Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka, who eyes a historic three peat at the Melbourne Park this year, has been handed a tricky draw at the 2025 Australian Open, where she could face Zheng Qinwen of China in a rematch of the 2024 summit clash. Former US Open winner Coco Gauff, on the other hand will be up against fellow American and 2022 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin in round one.
Two-time defending champion Sabalenka kicked off the official draw ceremony on Thursday at Melbourne Park, along with defending men’s champion, Jannik Sinner. The World No.1, who for the first time in her career is the top-seeded player at a Slam, will be aiming to become the first woman to win three straight singles titles Down Under since Martina Hingis in 1997-99.
“To be back here, and to walk here with this beautiful trophy as the two-time defending champion is definitely something special,” Sabalenka said. “I really hope that I can keep doing what I’m doing here in Australia.”
“Putting your name into history and being next to those legends, it’s something special,” she added. “[Winning three in a row] would be huge, but I have to focus on myself … bring my best tennis every time I’m out there, and put my name next to those legends.”
But the Belarusian will have to negate a difficult start in Melbourne, where she has been drawn against 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens in the opening round. She could face No. 14 seed Mira Andreeva in the pre-quarters, before potentially taking on No.5 seed Zheng Qinwen in the quarterfinals in a rematch of last year’s championship. Sabalenka has also has Gauff in the same half of the draw, implying a blockbuster semifinal clash in on the cards.
The American too has been handed a difficult draw. She has two-time Australian Open winner Naomi Osaka, who will face France’s Caroline Garcia in the first round in for the second year in a row in Melbourne, in her quarter. The winner of that mouthwatering clash will face No.20 seed Karolina Muchova in Round 2, with No.16 seed Jelena Ostapenko potentially waiting for Gauff in the last 16.
In the other half of the draw, No.2 seed Iga Swiatek, whose best result in Melbourne came in 2022 with a run to the semifinal, will begin her campaign against Katerina Siniakova, and could face No.8 seed Emma Navarro in the quarters. Meanwhile, No.6 seed Elena Rybakina has America’s Danielle Collins potentially waiting in round four, before setting up a possible clash against No.4 seed Jasmine Paolini.