World number one Iga Świątek leads the women’s draw at the Australian Open without some of the biggest stars of recent times. Ashleigh Barty, who lifted the trophy 12 months ago, and Serena Williams retired, while 2019 and 2021 winner Naomi Osaka retired. (Read Also: Sania Mirza to retire after Dubai duty-free Tennis Championship)
Here are five top players to watch:
Iga Świątek
Seizing the opportunity after Barty retired, the 21-year-old dominated 2022, winning eight WTA titles and becoming the first six-year-old to win two Grand Slams in the same season – at Roland Garros and in New York. After losing the Australian Open semi-final to Danielle Collins, Świątek has no issue. She clinched the trophy in Doha a month later, starting an incredible streak of 37 games in which he was unsuccessful five months later to finish the third round of Wimbledon. Świątek started preparations for this year’s Australian Open with three straight US Cup wins. But a 6-2, 6-2 loss to Jessica Pegula in the semi-finals left Świątek in tears. complain of feeling “impotent” and unable to show themselves “physically and mentally”.
Ons Jabeur
The Tunisian world number two is set for a Grand Slam breakthrough after finishing second at Wimbledon and the US Open last year. The 28-year-old has set her sights on ousting Świątek at the top in 2023 and becoming the first Arab and African woman to win a Grand Slam tournament. The last Flower Jabeur was 26 when she Still a virgin won WTA titles in Birmingham in 2021, with trophies from Madrid and Berlin added last year. “I’m not someone to let go,” assured Jabeur after losing the US Open final to Świątek.
Jessica Pegula
The 28-year-old world No.3 comes down after winning the Melbourne Park to the United Cup-winning US team. where they won four out of five games and defeated Świątek. Pegula, whose parents are billionaires and owners of the NFL club Buffalo Bills, reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open in 2021 and last year, where she was outclassed by an angry Barty. With Barty out, she proved to be Swiatek’s greatest to be challenged. Calm Pegula admitted last year that she spent her time relaxing at the blackjack table in a Melbourne casino.
Aryna Sabalenka
The Belarusian assured to be in a “big fight” at the Australian Open. After she won Adelaide this month for the 11th WTA title of her career. The 24-year-old left-hander returned to form last season, reaching the semi-finals of the US Open and the final of the WTA Championships. Where she lost to Caroline Garcia.Sabalenka can suffer from nervousness, which was all too evident in her first two games of the season in Australia last year when she burst into tears when her serve broke.
Coco Gauff
18 years- Old American Coco Gauff arrives at Melbourne Park in style after winning her third WTA title at the Auckland Classic earlier this month. The world No. 7 won hearts at the age of 15 at Wimbledon 2019 when she entered the qualifiers and reached the last 16, beating five-time winner Venus Williams in the process.
His exploits launched “Coco Mania” and won his first WTA title of the year, the second of 2021 when he defeated Barty in Rome. Last year, her upward trend accelerated when she reached her first Grand Slam final, losing to Świątek at Roland Garros.
