Top five best performers in women's singles at Australian Open 2024

Published at :January 30, 2024 at 4:45 PM

Modified at :February 14, 2024 at 1:55 PM

(Courtesy : AFP)

Aryna Sabalenka won her consecutive Australian open title

As the echoes of the last serve dissipate and the dust of Melbourne Park’s courts settles, the thrilling spectacle of the 2024 Australian Open women’s singles tournament remains etched in our memories. The past two weeks have been a sensory feast for tennis enthusiasts, filled with edge-of-the-seat finishes, surprising outcomes, and a display of pure sporting prowess.

The tournament saw a former champion ascend to her rightful place while budding players made their mark on the Grand Slam landscape. The 2024 Australian Open was a testament to all this and more. So, prepare your favorite snack and revisit the exhilarating journey of the top five performers in Women’s singles of season’s first Grand Slam

Dayana Yastremska

Dayana Yastremska, a qualifier at the 2024 Australian Open, exceeded expectations with her stellar performance. Her journey in Melbourne was marked by victories over formidable opponents. She defeated Wimbledon champion and No. 7 seed Marketa Vondrousova in straight sets, showcasing her prowess on the court.

In the round of 16, Yastremska faced two-time Australian Open champion and 2023 semifinalist Victoria Azarenka. She emerged victorious, once again in straight sets.

Yastremska’s impressive run continued as she overpowered Linda Noskova to reach the semifinals. This marks her best performance at the Grand Slams to date, a feat she achieved with the loss of only a single set against Emma Navarro in the third round.

Her attempt to emulate Emma Raducanu, the unseeded player who won the 2021 US Open, ended in the face of 12th-seeded Qinwen Zheng. Yastremska bowed out in straight sets.

Despite her exit, Yastremska’s deep run at the 2024 Australian Open significantly boosted her world ranking. She made a remarkable leap, jumping 64 places from No. 93 to No. 29. This achievement underscores her status as the tournament’s standout performer.

Linda Noskova

Linda Noskova, a newcomer to Melbourne Park, stunned the tennis world at the 2024 Australian Open. Despite her previous best Grand Slam result being the round of 64, she managed to eliminate World No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the third round. Coming back from a set down, Noskova outplayed Swiatek with a score of 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, marking an early exit for the four-time Grand Slam champion.

Noskova’s victory, which ended Swiatek’s 18-match winning streak dating back to September of the previous year, signaled a rising wave of Czech talent on the global tennis stage. She was one of nine players representing the Czech Republic in the women’s draw.

The 19-year-old unseeded player advanced to the quarterfinals, where she was defeated by Dayana Yastremska with a score of 3-6, 4-6. Despite this loss, Noskova’s performance at the Australian Open marked her second consecutive quarterfinal of the season, following the Brisbane International. There, she reached the semifinals before losing to Elena Rybakina, who secured a comfortable 6-3, 6-2 win.

Following her impressive run, Noskova now ranks among the top thirty players on the WTA table, climbing twenty spots from No. 50. This significant leap underscores her potential and marks her as a player to watch in future tournaments.

Qinwen Zheng

Qinwen Zheng etched her name in history as the second Chinese player to reach the Australian Open finals, a feat achieved on the tenth anniversary of Li Na’s victory at Melbourne Park. As the No.12 seed, Zheng triumphed over qualifier Dayana Yastremska with a score of 6-4, 6-4, marking a significant victory in the clash of first-time Grand Slam semifinalists.

Despite facing an insurmountable challenge in defending champion Aryna Sabalenka, Zheng’s efforts were rewarded with a place in the top ten. Following the Australian Open, she reached a career-high ranking of World No. 7 in the revised WTA list.

Zheng’s rapid ascent in the world of tennis began with her Grand Slam debut at the 2022 Australian Open, where she rose from No. 143 to No. 25 within the season. She clinched her first two WTA tour-level titles in 2023 at Palermo and Zhengzhou, breaking into the top 20. Her remarkable improvement was recognized at the WTA Awards, where she was named the Most Improved Player of the Year. This trajectory underscores Zheng’s potential and marks her as a rising star in the tennis world.

Mirra Andreeva

Sixteen-year-old Mirra Andreeva left Ons Jabeur gasping for breath in her wake – demolishing the game of the World No. 6 and handing the Tunisian a straight-set defeat. Andreeva ran through Jabeur’s defense 6-0, 6-2 in just 54 minutes to reach the third round of the 2024 Australian Open in her main-draw debut.

The 2023 WTA Newcomer of the Year stunned Jabeur, the three-time Grand Slam finalist, in the second round of the Australian Open for her first career Top 10 victory.

Ons Jabeur is the biggest scalp of Andreeva’s fledgling career. Mirra Andreeva kept her Australian Open run alive, pulling off a third-round escape, coming back from 5-1 down in the final set while saving a match point to beat France’s Diane Parry, 1-6, 6-1, 7-6(5).

Her campaign at the 2024 Australian Open ended in the fourth round against Barbora Krejcikova, but not before she took a set off the ninth seed. The 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 to Krejcikova was the Russian’s first loss in three games and currently leads 2-1 in their head-to-head. Unfortunately for Andreeva, her first loss against the World No. 11 came at the cusp of her first quarterfinal appearance in a Grand Slam event.

Aryna Sabalenka

Aryna Sabalenka, the reigning champion, once again etched her name onto the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup, marking her second consecutive victory at the Australian Open. She posted an emphatic win over China’s Qinwen Zheng, with a decisive 6-3, 6-2 victory in a brisk 76-minute final.

Over the course of two weeks, Sabalenka put on a dominant display of tennis, securing the title without dropping a single serve. Her record at the Australian Open is near flawless, having won 28 of the 29 sets she played at Melbourne Park since her triumphant run in 2023. This victory adds to her impressive tally, bringing her total to 14 tour-level titles.

By successfully defending her 2023 crown, Sabalenka has made history as the first Belarusian player since Victoria Azarenka (2012, 2013) to clinch back-to-back Australian Open titles. Furthermore, she joins the esteemed ranks of Jennifer Capriati (2001, 2002) and Serena Williams (2009, 2010), becoming the third woman this century to successfully defend her title at the Australian Open

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