2025 Australian Open Women’s Draw: Preview and Prediction featuring Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, and Elena Rybakina
World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka will be chasing her third consecutive title at the 2025 Australian Open, which starts on January 12th.
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Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina (Images via X)
The main draw for the 2025 Australian Open was unveiled on Thursday (January 9) in Melbourne. The tournament is set to begin on Sunday (January 12) and will be wrapped on January 26.
In women’s singles, Aryna Sabalenka will enter the tournament as the defending champion. Last year, she went past Qinwen Zheng in straight sets in the final to defend her title. If she wins the tournament, she will become the first player since Martina Hingis to complete a three-peat at the Australian Open.
Tournament Details
- Tournament: Australian Open
- Date: January 12th–January 26th 2025
- No. of Entrants: 128 (Singles)
- Venue: Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Victoria
- Surface: Outdoor hard court
- Total Prize Money Pool: $59.90 million
- Defending Champion: Aryna Sabalenka
Top Seeds at the 2025 Australian Open
- Aryna Sabalenka
- Iga Swiatek
- Coco Gauff
- Jasmine Paolini
- Qinwen Zheng
- Elena Rybakina
- Jessica Pegula
- Emma Navarro
- Daria Kasatkina
- Danielle Collins
Australian Open 2025 Draw Preview
? Women's draw at 2025 Australian Open:
— We Are Tennis (@WeAreTennis) January 9, 2025
Projected quarter-finals (by seedings):
Sabalenka vs Zheng
Gauff vs Pegula
Paolini vs Rybakina
Swiatek vs Navarro
Whole draw ? pic.twitter.com/JvjvKZcFH2
First Quarter
In the first quarter, Aryna Sabalenka is expected to reach the quarterfinals. En route to the last eight, she could face players, the likes of Linda Noskova, Magdalena Frech, or 14th seed Mirra Andreeva.
12th seed Diana Shnaider is also a part of this quarter and so is 18th seed Donna Vekic who last year clinched the bronze medal at the Paris Olympics. Qinwen Zheng, the 5th seed, is expected to progress to the quarterfinals for a rematch of the 2024 Australian Open final against Sabalenka.
Quarterfinal prediction: Aryna Sabalenka vs. Qinwen Zheng
Second Quarter
Coco Gauff will kick start her campaign against compatriot Sofia Kenin and could face Leylah Fernandez, and Karolina Muchova. 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, if she reaches the fourth round, could face third seed Gauff.
In the next half of the second quarter, former World No.2 Paula Badosa is expected to reach the fourth round, but to reach the quarterfinal, she would have to beat Jessica Pegula, who last year reached her first Grand Slam singles final at the US Open.
Quarterfinal prediction: Coco Gauff vs. Jessica Pegula
Third Round
Elena Rybakina is another contender for the 2025 Australian Open. In 2023, she reached the final but failed to overcome Aryna Sabalena. En route to the quarterfinals, she could face Dayana Yastremska, Madison Keys, or Danielle Collins.
This quarter could also see clashes between British No.1 Katie Boulter and Beatriz Haddad Maia, or Elina Svitolina and Jasmine Paolini. The fourth seed from Italy could make another deep run in Grand Slam singles events, having advanced to the summit clashes of the French Open and Wimbledon last year.
Quarterfinal prediction: Elena Rybakina vs. Jasmine Paolini
Fourth Quarter
World No.2 Iga Swiatek will headline the fourth quarter. Although she has never reached the final in Melbourne, she is expected to advance to another semifinal.
She could face former World No.1 Victoria Azarenka or Anna Kalinskaya in the fourth round. Eighth seed Emma Navarro could meet ninth seed Daria Kasatkina in the fourth round and the winner of the match could meet Swiatek in the last eight.
Quarterfinal prediction: Emma Navarro vs. Iga Swiatek
Semifinals
Aryna Sabalenka has established herself as a dominant player on the hard court, having won three Grand Slam singles titles on the surface. If she beats Qinwen Zheng, she may face Coco Gauff in a blockbuster semifinal.
Gauff has won just the 2023 US Open but in the last few months, she has been producing impressive performances and is another favorite to win the title. Between Elena Rybakina and Jasmine Paolini, the former would be the favorite, while Iga Swiatek would be the favorite if she faces Emma Navarro.
Semifinal prediction:
Aryna Sabalenka vs. Coco Gauff
Elena Rybakina vs. Iga Swiatek
Final
The last time Aryna Sabalenka faced Coco Gauff, she suffered a straight-set defeat, in the semifinal at the 2024 WTA Finals. But in the Australian Open, Gauff has never progressed to the final. Despite her red-hot form, Gauff may end up losing to Sabalenka who has won four titles in Australia.
Rybakina is the only player in the top 10 to have a better head-to-head record against Iga Swiatek. Swiatek, who has five Grand Slam titles, is yet to prove that she is a dominating force at the Australian Open.
Last year, the Pole was defeated in the third round but despite that, she is predicted to win against Rybakina, for the Kazakh, toward the end of 2024, struggled with form and fitness issues.
Final prediction: Aryna Sabalena vs. Iga Swiatek
Sabalenka may have won just four out of the 12 she played against Swiatek, but at the Australian Open, she is currently the most dominating player. Sabalenka has been playing solid tennis in the last few months on the hard court and is predicted to make history on January 25th.
Winner prediction: Aryna Sabalenka
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Gouri Das
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