Iga Swiatek extending World No. 1 lead, Coco Gauff's quest for career-high No. 2 spot and other ranking battles at Australian Open 2024

The 2024 edition of the Australian Open is all set to start on Sunday (January 14). There are some interesting storylines that are waiting to unfold in Melbourne.

World No. 1 Iga Swiatek is the overwhelming favorite to record her maiden Happy Slam triumph. The Pole will have plenty of resistance from fellow top players though, as Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina — all of whom have defeated her recently — begin their respective bids for a second Major title.

The depth of the women's singles draw is quite impressive this year, with the likes of Barbora Krejčíková, Zheng Qinwen, Lidumilla Samsonova and Petra Kvitova seeded in the 11-20 range.

The WTA rankings will likely change significantly after the Australian Open ends. So, it goes without saying that the top players will be going all-out at the Happy Slam for new ranking breakthroughs.

With so much at stake, let's take a look at some of the most intriguing ranking narratives that will shape the players' performance at the 2024 Australian Open.

#1 Iga Swiatek will retain World No. 1 position after Melbourne even if she loses in first round

Iga Swiatek hits a forehand at the 2023 Stuttgart Open

Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka were embroiled in a close race for the year-end World No. 1 position last year after the Belarusian reached the US Open final. The Pole had lost her top spot, as she lost in the fourth round of the New York Slam.

Swiatek took back the No. 1 position soon after as she picked up big titles in Beijing and Fort Worth. She also strengthened her grip further on the ranking spot thanks to her imperious United Cup campaign. As things stand right now, the Pole will fly out of the 2024 Australian Open as the top-ranked player in any scenario.

The 22-year-old currently leads the second-ranked Sabalenka by 975 ranking points, as she stands at 9,880 points. Sabalenka, who has 8,905 points at the moment, will drop 2,000 points at the beginning of the week, and Swiatek will drop 240 as she lost in the fourth round at last year's Australian Open.

This means that the Belarusian will trail her archrival by at least 2,735 points in the live rankings. In simpler terms, even in the hypothetical scenario where Sabalenka takes the title in Melbourne and Swiatek loses in her opener, the deficit will only come down to 735 points in the latter's favour.

#2 Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka to vie for the No. 2 position at the Australian Open

Coco Gauff poses with the 2023 US Open trophy

Coco Gauff graduated from being a top-eight mainstay to a solid contender for top honours last year. The 19-year-old has won five titles on the WTA Tour in the last one year, bringing her rankings total up to 6,660 points. The American will be keen to improve on her fourth-round finish at the 2023 Australian Open.

Aryna Sabalenka, meanwhile, is defending 2,000 ranking points at the Australian Open, by virtue of her maiden Major title-winning run last year. While the Belarusian has realistically no shot at regaining the No. 1 spot, she can slip down to No. 3 if she loses early.

Once the Happy Slam begins, Gauff will drop 240 points, meaning that there will only be a gap of 485 points that separate her and the World No. 2. That means if Gauff reaches the semifinals, and Sabalenka loses before the quarterfinals, the American will leapfrog the Belarusian to reach a new career-high ranking of No. 2.

If Gauff manages to reach the final in Melbourne, Sabalenka will have no other option but to win the title if she wants to retain her place in the rankings.

#3 Marketa Vondrousova, Karolina Muchova, Liudmilla Samsonova, and Zheng Qinwen looking to reach new career-high rankings

Karolina Muchova will be one of the players to look out for at the Australian Open

Marketa Vondrousova, Karolina Muchova, Lidumilla Samsonova and Zheng Qinwen enjoyed career-best seasons in 2023, solidifying their place inside the WTA's top 20 rankings. They will have plausible chances of reaching new career-high rankings at next week's Australian Open, given that they lost early at the 2023 edition of the tournament.

Vondrousova reached a career-high ranking of No. 6 after her surprise triumph at Wimbledon last year. The Czech had used a Protected Ranking during her last campaign at the Australian Open, which she exited in the third round. With 3,966 points to her name, she can break into the top 5 if any of the usual suspects lose early.

Muchova, runner-up at the 2021 French Open, lost in the second round of the Melbourne Slam last year. Currently at 3,590 ranking points, she can reach a new career-high ranking of at least No. 7, since she is defending only 70 points at the tournament.

Samsonova and Qinwen, meanwhile, are yet to have an impact at the Majors. They, however, put together consistent performances at the tour-level events in 2023, bringing their ranking inside the top 15. Both of them can break into the top 10 if they enjoy a giant-killing, deep run at the 2024 Australian Open.