Top five title favourites in women's singles at Australian Open 2025

Aryna Sabalenka is all set to defend her title at Australian Open 2025.

The first Grand Slam Major of the 2025 calendar year looms large as the Australian Open 2025 is slated to begin on January 12. Tennis stars from across the globe will be eager to kick off the new year in style, with some of the biggest names in the tennis fraternity set to compete in the tournament.

Aryna Sabalenka, who has won the championship twice in a row, enters the event as the favourite. However, she cannot take her competitors lightly as Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina showed glimpses of their brilliance at the United Cup.

Also Read: Top five title favourites in men’s singles at Australian Open 2025

A fiercely contested event is anticipated, with one of tennis’s most prestigious titles at stake. In the women’s field, Serena Williams has won the maximum seven Australian Open titles, followed by Margaret Court, Evonne Goolagong, Monica Seles, and Steffi Graf, each with four championships.

On that note, let’s take a look at the top five title favourites in women’s singles at Australian Open 2025.

5. Elena Rybakina

After a poor 2024, Elena Rybakina single-handedly carried Kazakhastan to the semifinal of the 2025 United Cup. Injuries prevented the Kazakh from competing at the Paris Games and she lost in the second round of the US Open.

However, everyone knows that at her best he is a force to be reckoned with. The Kazakh proved the same when she defeated top seed Aryna Sabalenka in the WTA Finals. Despite an ordinary record Down Under, hard and pacy courts suit the hard hitting nature of Rybakina. If she manages to find her groove, she can challenge any player on her day.

4. Qinwen Zheng

The 2024 Australian Open runner-up, Qianwen Zheng, will aim to better her performance in 2025. Last season was her career-best, highlighted by a strong Melbourne run, a clay-court victory over Iga Swiatek, a historic Olympic gold, and a Japan Open title.

One of the most anticipated fights will be between Aryna Sabalenka and the Chinese. While the tension between the two is palpable, the Belarusian has always dominated the Chinese on the court, leading the h2h battle 5-0. Now ranked fifth in the WTA standings, Zheng will be determined to avenge her defeats and become only the second Chinese player to clinch a singles Grand Slam.

Also Read: Full list of events in WTA calendar 2025

3. Iga Swiatek

The 5-time Grand Slam champion, Iga Swiatek is yet to win a title in Melbourne. After leading her country exceedingly well at the United Cup, she was defeated by a familiar nemesis, Coco Gauff. Swiatek must shrug off the loss at the earliest, to go the distance at the 2025 Australian Open.

A key objective for the Pole in the 2025 season will be to improve her performance on hard and grass courts. While she has dominated clay, success on other surfaces remains elusive. Mastering these will be crucial if she aims to reclaim her No. 1 spot in the WTA rankings.

Her contests against Sabalenka and Gauff are likely to determine where she will end at the Australian Open. While Swiatek leads both players head-to-head, she has been found wanting on non-clay courts against these two players in the recent past.

2. Coco Gauff

Coco Gauff has started the new season well, leading her nation almost single-handedly to a victory at the United Cup. The American player is in great form, she has defeated Iga Swiatek in a thrilling match in the final. Despite being the third seed, she enters the competition as the second favorite.

This is because of her remarkable record on hard and fast paced courts. Though she had an average 2024, she ended the year on a high triumphing at the WTA Final, defeating Swiatek and Zheng on the way. The 20-year-old won her first and only GS on home soil in 2023 and will be hoping to add to the tally in Melbourne.

1. Aryna Sabalenka

The defending champion has a golden opportunity to achieve a hat-trick of Australian Open titles, having triumphed in the previous two editions. If successful, Aryna Sabalenka will join an elite panel of players who have won three consecutive titles: Margaret Court (1969–1971), Evonne Goolagong (1974–1976), Steffi Graf (1988–1990), Monica Seles (1991–1993), and Martina Hingis (1997–1999).

Also Read: A look at Aryna Sabalenka’s journey to reach year-end WTA No. 1 for first time

Sabalenka began 2025 with a dominant run in Brisbane, ultimately winning the competition. Her formidable serves and ruthless forehands make her a scary opponent to encounter and she is undoubtedly the top contender. However, several big names at this major event have defeated him in the past. So, if Sabalenka wants to write history, she will have to give her best performance.

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