Australian Open 2022: Women's singles power rankings

Following two weeks of high-octane tennis at warm-up events in Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide, the focus will shift to the 2022 Australian Open. A number of top players have already begun arriving at Melbourne Park, which will host the season's first Grand Slam from 17 January.

Leading the women's field at this year's tournament is top seed Ashleigh Barty along with defending champion Naomi Osaka, but a slew of other in-form players will be looking to make an impact on the big stage.

Here, we rank the top eight contenders for the title based on their performances in the Australian Open series over the last three years.

Note: The following formula was used to calculate the power rankings for this year's Australian Open: (1x points earned in the 2022 AO series + 0.75x points earned in the 2021 AO series + 0.5x points earned in the 2020 AO series).

Only points earned by reaching the quarterfinals or further in a tournament counted towards the rankings. This was done to avoid giving undue advantage to seeded players who received early-round byes in the WTA 250 and 500 tournaments.

#8 Petra Kvitova

Petra Kvitova with the runner-up trophy at the 2019 Australian Open.

Petra Kvitova has enjoyed plenty of success Down Under over the years, winning a number of titles in addition to her run to the final at the 2019 Australian Open.

Although she hasn't managed to replicate that success over the last couple of years, her quarterfinal run at Melbourne Park in 2020 and a semifinal finish at the Brisbane International in the same year were enough to earn her a spot on the list.

Kvitova has a 1-2 win-loss record this season, but her power-packed game could deal a lot of damage on the Melbourne hardcourts. The Czech faces a tough test in her opening round against Sorana Cirstea.

#7 Elena Rybakina

Elena Rybakina reached the final of 2022 Adelaide International 1.

Elena Rybakina has made a habit of making strong starts to the season and 2022 is no exception. The big-serving Kazakh reached the final at Adelaide International 1, where she was beaten by none other than World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty.

That, coupled with her title at the 2020 Hobart International, is proof of just how comfortable the youngster is on the courts in Australia. Ryabkina is seeded 12 at this year's Australian Open -- her highest at a Grand Slam event -- and with a relatively easy draw, she could well fly under the radar.

#6 Iga Swiatek

Iga Swiatek lifted the trophy at the 2021 Adelaide International.

Iga Swiatek lifted her first WTA tour title in Adelaide last year, scoring dominant wins over some of the most established names on the tour.

The Pole picked up right where she left off at this year's tournament, winning two matches in the South Australian city before being stopped by Barty. But the youngster has shown that she has the game to do well outside of her preferred claycourts.

Swiatek has good memories from playing at Melbourne Park, where she made it to the second week in 2020. She has looked solid in her first few matches of the year and should definitely be considered a contender for the title.

#5 Garbine Muguruza

Garbine Muguruza with the runner-up trophy at the 2020 Australian Open.

Garbine Muguruza has experienced a renaissance over the last couple of years and it all began at the 2020 Australian Open.

Having reunited with former coach Conchita Martinez, the Spaniard made the final at Melbourne Park in 2020, her first Slam final since winning the 2017 Wimbledon Championships.

Muguruza has since climbed steadily up the rankings and finds herself back in the top 10.

The two-time Major champion holds a 1-1 record for the year, but she will definitely fancy her chances of coming through the bottom half of the Melbourne draw.

#4 Simona Halep

Simona Halep lifted the trophy at a Melbourne warmup event.

Another former finalist on the list, Simona Halep enters the 2022 Australian Open in better form than both Kvitova and Muguruza.

The Romanian, who had an injury-plagued 2021 season, looked rejuvenated at the start of the year as she secured a 23rd career title at the Melbourne Summer Set.

Halep's quarterfinal and semifinal appearances respectively in the last two editions of the Australian Open underline her credentials as a title contenders.

#3 Sofia Kenin

Sofia Kenin took home the 2020 Australian Open crown.

2020 Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin was very open about her struggles to cope with the pressure of the being defending champion at last year's tournament.

The American was knocked out in the second round by Kaia Kanepi. Kenin's season was further derailed by injuries and a loss of form, but she appears to be in better head space this year.

Kenin even managed to showcase the incredible fighting skills, a big feature of her title-winning run in 2020, in her Adelaide match against Ajla Tomljanovic. A return to Melbourne Park, sans the pressure of being the defending champion, might just be what the youngster needs to re-discover her form.

#2 Naomi Osaka

Naomi Osaka is a two-time former champion.

The only multi-time Australian Open champion on this list is Naomi Osaka, who will be in the spotlight throughout the tournament.

Osaka will be looking to defend precious ranking points at this year's tournament, while at the same time, putting her turbulent 2021 season well and truly behind her.

When she's at her best, the Japanese is incredibly hard to beat. She looked in ominous form at the Melbourne Summer Set, before an injury brought her campaign to a halt. It would take a big effort from the rest of the field to stop Osaka in her quest for back-to-back Australian Open crowns.

#1 Ashleigh Barty

Ashleigh Barty will be hoping to secure her third Grand Slam trophy.

World No. 1 and home hope Ashleigh Barty will be among the favorites for the title. The Aussie got her season off to the perfect start, securing her second Adelaide International crown in three years.

She has also made the quarterfinals or better at the last three editions of her home Slam. Considering the sort of season she had in 2021, Barty looks primed to go all the way this year.

The World No. 1 will be under serious pressure as she looks to end the long wait for a homegrown champion, but she has proven her mental prowess on multiple occasions in the past.

Honourable mentions

Seasoned campaigners Anett Kontaveit, Daria Kasatkina, Ons Jabeur, Elise Mertens and Madison Keys, and young guns like Coco Gauff and Amanda Anisimova are more than capable of springing up a surprise or two.