ARYNA SABALENKA LAUNCHES AUSTRALIAN OPEN TITLE DEFENSE AGAINST STEPHENS, AS SWIATEK TAKES ON WORLD NO. 1 IN DOUBLES

Sabalenka’s path to the title is expected to be fraught with obstacles, including a potential third-round encounter with rising star Mirra Andreeva and a projected quarter-final showdown with fifth seed Zheng Qinwen. Should she successfully navigate these hurdles and claim her third consecutive title, Sabalenka will etch her name into the history books alongside legendary figures like Martina Hingis.

“Securing a place in history alongside those iconic players would be truly special,” Sabalenka acknowledged. “However, my focus remains on delivering my best tennis every time I step onto the court, with the ultimate goal of cementing my name alongside those legends.”

In the opposite half of the draw, Iga Swiatek of Poland is set to initiate her campaign against Katerina Siniakova, the reigning world No. 1 in doubles. Swiatek, who boasts an impressive 17-6 win-loss record at the Australian Open, is seeking to improve upon her semi-final appearance in 2022. Her potential path to the title includes a third-round encounter with Ekaterina Alexandrova, who faces a challenging opening match against former top 20 player and US Open champion Emma Raducanu.

Victoria Azarenka and Anna Kalinskaya are potential fourth-round adversaries for Swiatek, while Emma Navarro looms as a projected quarter-final opponent. Meanwhile, Coco Gauff has been drawn into an all-American first-round clash against 2020 champion Sofia Kenin. In her section, she may face Jelena Ostapenko in the last 16, who begins her campaign against Belinda Bencic.

Also in this section is Naomi Osaka, who will face Caroline Garcia in her opening match. Jasmine Paolini will initiate her bid against a qualifier, followed by a clash against either Taylor Townsend or Renata Zarzua. Elena Rybakina and Jessica Pegula will start their campaigns against wild cards Emerson Jones and Maya Joint, respectively.