Australian Open begins January 12 in Melbourne, and the draws for the men’s and women’s singles are intriguing — and have thrown up some blockbuster first-round matches. The Athletic’s tennis writers,

- Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus plays a forehand return to Zheng Qinwen of China during the women’s singles final at the Australian Open tennis championships at Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia, Saturday,

Coco Gauff had a rocky ride in 2024, but the year ended with a rollercoaster WTA Finals win. Gauff has carried that form over into 2025 in time for Melbourne.

T he first Grand Slam tournament of the year is already here, with the Australian Open 2025 marking its commencement in Melbourne Park. Although the qualifiers have already begun,

Australian Open title favourites Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff are set to meet in the semi-finals of the women’s singles draw for the second straight year. Sabalenka beat Gauff in the last four on her way to the title 12 months ago,