Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka celebrates with the trophy at Pat Rafter Arena after defeating Russia's Polina Kudermetova in the final of the Brisbane International on Jan 5. AFP
Aryna Sabalenka will look to join a select group of players who have won three straight Australian Open titles this month, but the big question ahead of the year's first Grand Slam is: Can anyone stop the Belarusian from tightening her grip on the women's game?
The 26-year-old world No 1 is the red-hot favorite at Melbourne Park, where another victory would give her a fourth major title and widen the rankings gap between her and Iga Swiatek of Poland and Coco Gauff of the United States.
Sabalenka, who started her season by winning an 18th career WTA title in Brisbane on Sunday, has reached at least the semifinals at nine of her last 12 Grand Slams, a run which included the addition of the US Open crown to her trophy cabinet.
That kind of form has earned comparisons with Serena Williams, who got to the final four at 10 Grand Slams between 2014 and 2017 during a run when the American great won six of her 23 major titles.
"Definitely, I've got some confidence at the Grand Slams," said Sabalenka, who can become the first woman to capture three successive Australian Open titles since Switzerland's Martina Hingis achieved the feat between 1997 and '99.
"I know I'm capable of so many things, that I'm able to hold that beautiful trophy. It's good to know that. But, there's still (some) way to go. A lot of things have to be done.
"You have to focus on improving yourself every day, do your best and hope for the best. That's my mentality going into the Australian Open."
After being replaced by Sabalenka as world No 1 at the end of last season, Swiatek has no shortage of motivation heading into the Melbourne Park major.
The Pole held the top spot for 125 weeks during two spells starting in the 2022 season, and, while the clay courts of Paris continue to offer her the best chance of adding to her five major titles, she is already showing strong form in Australia.
A Melbourne semifinalist in 2022, Swiatek, 23, delivered some strong individual performances in the United Cup mixed team competition, taking Poland to the final last weekend.
"I'm very satisfied with my game," said the world No 2, who served a month-long suspension late last year over a doping violation.
"I was able to overcome difficult moments by maintaining a high level of tennis for a long time. This is what all players seek, so it's nice to feel like this already in the first week of competition."
Swiatek came up short in her bid to lead Poland to victory at the United Cup after she lost in straight sets to Gauff, who hailed the win over the Pole as one of the best performances of her career.
Gauff's sole Grand Slam title came at Flushing Meadows in 2023, and she underlined her hardcourt credentials by beating both Sabalenka and Swiatek en route to winning the WTA Finals in November.
"I think after the way she finished (last season), she's going to be really interesting to watch," said Australia's former women's doubles world No 1 Rennae Stubbs.
"I believe she has absolutely put her hands up to be one of the favorites for the Australian Open."
Last year's tournament highlighted the depth of the women's game, with China's Zheng Qinwen enjoying an inspired run to the final. The Olympic champion will be fresh for another tilt at the title after opting out of the warm-up tournaments.
Melbourne's blue courts have often favored big hitters like Zheng, and there are few women on the tour who pack a punch like Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion.
Rybakina, who lost to Sabalenka in the 2023 Australian Open final, has bolstered her team by adding Novak Djokovic's former coach Goran Ivanisevic, and has already started to reap the rewards with dominant displays in the build-up to the Aussie Open, which runs from Sunday to Jan 26.
Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka should also be in the mix, providing she overcomes the abdominal issue that scuttled her Auckland title bid.
Jasmine Paolini was the surprise package of the 2024 season, with runner-up finishes at the French Open and Wimbledon. The ever-smiling Italian will be hoping it will be third time lucky in the tournament dubbed the "Happy Slam".
Reuters
