The Australian Open is fast approaching and the draw has churned out some interesting matches as world number one Iga Swiatek is scheduled to face 2023 finalist Elena Rybakina in the semi-finals, if they stay the course in the masters tournament from Saturday, 13 January to Friday, 26 January, 2024.
Swiatek, who’s in sensational form, winning all five of her singles matches at the United Cup, will start with an obstacle in the form of Sofia Kenin, who won the first slam of the year back in 2020, and presents a rematch of the 2020 Roland Garros final.
The winner of this match-up will have another mountain to climb as the next opponent will be 2016 Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber or 2022 Australian Open finalist Danielle Collins in the second round. Collins notably beat Swiatek in the 2022 Australian Open semi-finals.
22-year-old Swiatek, a holder of French Open and U.S. Open titles, can become the second active woman to reach five major singles titles after Venus Williams (who is not in the Australian Open field).
Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka, is projected to face reigning US Open champion Coco Gauff in the final four.
Many will argue that the No. 2 seed has a fairly easy draw as she opens against a qualifier, and could face another qualifier in the second round, however, it could get tricky with a possible meeting against Tunisian Ons Jabeur.
Gauff, who in September became the first U.S. teen to win a major since Serena Williams at the 1999 U.S. Open, won her only Melbourne tune-up event in New Zealand last week.
She will play her first match against Anna Karolina Schmiedlova; her first seeded opposition would be No. 32 seed Leylah Fernandez, who reached the US Open final in 2021.
Seeded fourth, the American young star could play two-time Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka in the round of 16.
Photo: Naomi Osaka on Instagram
Gauff can become the youngest player to win multiple Slams since Maria Sharapova in 2006 and the youngest American to do so since Tracy Austin in 1981.
Osaka, returning from childbirth, plays No. 14 seed Caroline Garcia of France in the first round. The two-time champion in Melbourne faces a possible second round meeting against either Magdalena Freçh or Aussie wild card Daria Saville.
Garcia has played six singles matches to kick-off her 2024 season, with her only defeats coming to Swiatek and Jelena Ostapenko.
Angelique Kerber, also making her Grand Slam return after maternity leave, has a challenging first-round match lined up against USA’s Danielle Collins.
The 2016 Australian Open champion will have to be on top form against a feisty Collins who achieved her best result at the Australian Open two years ago, when she reached her first major final and just lost out to Ashleigh Barty.
In a battle of hard-hitting big servers, Elena Rybakina comes up against former world No.1 Karolina Pliskova in the first round.
Kazakhstan’s third seed Rybakina will be aiming to go one better than last year when she nearly became a two-time Grand Slam champion narrowly losing a sensational Australian Open final to Aryna Sabalenka.
The Kazakhstani landed Down Under in tip-top form, having beaten the Sabalenka to win the Brisbane International title in spectacular fashion.
Main Photo Caption: A Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka, is projected to face reigning US Open champion Coco Gauff in the final four. Photo: Aryna Sabalenka on Instagram
Photo 2 Caption: In a battle of hard-hitting big servers, Elena Rybakina comes up against former world No.1 Karolina Pliskova in the first round. Photo: Elana Rybakina on Instagram
Photo 3 Caption: Naomi Osaka, returning after giving birth to her first child, plays No. 14 seed Caroline Garcia of France in the first round. Photo: Naomi Osaka on Instagram
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