Overview
- World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka arrives after defending Brisbane and pursuing a third Australian Open title.
- She has reached six consecutive hard-court major finals since 2022 and won four, reinforcing her status as the player to beat.
- Iga Swiatek can complete a Career Grand Slam in Melbourne, though recent United Cup losses to Coco Gauff and Belinda Bencic raised questions about her hard-court form.
- Roger Federer identified Belinda Bencic as his underdog pick following her standout United Cup, where she defeated Swiatek and helped Switzerland finish runners-up to Poland.
- Contenders beyond the top trio include Gauff, Madison Keys, Amanda Anisimova, Elena Rybakina and Naomi Osaka, with rising 17th seed Victoria Mboko noted as a potential disruptor.