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Australian Open 2024 women's singles preview and prediction: Another surprise awaits Melbourne crowd?
Will the Melbourne crowd witness another surprise champion, or will one from the Big Three claim the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup?
When Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek split the opening two Grand Slams last year, respectively, there was a discussion brewing over the new Big Three in tennis, but this time in WTA. The third in the 'Three' is Elena Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon winner, who had also reached the final in the Australian Open. Their dominance on the tour over the last 12 months sparked the talk. But eventually, as 2023 rolled on, WTA threw two new Slam winners - Marketa Vondrousova won in Wimbledon and Coco Gauff in the US Open, thus leaving the plot back to what it was ahead of the start of the 2024 Australian Open. Will the Melbourne crowd witness another surprise champion, or will one from the Big Three claim the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup?
FIRST QUARTER
You want to pick Swiatek, but she has been handed one of the most challenging draws, with a land mine or two. She faces Sofia Kenin in her opening round, who may be ranked just outside the seedings at World No.38, but the 25-year-old knows a thing or two about winning a title in Melbourne, having lifted the trophy in 2020. Moreover, she reached the French Open final that same year, but was undone by then unheralded Swiatek. It remains their only WTA meeting so far.
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If the Pole survives the opening bout, she would face one between Danielle Collins and Angelique Kerber in the second round. Interestingly, Swiatek is the only player of the two, yet to make the final in the Australian Open. The four-time major winner was beaten by Collins in the semis in Melbourne in 2022, while Swiatek recently beat Kerber during her five-match unbeaten run in the United Cup last week.
Later, she could play Elina Svitolina, who made the finals in Auckland last week, in the fourth round and Jelena Ostapenko, who made the summit clash in Adelaide on Friday, in the quarters. The former beat her at Wimbledon quarters last year while the latter in US Open.
Quarterfinal: Swiatek.
SECOND QUARTER
Like Swiatek, Rybakina too faces a tough opening tie in Melbourne, as she has been drawn against fellow big-server and former semifinalist in the Australian Open, Karolina Pliskova. The Russian-born Kazakh, however, leads 3-0 in the head-to-head tie against former World No.1, who had made the quarters in Melbourne last year. The world No. 3 is currently on a rampaging form, winning six of her seven matches this year, which includes a title win in Brisbane against Sabalenka. En route to her sixth WTA trophy, Rybakina did not lose a single set, a dropped only 15 games.
At the other end of the quarter sits Jessica Pegula, who has at least made the last eight in each of the previous three Australian Open editions. The American's first immediate threat lies in the fourth round with a possible match against Zheng Qinwen, the No.12 seed, although the Chinese star needs to overcome comeback player and 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu, who will play Shelby Rogers in the first round.
QUARTERFINAL: Rybakina beats Pegula.
THIRD QUARTER
Although the eyes will be on reigning US Open winner Coco Gauff, the highest-seeded player in this section of the draw (No. 4), who could meet former US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez in the third round, the focus could quickly shift to Naomi Osaka, who is making her Grand Slam return from maternity leave, playing her first major since 2022. The two-time Australian Open winner has been handed a difficult opening match, drawn against Caroline Garcia. If Osaka can overcome the opening few challenges, the 2024 Australian Open will be in for a mouth-watering fourth-round match between two former US Open champions.
Holding the other end of this quarter is Maria Sakkari, who could run into another former champion on Melbourne, Caroline Wozniacki, who is making a return to this Slam after four years.
QUARTERFINAL: Gauff.
FOURTH QUARTER
No.2 seed and defending champion Sabalenka has been handed a comfortable draw, with no immediate threat until the quarters, where she could run into No.6 Ons Jabeur, but the Tunisian has 2023 WTA Newcomer of the Year Mirra Andreeva lurking in her section with a possible second-round encounter.
QUARTERFINAL: Sabalenka.
SEMIFINAL: Rybakina beats Swiatek; Sabalenka beats Gauff.
FINAL: Rybakina beats Sabalenka.
