2025 Australian Open - Women’s Singles Preview

2025 Australian Open - Women’s Singles Preview

I’m now being reckless and attempting to predict how the women will assemble themselves in Melbourne for the second week of the 2025 Australian Open.

These are the eight who I feel will arise from the pack and claim quarter final spots.

Aryna Sabalenka (1st seed)

Iga Swiatek (2nd seed)

CoCo Gauff (3rd seed)

Elena Rybakina (6th seed)

Zheng Qinwen (5th seed)

Jessica Pegula (7th seed)

Jasmine Paolini (4th seed)

Emma Navarro (8th seed)

Let’s begin with the two time defending champ.

Aryna Sabalenka (1) won in Brisbane a week or so ago, and is playing somewhere near her capabilities but with improvements in her bag of tricks to be let loose when required.

Scary thought for Sloane Stephens, a former US Open winner, and first round meal for Sabalenka to devour.

Linda noskov (29) knocked over Iga Swiatek in last year’s AO but in a likely third round encounter, Sabalenka will be throwing all the effective punches.

Young gun Mirra Andreeva impressed Brisbane International spectators with her tennis, and reaching the semis there was a sound performance.

Sabalenka finished the tournament for Andreeva in straight sets, and a similar story will play out in the round of sixteen here should they meet.

Zheng Qinwen was losing AO finalist to Sabalenka last year and has secured a top ten spot throughout 2024.

A quarter final this year is probable, and starts with victory over a qualifier, then one of Laura Siegemund or Hailey 

Third round is scheduled to be against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (27).

Although Pavlyuchenkova won the only time they have met previously, the AO record speaks greater volumes.

Pavlyuchenkova has exited early the past four years - twice first round, once second round, once third round.

Round of sixteen is seeded to be against Diana Shnaider, (12), who is one of a group labelled ones to watch.

Not that she wasn’t one to watch last year when she won four titles and jumped from 98 to 13 in the world. 

And we will watch her in the AO this year until she is beaten by Zheng Qinwen.

Which puts the fifth seed into a quarter final against Sabalenka.

CoCo Gauff (3) ended 2024 in her best form, winning the WTA 1000 China Open and WTA Finals.

In the WTA Finals, Gauff beat Swiatek in round robin contest, and Sabalenka in the semis.

Already she has beaten Swiatek in the United Cup.

All reason for confidence going into the Australian Open.

Sofia Kenin, the 2020 AO champion, is first round competition for Gauff, followed by some incidental names fighting for a second round loss.

Leylah Fernandez (30) is the third round scheduled opposition.

And Gauff has beaten her in this year’s United Cup final, the only time they have met before.

Under normal circumstances, Naomi Osaka would be touted as the round of sixteen opponent for Gauff. However she is unseeded, and unlikely to make it past the section of the draw featuring Karolina Muchova (20) and Jelena Ostapenko (16).

Gauff has a better AO record than both, and in better form should be too much for whatever is dished up.

Quarter final for Gauff.

Jessica Pegula rose up in the American season of 2024 and became a serious contender for the big prizes.

She won her first WTA 1000:tournament in Canada, then was a finalist in the WTA 1000 tournament in Cincinnati and the US Open.

She lost both those finals to Sabalenka.

This year, after losing the Adelaide final, Pegula starts with a win over Aussie wildcard Maya Joint, then probably Elise Mertens (beaten finalist in Hobart). 

Third round, and  Liudmila Samsonova (25) is the drawn player.

Samsonova was a semi finalist in Adelaide this year.

Never past the second round of an AO in five attempts.

Pegula v Paula Badosa (11) in round of sixteen I believe.

Badosa will need to improve on her AO record but I believe she can.

That’s the end though for Paula as Jessica makes the quarters.to play CoCo Gauff 

Elena Rybakina was a beaten AO finalist in 2023 when Sabalenka took  the chocolates.

She will trouble most other players on the Australian surface again this year, firstly Aussie wildcard and world top junior Emerson Jones.

Third round competition is expected to come from Dayana Yastremska (32).

Round of sixteen is seeded to see a match between Rybakina and 2022 finalist Danielle Collins (10).

Madison Keys (19) just won the Adelaide title, defeating Pegula in the final, and I can’t look past her in reaching the round of six ahead of Collins.

There it means a close contest with the slight edge going to Rybakina and granting her quarter final status.

Jasmine Paolini had a Grand Slam kind of 2024, making the finals of both Roland Garros and Wimbledon.

Her achievements give her the knowledge that any major is conquerable, at least arriving at the second week.

Which is what Paolini can achieve this year at Melbourne Park.

A qualifier, then either Renata Zarazua or Taylor Townsend puts Paolini into a seeded third round clash with Elina Svitolina (28).

Paolini has overtaken Svitolina as a serious major threat and will march into the round of sixteen.

Katie Boulter (22) is in much better shape than Beatriz Haddad Maia (15) and will more likely be the round of sixteen opponent for Paolini to have a dispute.

Thea Italian will be determined the victor and snap up a quarter final spot.against Rybakina.

Although Emma Navarro (8) failed to win the Adelaide title, and has a poor AO record, she has enough to convince me of her hopes for this year.

After an uneasy first round against fellow Peyton Stearns, a dangerous unseeded Ons Jabeur is floating.

If Emma manages through this section, it should be Maria Sakkari in the third round, but no guarantee there with the Greek former top ten player out of touch.

Fourth round barrier is seeded to be Daria Kasatkina (9).

It could be an alternative such as Adelaide semi finalist Yulia Putintseva (24) or Hobart champion McCartney Kessler.

A tough round but one which Emma can survive and reach the quarter finals.

Iga Swiatek (2) took a blow to her ego when she lost in the third round at last year’s AO.

I believe she will bounce back this time.

Thea draw looks kind, at least on paper. 

First Katerina Siniaková who she has never played, but will be too strong for in their initial clash.

Then Rebecca Sramkova or Katie Volynets, also both who have experienced a match against Swiatek. One will experience a loss.

Seeded third round opponent Is Ekaterina Alexandrova (26).

The Russian has a 47% AO winning record which doesn’t bode well.

Although she can claim two victories in the five previous matches with Swiatek, including the most recent  - 2024 Miami Ooen.

Still Swiatek would sweep Alexandrova aside at Melbourne Park.

Then a soft section of the draw would produce possibly Anna Kalinskaya (13) or Victoria Azarenka (21) to attempt to stop the Swiatek run.

To no effect.

Swiatek to win a quarter final spot against Emma Navarro.

Predictions:

Quarter finals:

Aryna Sabalenka (1) to defeat Zheng Qinwen (5)

CoCo Gauff (3) to defeat Jessica Pegula (7)

Elena Rybakina (6) to defeat Jasmine Paolini (4)

Iga Swiatek (2) to defeat Emma Navrrro (8)

Semi finals:

Aryna Sabalenka (1) to defeat CoCo Gauff (3)

Elena Rybakina (6) to defeat Iga Swiatek (2)

Final:

Aryna Sabalenka (1) to defeat Elena Rybakina (6)