2025 Brisbane draw: Aryna Sabalenka & Paula Badosa on collision course, Ons Jabeur returns, Emma Navarro features

Aryna Sabalenka, Emma Navarro, Paula Badosa and Ons Jabeur headline the draw for the WTA 500 event at the 2025 Brisbane International.
Elena Rybakina was the reigning champion, having downed Sabalenka in the 2024 final, but she opted to lead Kazakhstan at the 2025 United Cup rather than returning to Brisbane this year.
The 48-player singles draw features 16 seeded players — who each receive a first round bye. 10 of the WTA’s top 20 players are in action following the pre-tournament withdrawal of world No 7 Jessica Pegula.
World No 1 and top seed Sabalenka is a strong favourite for the title, while eighth-ranked Navarro and ninth-ranked Kasatkina are seeded second and third respectively. Badosa, the world No 12, is the fourth seed.
Sabalenka will play either Viktoriya Tomova or Renata Zarazua in the second round in her opening match.
The 26-year-old Belarusian could then face Yulia Putintseva in the third round, before a possible quarter-final clash with Jelena Ostapenko or Victoria Azarenka.
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In the semi-finals, Sabalenka is projected for a showdown with her close friend, Badosa, while Mirra Andreeva and Linda Noskova are other potential last four opponents.
The three-time Grand Slam winner could take on Navarro, Kasatkina, Diana Shnaider or Anna Kalinskaya in the championship match.
After Brisbane, Sabalenka will head to the Australian Open, where she is a two-time defending champion.
Seeded players at the 2025 Brisbane International WTA 500 event
(1) Aryna Sabalenka
(2) Emma Navarro
(3) Daria Kasatkina
(4) Paula Badosa
(5) Diana Shnaider
(6) Anna Kalinskaya
(7) Jelena Ostapenko
(8) Mirra Andreeva
(9) Marta Kostyuk
(10) Victoria Azarenka
(11) Magdalena Frech
(12) Linda Noskova
(13) Liudmila Samsonova
(14) Ekaterina Alexandrova
(15) Yulia Putintseva
(16) Dayana Yastremska
Navarro will play the winner of the all-Australian opening round match between Priscilla Hon and Kimberly Birrell in her first match.
Kasatkina will start her campaign against either Veronika Kudermetova or Peyton Stearns, while Badosa will play Elina Avanesyan or Rebecca Sramkova.
The tournament also marks the comeback of former world No 2 and three-time Grand Slam runner-up Ons Jabeur, who has not played since the Canadian Open in early August due to a shoulder injury.
The 30-year-old Tunisian, who is unseeded in Brisbane after slipping to 42nd in the WTA Rankings, will face Saisai Zheng in her first match.