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The tennis world is abuzz with excitement as the Australian Open 2025 is set to begin on Sunday, January 12. Most of the tour's leading women are ready to rumble in Melbourne, aside from a few notable exceptions, such as Barbora Krejcikova and Caroline Wozniacki.
Teen sensation Mirra Andreeva will be gunning to secure her maiden Major title, while Jasmine Paolini will hope that the third time's the charm after losing two Major finals last year. Naomi Osaka, twice a winner in Melbourne, will hope that her recent injury isn't serious and she's able to win the first title of her comeback.
While there are plenty of capable players on the women's tour, the leading contenders for the title are quite clear. Here's a look at the favorites to win the women's singles title at the Australian Open 2025:
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#5 - Elena Rybakina
Despite an injury-curtailed 2024 season, Rybakina tasted plenty of success. She won three titles, all at the WTA 500 level, and reached two more finals, both at the WTA 100 level. She also advanced to the Wimbledon semifinals and beat World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka at the WTA Finals.
Rybakina led Kazakhstan to the semifinals of the United Cup to kick off the new year. She remained unbeaten in singles and doubles until she lost to Iga Swiatek in straight sets in their semifinal showdown. She's a former runner-up at the Australian Open and one of the most dangerous players on hard courts.
Compared to her main rivals, Rybakina's first few matches at the Australian Open 2025 are quite easy. She shouldn't be in hot waters until the fourth round, where she's expected to duel against Madison Keys. If she gets past the American, then it will be difficult to stop her once she has momentum on her side.
#4 - Zheng Qinwen
Zheng had an easy road to the final of last year's Australian Open, her first at a Major. She didn't face a top 50 player and was beaten by Sabalenka in straight sets in the final. The Belarusian has continuously proven to be a thorn in her side.
Zheng has lost all five of her matches against Sabalenka, and pushed her to three sets only once, when they battled for the Wuhan Open title last year. The two are slated to lock horns in the quarterfinals this year at the Melbourne Major.
This will be Zheng's best chance to topple Sabalenka, considering the amount of pressure her rival will be under. She's the underdog in this match-up, and a win over her biggest rival could do wonders for her confidence, and even position her to win her maiden Major title.
#3 - Iga Swiatek
Swiatek's best result at the Australian Open has been a semifinal appearance in 2022. She hasn't advanced beyond the fourth round on all other occasions. She has a 17-6 record at the venue and was stunned by Linda Noskova in the third round last year.
Swiatek started the new season by leading Poland to the final of the United Cup. She won all of her matches until the championship round when she went down to Coco Gauff in straight sets. It marked her second consecutive defeat to her American rival, though just her third across their 14 matches.
While the French Open has become Swiatek's fortress, she hasn't impressed much at the other Majors in the last two years. While she did win the US Open in 2022, she continues to underperform by her standards at Wimbledon and the Australian Open.
Swiatek's draw this year is tricky, with the likes of Emma Raducanu, Amanda Anisimova, and Victoria Azarenka in her section until the fourth round. Rybakina could also meet her later in the semifinals but having beaten her recently, she will be feeling confident of her chances against her. However, despite the big names, this appears to be a great opportunity for her to make a play for the title.
#2 - Aryna Sabalenka
Two-time defending champion Sabalenka is gunning to become one of the few players in history to win three straight Major titles at the same venue. Martina Hingis was the last woman to do so in Melbourne when she achieved the feat with her third title in 1999.
Sabalenka started 2025 with a title at the Brisbane International and improved her record in Australia to 27-1 since the start of 2023. Rybakina is the only player to beat her during this time, and she's in the other half of the draw this year, and won't meet her before the final.
However, Sabalenka will need to navigate some dangerous opponents. Sloane Stephens, though out of form, is her first-round opponent. Even though she has never lost to Zheng, things could go south this time if they meet in the quarterfinals. Lastly, the in-form Gauff will be her biggest test.
Gauff beat her when they met at last year's WTA Finals, and leads their rivalry 5-4. Sabalenka did oust her younger rival en route to the title here last year. Australia has become her favorite hunting ground, and regardless of the draw, her results make her one of the favorites to win the title once again.
#1 - Coco Gauff
Gauff is the leading pick to win the women's singles title at the Australian Open 2025. After a dip in her results last summer, during which she failed to defend her titles at the Cincinnati Open and the US Open, she split with her coach Brad Gilbert and hired Matt Daly.
Gauff thrived with her new coach and won the China Open, their first tournament together. She then reached the semifinals of the Wuhan Open, and won the WTA Finals, with wins over Swiatek and Sabalenka to boot.
The 20-year-old shows no signs of slowing down. She was instrumental in Team USA's victory at the United Cup 2025 as she won all of her singles and doubles matches in straight sets, and was named as the MVP.
Gauff's best result at the Australian Open was a semifinal showing last year. She has won 18 of her last 20 matches and has beaten five top 10 players during this period. Her confidence is at an all-time high, she's playing well, and it wouldn't be surprising to see her ride this wave of momentum to the title here.
