Australian Open: Swiatek, Sabalenka, Gauff and Osaka are among the women to watch in 2024
Here are some of the women to watch at the Australian Open, which is scheduled to start at Melbourne Park on Sunday morning (Saturday night ET):
Seeding: 1
Career-Best Ranking: 1
Country: Poland
Age: 22
Career Titles: 18
Grand Slam Titles: 4 — French Open (2020, 2022, 2023), U.S. Open (2022)
Last 5 Australian Opens: 2023-Lost in 4th Round, 2022-SF, 2021-4th, 2020-4th, 2019-2nd
The Bracket: Faces 2020 Australian Open champ Sofia Kenin in the first round and could meet 2016 winner Angelique Kerber or 2022 runner-up Danielle Collins in the second.
Aces: Finished last season at No. 1 in the rankings by winning the WTA Finals. ... Youngest woman to lead the rankings in back-to-back years since Caroline Wozniacki in 2010 and 2011. ... Led the tour with a 68-11 record and six titles in 2023. ... Voted WTA Player of the Year for second season in a row; Serena Williams was the last to get that honor consecutively, doing so from 2012-15. ... Topped Forbes' most recent list of highest-paid female athletes.
She Said It: "I feel more prepared for sure to deal with the pressure of being world No. 1 this year than last year."
Seeding: 2
Career-Best Ranking: 1
Country: Belarus
Age: 25
Career Titles: 13
Grand Slam Titles: 1 — Australian Open (2023)
Last 5 Australian Opens: 2023-Won Championship, 2022-4th, 2021-4th, 2020-1st, 2019-3rd
The Bracket: Faces a qualifier in the first round and could meet another in the second.
Aces: Returns to the site of her first Grand Slam title. ... Credited an improved serve — she worked with a biomechanics expert — and improved outlook for that breakthrough triumph. ... Reached the semifinals or better at each of the past five majors. ... Briefly held the No. 1 ranking last season.
She Said It: “All those Grand Slams that I was able to get kind of like to the last stages of the tournament will definitely help me emotionally. ... I have more belief in myself.”
Seeding: 3
Career-Best Ranking: 3
Country: Kazakhstan
Age: 24
Career Titles: 6
Grand Slam Titles: 1 — Wimbledon (2022)
Last 5 Australian Opens: 2023-Runner-Up, 2022-2nd, 2021-2nd, 2020-3rd, 2019-Did Not Play
The Bracket: Faces two-time major finalist Karolina Pliskova in the first round.
Aces: Won Wimbledon in 2022 and reached the final at Melbourne Park a year ago. ... Prepared for the return to Melbourne by winning a hard-court title in Brisbane, defeating Sabalenka 6-0, 6-3 in the final. ... Played at Adelaide the week before the Australian Open. ... Began the 2023 Australian Open on Court 13; finished it in Rod Laver Arena.
She Said It: “I hope I’m going to start on (a) big court this year.”
Seeding: 4
Career-Best Ranking: 3
Country: United States
Age: 19
Career Titles: 7
Grand Slam Titles: 1 — U.S. Open (2023)
Last 5 Australian Opens: 2023-4th, 2022-1st, 2021-2nd, 2020-4th, 2019-DNP
The Bracket: Could face 2021 U.S. Open finalist Leylah Fernandez in the third round and four-time Slam champ Naomi Osaka in the fourth.
Aces: Enters a major tournament with a Grand Slam title on her resume for the first time after winning the U.S. Open in September. ... Has been ranked No. 1 in doubles. ... Started 2024 by winning a hard-court title in Auckland, New Zealand. ... Started working with coach Brad Gilbert after a first-round exit at Wimbledon in July.
She Said It: "I’m not going to put a number (on) how many (majors) I want to win. But as many as I can.”
Seeding: 5
Career-Best Ranking: 3
Country: United States
Age: 29
Career Titles: 5
Grand Slam Titles: None — Best: Quarterfinals, Australian Open (2021, 2022, 2023), French Open (2022), Wimbledon (2023), U.S. Open (2022)
Last 5 Australian Opens: 2023-QF, 2022-QF, 2021-QF, 2020-1st, 2019-DNP
The Bracket: If she returns to the quarterfinals, could face Rybakina.
Aces: Pegula is 0-6 in Grand Slam quarterfinals, including exits at that stage in Australia each of the past three years. ... Runner-up to Swiatek at the 2023 WTA Finals. ... All five of her career titles came at hard-court tournaments. ... Has been ranked No. 1 in doubles along with her partner, Gauff. ... Played at Adelaide the week before the Australian Open.
She Said It: "I keep putting myself in good positions, but I guess it’s not enough."
Seeding: 6
Career-Best Ranking: 2
Country: Tunisia
Age: 29
Career Titles: 5
Grand Slam Titles: None — Best: Runner-Up, Wimbledon (2022, 2023), U.S. Open (2022)
Last 5 Australian Opens: 2023-2nd, 2022-DNP, 2021-3rd, 2020-QF, 2019-1st
The Bracket: Could face 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva in the second round and Sabalenka in the quarterfinals.
Aces: Jabeur has reached the final at three of the past half-dozen major tournaments, but is 0-3 in those title matches. ... First woman from North Africa and first Arab woman in a Slam final. ... Her 7-6 career record at Melbourne Park is by far her worst mark at a major.
She Said It: “I’m trying to have more pleasure on the court, enjoy myself more."
Seeding: 12
Career-Best Ranking: 13
Country: China
Age: 21
Career Titles: 3
Grand Slam Titles: None — Best: Quarterfinals, U.S. Open (2023)
Last 5 Australian Opens: 2023-2nd, 2022-2nd, 2021-DNP, 2020-DNP, 2019-DNP
The Bracket: Could face 2021 U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu in the third round.
Aces: Reached at least the third round at half of her eight career Grand Slam appearances, with a breakthrough run to the quarterfinals in New York in September that included a victory over 2022 finalist Jabeur. ... Current coach is Pere Riba, who worked with Gauff last season. ... WTA Newcomer of the Year in 2022.
She Said It: “I have to do what I have to do on court. Which means I need to focus on my serve and play aggressive. Just focus on each ball coming at me.”
Seeding: N/A
Career-Best Ranking: 1
Country: Japan
Age: 26
Career Titles: 7
Grand Slam Titles: 4 — Australian Open (2019, 2021), U.S. Open (2018, 2020)
Last 5 Australian Opens: 2023-DNP, 2022-3rd, 2021-W, 2020-3rd, 2019-W
The Bracket: Faces 2022 WTA Finals champion Caroline Garcia in the first round.
Aces: Returned to action this month for the first time since September 2022. ... Gave birth to her first child last July. ... Took time off for mental health breaks starting in 2021, just months after winning the Australian Open for the second time. ... Big, clean serves and forehands could dominate opponents when she was at her best.
She Said It: “Becoming a mom changed my mindset a lot. I think I’m a lot more open-minded, a lot more patient.”
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Howard Fendrich has been the AP’s tennis writer since 2002. Find his stories here: https://apnews.com/author/howard-fendrich
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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis