Serena Williams and Angelique Kerber lead list of contenders to win Australian Open women’s title
Serena Williams is back in Melbourne for the first time since giving birth to her daughter and she’s the hot favourite to win a record 24th Grand Slam title but there’s a long list of other players who are in the mix. The women’s contenders analysed.
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Serena Williams is back in Melbourne for the first time since lifting the trophy at the 2017 Australian Open and the 23-time Grand Slam champion is the favourite to claim this year’s crown.
The 37-year-old returns after giving birth to her first child, Alexis Olympia, but going on maternity leave has done nothing to impact her dominance.
In her three Grand Slam appearances since making her comeback last year, Williams has reached two finals — at Wimbledon and the US Open — and made a fourth-round appearance at the French Open before withdrawing due to injury.
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It’s for this reason, combined with ominous form shown in Perth at the Hopman Cup to begin her season, Williams returns to Australia as the hot favourite to claim her 24th Grand Slam title.
But there’s a long list of challengers waiting, all of which have genuine claims to be considered right in the race to win the women’s title.
KATE SALEMME analyses the women’s contenders for 2019.
SERENA WILLIAMS
Williams was in good early form at the Hopman Cup, playing three singles matches and three doubles ties to get herself ready for the Australian Open. While she showed some signs of rust having not played since her US Open final loss, Williams was undefeated in singles, beating former top-10 player Belinda Bencic, world No.41 Maria Sakkari and rising star Katie Boulter. The 23-time Grand Slam winner was tested in all three matches, most notably against Bencic when she was pushed in three tight and tough sets, but emerged with an unblemished record after finding her rhythm on her serve and groundstrokes. While the focus is mostly on Williams’ power game, her movement around the court is very underrated and she looked particularly sharp in Perth. When her feet are moving and she’s moving up to the ball, that’s when she’s very hard to beat. Williams looks fit and coach Patrick Mouratoglou says she’s “ready for the Australian Open”. Could face world No.1 Simona Halep or sister Venus in the fourth round.
ANGELIQUE KERBER
Kerber bounced back from a disappointing 2017 season by winning her first Wimbledon title last year, defeating Williams, and rising back up the world rankings. She heads to Melbourne seeded No.2 and after an impressive week in Perth at the Hopman Cup and two more matches in Sydney, looks well placed to pick up from where she left off in 2018. The left-hander is a very tricky opponent not only because lefties are tough to play against but she makes her opponent’s work for every point because of her incredible work ethic. Kerber can be like a brick wall — she has the ability to chase down balls at all angles because she’s very quick around the court and is one of the best movers in the game. She can also turn defence into attack even when it seems like she’s on the back foot. The German added a bigger attacking streak to her game, which makes her even more dangerous. Has a dream draw and should easily make the quarterfinals at the very least.
KAROLINA PLISKOVA
The Czech has long been seen as a Grand Slam champion-in-waiting but is yet to claim her first major title. Is all that about to change? Pliskova got her season off to the best possible start by winning the Brisbane International and heads to Melbourne full of confidence that she can win matches no matter the circumstance after being two points away from losing to Lesia Tsurenko in the final. The world No.8 made the quarterfinals at the Australian and US Opens last year and still boasts one of the biggest weapons on tour — her huge serve, which gives her the ability to win easy points. But her game is based on more than just a big serve — she’s a power hitter who is more than capable at the net. Pliskova is working with Australian Rennae Stubbs, who seems to know exactly how to get the best out of her.
SIMONA HALEP
The world No.1 finally broke her Grand Slam drought at the French Open in 2018 and will return to Melbourne with unfinished business after losing a thrilling final to Caroline Wozniacki last year. Halep began her season in Sydney on Wednesday but was defeated by Aussie Ash Barty, meaning she’s played just one match in preparation — that’s not ideal. Her run to the final last year was Halep’s best result in Melbourne since 2015 after back-to-back first-round exits, so she can be a bit hit or miss here. How much impact will her recent split with long-time coach Darren Cahill have on her? Has a very tough draw, facing big-hitter Kaia Kanepi in the first round and could face Venus Williams in the third round, followed by Serena Williams in the fourth. Ouch.
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI
Woznaicki was another to break her Grand Slam drought in 2018 by winning the Australian Open but didn’t have much joy at the other three major tournaments, crashing out in the second round at both Wimbledon and the US Open. Seeded No.3, Wozniacki began her season in Auckland last week and was beaten by Canadian Bianca Andreescu, who is ranked outside the top 100 but had a good week in New Zealand where she reached the final after also shocking Venus Williams. Wozniacki doesn’t possess the weapons of a Williams or a Pliskova but like Halep and Kerber, her fighting spirit and ability to defend and make her opponent play one more shot makes her really tough to play against. How she copes with the pressure of being defending champion will be an interesting storyline to follow. Could face Maria Sharapova in the third round.
NAOMI OSAKA
The US Open champion’s rise from unknown to giant killer in the space of a season has been stunning. Osaka defeated Williams in the final at the US Open and possesses much of the same weapons as the 23-time Grand Slam winner, with power being at the heart of her game. Coached by Williams’ former long-time hitting partner Sascha Bajin, Osaka has clearly learnt the best ways to harness her talent and power game from a man who knows exactly how Williams harnessed hers. The 21-year-old is one of the brightest young stars in the game who has the weapons to go toe-to-toe with the best. She’s an aggressive player who will look to dictate play against any opponent; the only query is how consistent she can be with her serve and off the ground. She’s dangerous but has a tough draw with possible matches against Aussie Daria Gavrilova — who plays her best tennis in Melbourne — in the second round and two-time champion Victoria Azarenka in the third.
SLOANE STEPHENS
Melbourne is not a happy hunting ground for the No.5 seed. Stephens has been knocked out in the first round at the Australian Open in her last three appearances, which isn’t a good sign. The hard courts at Melbourne Park should favour the 2017 US Open champion, given hard courts are where she’s enjoyed most of her success but for whatever reason Melbourne hasn’t produced desired results. If she can get past her first-round hoodoo, Stephens will be a dangerous prospect given she possesses easy power in that she can generate a lot of power off her groundstrokes with little effort and is patient enough to construct points rather than going all-out attack and risking a slew of unforced errors.
GARBINE MUGURUZA
The two-time Grand Slam winner will be keen to get her season off to a strong start after a disappointing year in 2018 where she crashed out in the second round at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open. Those results have seen her fall out of the top-10 (currently ranked No.18) but she’s a much better player than her ranking suggests. The Spaniard possesses a great mix of power and court coverage and just looks so balanced and in control out on the court. Does have a tricky draw, however, facing world No.39 Saisai Zheng in the first round before a date with either former top-10 Johanna Konta or in-form Aussie Ajla Tomljanovic, potentially No.10 seed Daria Kasatkina in the third round and then possibly No.7 seed Pliskova in the fourth. At her best she’s good enough to win all those matches.
PETRA KVITOVA
It’s been a long time since we’ve seen the Czech past the third round in Australia — 2012 in fact — and her recent results at slam level make for modest reading, having reached the quarterfinals just twice since winning her second Wimbledon crown in 2014. But after defeating Kerber on her way to making the final in Sydney, she has our attention. The left-hander has the weapons to be a serious threat, with the power behind her groundstrokes and ability to keep fighting until the very last point helps to set her apart from the rest. Does have a tough draw, however, with a potential re-match with German Andrea Petkovic, who knocked her out in a three-set epic in the first round last year, in the second round. If she gets through that, No.32 seed Barbora Strycova awaits and then potentially Sabalenka, which would be a full-blown power show.
ROUGHIES
ASH BARTY
The world No.15 is definitely Australia’s best hope and after an impressive week in Perth at the Hopman Cup and making the final in Sydney, Barty heads to Melbourne in seriously good form. She’s a crafty player who mixes up her shots and is very consistent off the ground but has she got the weapons to go all the way? That’s the query. Has a decent draw with the potential to face French Open champion and No.22 seed Jelena Ostapenko, who she just defeated in Sydney, in the third-round before Wozniacki or Sharapova could await in the fourth round.
ELINA SVITOLINA
The world No.6’s struggles at Grand Slam level continued last year, with her best result a quarterfinal appearance at the Australian Open and worst a first-round exit at Wimbledon. She has reached at least the fourth round at majors just five times since her main draw debut at the US Open in 2012. Has the talent but does she have the temperament? A potential third-round clash with former finalist and No.26 seed Dominika Cibulkova would be a big test.
ARYNA SABALENKA
The Belarusian has come a long way since she was a relatively unknown youngster this time last year. The huge-hitting right-hander already has a title under her belt this year — in Shenzen — where she led Maria Sharapova 6-1 4-2 before the Russian was forced to retire. At just 20 years of age Sabalenka is part the new wave of tennis star, possessing easy power and all-out attack who can blast players off the court. Currently ranked No.11.
VICTORIA AZARENKA
Azarenka is the sleeping giant. Since returning to the tour after maternity leave and a long custody battle, she’s slowly worked her way back up the rankings to No.52, which makes her a dangerous player who isn’t seeded at the Australian Open. She’s been mightily unlucky with her draws not only at Grand Slam level but at WTA tournaments, drawing Venus Williams in the first round in Auckland to start her year, plus facing early matches against top players Sloane Stephens (third round US Open) and Karolina Pliskova (second round Wimbledon) in her last two major tournaments. Backing her to set up a huge third-round match-up with No.4 seed Osaka — a match she’s more than capable of winning.
MARIA SHARAPOVA
Has scraped in for a seeding but is she still a threat to win Grand Slams? Time is running out for her to recapture her best following that well-publicised drugs ban. It’s been a slow burn for the Russian in her return but we know better than to write her off. Could face Wozniacki in the third round and then Barty in the fourth but at her best can definitely defeat both.
THE ODDS
Women’s champion TAB odds
Serena Williams — $5.25
Angelique Kerber — $8
Aryna Sabalenka — $11
Naomi Osaka — $13
Elina Svitolina — $15
Karolina Pliskova — $15
Ash Barty — $17
Originally published as Serena Williams and Angelique Kerber lead list of contenders to win Australian Open women’s title
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