5 huge Australian Open women’s singles Round 1 matches to watch: ft Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, Emma Raducanu
The Australian Open draw is set and, as always, there are plenty of blockbuster opening matches early on in the women’s singles event.
Here are our five best opening-round matches to watch once the action gets underway at Melbourne Park on Sunday.
(1) Aryna Sabalenka vs Sloane Stephens
H2H: Sabalenka 4-0 Stephens
Two-time defending champion Sabalenka is the tournament favourite in Melbourne, but she’ll have to beat a fellow Grand Slam champion straight off the bat to win her third straight Australian Open.
It has been over seven years since Stephens won her sole major title at the 2017 US Open and the American has slumped down to 84th in the world rankings, struggling with consistency in recent years.
However, if she can find her best form, she is a threat to anyone – and she was a semi-finalist at this tournament back in 2013.
A 4-0 head-to-head advantage suggests in-form Sabalenka should win this in straight sets, but it will be an interesting opener for the world No 1.
(3) Coco Gauff vs Sofia Kenin
H2H: Gauff 1-2 Kenin
Five years on from her Australian Open triumph, can Kenin channel past glories to once again defeat Gauff at a major?
Kenin defeated Gauff on her way to that title in 2020 and then stunned the current world No 3 in the opening round of Wimbledon in 2023 – having come through qualifying to reach the main draw.
Former US Open champion Gauff approaches this tournament in fine form and as many people’s pick to lift the title, having gone 5-0 at the United Cup.
However, the third seed will be more aware than anyone of the threat Kenin can pose, and the world No 81 – once ranked as high as fourth – is not to be dismissed lightly.
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Naomi Osaka vs Caroline Garcia
H2H: Osaka 2-2 Garcia
Twelve months after Garcia beat Osaka 6-4, 7-6(2) in her opening match of the 2024 Australian Open, the pair again do battle on the hard courts of Melbourne.
That was the first of three meetings between the two in the opening months of last season, with Osaka prevailing in Doha before losing to the Frenchwoman for a second time in Miami.
The Japanese is a two-time champion at this event though approaches this fortnight after an injury scare in the Auckland final, while Garcia is working her way back after an early end to her 2024.
Matches between Osaka and Garcia last year were high in quality and big in hitting; expect nothing different this time around – though it is hard to call who prevails.
Belinda Bencic vs (16) Jelena Ostapenko
H2H: Bencic 1-1 Ostapenko
Former top-five players Bencic and Ostapenko have met just twice, and this will be their first meeting since a second-round clash at the Australian Open in 2020.
Bencic won 7-5, 7-5 on that occasion though expectations are slightly lower for the Swiss here, as the former world No 4 slowly works her way back after welcoming her first child last April.
The 27-year-old has competed at a pretty consistent level since her return in November 2024 though it is always hard to guess how anyone will fare against Ostapenko, arguably the WTA’s most streaky player.
Seeded 16th in Melbourne, the Latvian fell early in her Adelaide title defence this week but probably enters this clash as the favourite to win.
(26) Ekaterina Alexandrova vs Emma Raducanu
H2H: First meeting
After Russian star Alexandrova withdrew from a projected Wimbledon clash between these two last summer, the 26th seed and Raducanu are finally set to meet for the first time.
This will be Raducanu’s first match of the season and, as always, there is huge interest around the Brit, particularly after her withdrawal from the Auckland Open last week.
Against Alexandrova, she faces a big, flat hitter, who beat the likes of Iga Swiatek and Jessica Pegula in 2024 – but has never really performed at her best at Grand Slam tournaments.
There is a sense that this is a winnable match for the 2021 US Open champion, though the 26th seed is not to be underestimated.
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