Australian Open 2025: 25 favorites to watch out for | No. 19, Women's Singles

Linda Noskova stunned the tennis world with her Australian Open heroics earlier this year. She ousted the then-World No. 1 Iga Swiatek en route to her maiden Grand Slam quarterfinal.

Upon closer look, however, the result wasn’t entirely surprising. The youngster possesses explosive groundstrokes that could push any opponent onto the backfoot. Her confidence was also sky-high, with her having posted dominant wins over the likes of Sorana Cirstea and Mirra Andreeva at Brisbane.

The dry, hot conditions Down Under accentuate Noskova’s piercing forehands and backhands as the ball flies faster through the air. The venue has rewarded big-hitters in recent years, be it Aryna Sabalenka or Naomi Osaka.

Thus, taking big swings at the ball makes for the right strategy at the Australian Open. And things are bound to get better with experience. In fact, 2024 was the first time that Noskova was playing in the main draw of the season’s opening Grand Slam.

In the few matches that she has played at the tournament, the Czech has managed to put together a win-loss record of 80%. That’s the best for the youngster at Grand Slam level.

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Linda Noskova will return to the Australian Open a renewed player

Linda Noskova made her Australian Open main draw debut in 2024. (Source: Getty)

While Noskova could not replicate her success from Down Under in the subsequent week, she came back strong in the latter half of the season.

The Czech finally broke past the finals hurdle, lifting her maiden Tour-level title in her third final. She beat the likes of Elina Svitolina and Emma Navarro before coming up against fellow 2024 breakout star Lulu Sun in the Monterrey Open final.

The WTA 500 tournament’s summit clash saw her eke out a tight opening set 7-6(6) before taking the win in straight sets. She would soon break into the top-25 of the WTA rankings.

Hardcourts have also been a happy hunting ground for Noskova. Her timing of the ball is just right on the surface, which has given her five of her total six top-10 wins. All of them have come in the last two years, starting with her 2023 Adelaide International victories over Daria Kasatkina and Ons Jabeur.

New seasons are always tricky, but seeing the pattern over the last two years — she reached the Adelaide International final in 2023 and the Australian Open quarterfinal in 2024 — inspires confidence in her abilities to shake off any jitters.

A good preseason could have her ready and raring to go once again. And this year, when she arrives at Melbourne Park, Noskova will have under her belt the experience of having played and won at the Rod Laver Arena. That could make all the difference in the world.