-4 in the final, showcasing her growing confidence and skill on the court.

Zheng Qinwen

Zheng Qinwen, affectionately known as “Queen Wen,” experienced a remarkable breakthrough in 2024. The 22-year-old Chinese tennis star achieved a series of impressive victories, including a win over Iga Swiatek en route to claiming Olympic gold in Paris. Zheng also secured three WTA titles, cementing her position as a rising force in women's tennis.

Zheng's outstanding performances propelled her to a career-high ranking of number five by the end of 2024. She won the Pan Pacific Open title in Tokyo and reached the championship match at the WTA Tour Finals in Riyadh, where she narrowly lost to Coco Gauff in a final-set tiebreak. Notably, Zheng came agonizingly close to becoming the second Chinese player, after Li Na, to win a Grand Slam singles title when she finished as runner-up to Aryna Sabalenka at the Australian Open last year.

Queens coming for the Melbourne crown 👑 pic.twitter.com/XnmfdZlixT

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 8, 2025

With her powerful serve and dominant forehand, Zheng is well-suited to the fast and hard courts of Melbourne. As a result, she may emerge as Sabalenka's strongest challenger at the Australian Open, posing a significant threat to the defending champion's title hopes.

Mirra Andreeva

Mirra Andreeva, a 17-year-old Russian tennis prodigy, has already demonstrated her fearlessness and versatility on the court. Despite her youth, Andreeva has shown she can win on every surface, showcasing a impressive range of shots and a tactical awareness that belies her age. Her rapid rise up the rankings has been marked by several notable achievements.

One of Andreeva's most significant accomplishments came in July when she secured her maiden WTA title in Iasi, Romania. With the guidance of experienced coach and former Grand Slam winner Conchita Martinez, Andreeva's career trajectory appears to be on a steep upward curve. Her impressive form has already led to several standout performances, including a victory over world number one Aryna Sabalenka en route to her first Grand Slam semi-final at Roland Garros.

Although Sabalenka exacted revenge with a 6-3, 6-2 win in the semi-finals of the Brisbane tournament last week, the match was closer than the scoreline suggests. This encounter demonstrated that Andreeva is more than capable of pushing the world's top players to their limits, making her a compelling player to watch in the future.