No woman has dominated the Australian Open like Novak Djokovic has on the men’s side, but Aryna Sabalenka has clearly established herself as the cream of the crop Down Under. Sabalenka has triumphed at Melbourne Park in each of the past two years and she goes for a three-peat as the No. 1 player in the world.
Of course, the Belarusian will get plenty of competition from a deep women’s field. Among the other contenders are Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek and Qinwen Zheng. Let's take a look at the best bets to make on the women’s side at the Australian Open before play gets underway on Sunday.
- ARYNA SABALENKA
- COCO GAUFF
- ELENA RYBAKINA
- JASMINE PAOLINI
- EMMA NAVARRO
Sabalenka Favored, And For Good Reason
Sabalenka is the undisputed queen of Australia, at least as it stands right now. The top seed has lifted the trophy in Melbourne twice in a row and has not lost prior to the fourth round since 2020. Her preparation for the upcoming fortnight featured a title this past week in Brisbane, where she posted straight-set victories over current Adelaide semifinalist Yulia Putintseva and teenage sensation Mirra Andreeva along the way.
Gauff landing in her half of the bracket isn’t great news, but otherwise the path to another title looks manageable for Sabalenka. Swiatek and Elena Rybakina in the other half is something Sabalenka definitely won’t complain about and a first-round matchup with Sloane Stephens is only attractive to the casual tennis fan on paper. Make no mistake about it – Stephens is a shadow of her former self. Sabalenka should make quick work of Stephens in her opening match, likely sending her on the way to a third consecutive triumph Down Under.
ARYNA SABALENKA
Gauff Coming Off United Cup Heroics
Gauff wasted no time cementing her status as a serious threat to win the Australian Open. The world No. 3 came out of the 2025 gates like gangbusters at the United Cup team competition in Perth and Sydney, going 5-0 in singles without losing a single set while leading the United States to the title.
Gauff’s heroics included defeats of Swiatek and former French Open runner-up Karolina Muchova, so the American has to be brimming with confidence heading into Melbourne. Dating back to last season, which Gauff ended by winning the year-end championship (the WTA Finals), she is on a nine-match winning streak.
Her Aussie Open draw is a decent one. She could run into Sabalenka in the semis but would not have to face either Swiatek or Rybakina until the final. A semifinalist at this tournament last January, there is no reason why Gauff can’t go two steps farther in 2025.
COCO GAUFF
Rybakina A Question Mark
Let’s start with the good news. Rybakina is a former Grand Slam winner (Wimbledon in 2022) and finished runner-up at the Australian Open to Sabalenka in 2023. The Kazakh certainly knows what she is doing on the biggest stages in tennis. She is also playing well to begin this new season, having compiled a 3-1 record at the United Cup with a loss only to Swiatek.
Now, let’s get to the red flag. Rybakina’s coaching situation is nothing short of bizarre. Her longtime coach, Stefano Vukov, has been suspended by the WTA Tour for a code of conduct violation. That led to the world No. 6 hiring Goran Ivanisevic, who previously worked with Novak Djokovic.
Earlier this week, however, Rybakina indicated that Vukov is coming back for the Australian Open – after which Ivanisevic said he was unsure about his own status. Regardless, Rybakina never seems to let any external factors impact her game and she should be considered one of the top contenders at Melbourne Park.
ELENA RYBAKINA
Paolini Has Eyes On The Prize
No player on the WTA Tour was more of a surprising revelation in 2024 than Paolini. The Italian started the year at No. 29 in the world and had never advanced past the second round at any of the four majors. From basically out of nowhere, Paolini advanced to the fourth round of the Australian Open, finished runner-up at both the French Open and Wimbledon and reached the fourth round of the U.S. Open. She comes into the 2025 campaign at fourth in the rankings.
Thought to be somewhat of a clay-court specialist prior to last season, Paolini has proven to be an all-court force. She reached Grand Slam finals on clay and grass along with winning a 1000-point title on hard courts (Dubai). The Italian has an ideal draw in Melbourne, as she would not meet Swiatek until the semis and either Sabalenka or Gauff until the final.
JASMINE PAOLINI
Navarro’s Time Could Be Now
Navarro was not a big name on tour going into last season, but that has changed in a major way. The 23-year-old American soared from 38th in the rankings to eighth, buoyed by a quarterfinal showing at Wimbledon and a semifinal run at the US Open. It’s safe to say that she shines when the lights are brightest – as they will be again at the Australian Open.
It is a good idea to seek out some longshots when it comes to betting on any Grand Slam, and the Aussie Open is certainly no exception. It is arguably the most unpredictable of the four since it comes right at the start of each season and players can show obvious signs of rust. Navarro is without question one of the proverbial longshots with the best value. Her draw is relatively favorable, too, with Sabalenka and Gauff in the opposite half.
EMMA NAVARRO
