Sawt Falasteen - Sabalenka to Andreeva: Five women to watch at the Australian Open

In-form Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek are her biggest threats, but Zheng Qinwen could be primed for a Slam breakthrough after a stellar 2024, while emerging talent Mirra Andreeva could upset some top names.

AFP Sport highlights five women to watch at the first Grand Slam of the year starting on Sunday:

- Aryna Sabalenka -

The Belarusian comes into the Australian Open on the back of the best year of her career in which she won the US Open as well as retaining her Melbourne Park crown.

The powerful 26-year-old also won in Cincinnati and at the WTA 1000 at Wuhan, her fourth title of the year, which helped her unseat Iga Swiatek as world number one.

The defending champion is unbeaten in Melbourne since 2022, when she lost in the third round to Marketa Vondrousova.

Sabalenka began 2025 by winning the Brisbane International, dropping only one set on the way to the title.

- Iga Swiatek -

The 23-year-old Pole won her fourth French Open last year but ended 2024 under a doping cloud after serving a one-month ban.

Swiatek tested positive for the heart medication trimetazidine in an out-of-competition sample in August but the International Tennis Integrity Agency accepted that the violation was not intentional.

News of the saga only emerged in late November but Swiatek made a confident return in the mixed-teams United Cup in Sydney last week as Poland reached the final, losing only one of her five singles matches -- to Coco Gauff.

Swiatek's Australian Open record is patchy and she has only progressed beyond the fourth round once, in 2022, when she was stunned by Danielle Collins in the semi-finals.

- Coco Gauff -

Arguably the hottest player in women's tennis right now, Gauff has enjoyed a stunning few months after struggling with her serve and forehand in the wake of winning the US Open in 2023.

After parting with coach Brad Gilbert, Gauff won the WTA 1000 in Beijing and the WTA Tour Finals working with the little-known Matt Daly as she rescued a faltering year in superb style.

The 20-year-old world number three began her 2025 campaign with a run to the final of the United Cup where she beat Swiatek 6-4, 6-4 in the final.

- Zheng Qinwen -

The 22-year-old enjoyed a breakthrough 2024, beating Swiatek on her way to winning Olympic gold in Paris and claiming three WTA titles.

"Queen Wen" ended the year at a career-high number five after claiming the Pan Pacific Open title in Tokyo.

She then reached the championship match at the WTA Tour Finals in Riyadh, where she was edged in a final-set tiebreak by Gauff.

Zheng came close to becoming only the second Chinese player after Li Na to win a Grand Slam singles crown when she was beaten in the Australian Open final by Sabalenka a year ago.

With a powerful serve and heavy forehand, Zheng could again emerge as Sabalenka's closest challenger on Melbourne's hard and fast courts.

- Mirra Andreeva-

The Russian may be only 17 but driven by the fearlessness of youth she showed last year she can win on every surface.

The world number 15 possesses a fine array of shots and a tactical nous that belies her age. She won a maiden WTA title in Iasi, Romania, in July.

With seasoned coach and former Grand Slam winner Conchita Martinez in her corner, Andreeva's trajectory would appear to be relentlessly upward.

She beat Sabalenka on her way to a maiden Slam semi-final at Roland Garros but the world number one turned the tables in the semi-finals in Brisbane last week, although the Belarusian's 6-3, 6-2 win was a lot closer than the scoreline suggested.

W.AbuLaban--SF-PST