Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka is favourite to win a third Australian Open in four years but faces strong competition from a United States contingent led by Coco Gauff and defending champion Madison Keys.
World number two Iga Swiatek is another big threat while two-time Melbourne champion Naomi Osaka will hope to be in the mix when the first Grand Slam of the year begins on Sunday.
kAmz6JD DEF??65 E:E=6\9@=56C $232=6?<2 `a >@?E9D 28@ :? 2 4=2DD:4 E9C66\D6E 7:?2= E@ H:? 96C 7:CDE >2;@C E:E=6 2865 ah]k^Am
kAmqFE D96 72:=65 E@ <:4< @? 7C@> E96C6[ ?@E H:??:?8 2?@E96C E@FC?2>6?E 2== J62C[ 2?5 E96 H@C=5 ?F>36C ?:?6 H:== 92G6 2 E2C86E @? 96C 324< 2D E96 E:E=6 9@=56C]k^Am
kAm%9C66 @E96C p>6C:42?D 2C6 C2?<65 :?D:56 E96 H@C=5VD E@A `_i v2F77 WE9:C5X[ p>2?52 p?:D:>@G2 W7@FCE9X 2?5 y6DD:42 !68F=2 WD:IE9X]k^Am
kAm%96 a`\J62C\@=5 v2F77 =2DE J62C 362E $232=6?<2 2E E96 uC6?49 ~A6? 7@C 96C D64@?5 >2;@C 4C@H?[ 3FE 96C 36DE A6C7@C>2?46 @? E96 |6=3@FC?6 !2C< 92C54@FCED H2D >2<:?8 E96 D6>:\7:?2=D :? a_ac]k^Am
kAm$A62<:?8 2E E96 >:I65\E62>D &?:E65 rFA[ H96C6 D96 =2F?4965 96C a_ae 42>A2:8?[ v2F77 D2:5 D96 DA6?E E96 @77\D62D@? Q;FDE @G6C2== 364@>:?8 36EE6C 2?5 >@C6 4@>7@CE23=6 H:E9 >J 82>6Q]k^Am
kAmw6C D6CG6 92D 366? 96C 3:886DE 72:=:?8 2?5 D96 DF776C65 2 DFCAC:D6 56762E E@ $A2:?VD y6DD:42 q@FK2D |2?6:C@ 2E E96 &?:E65 rFA[ 3FE C64@G6C65 E@ 56762E $H:2E6< e\c[ e\a :? 2 DE2E6>6?E G:4E@CJ]k^Am
kAmxE H2D v2F77VD 7@FCE9 H:? :? 2 C@H @G6C $H:2E6<]Â k^Am
kAm%96 ac\J62C\@=5 p?:D:>@G2 92D 6>6C865 2D 2 D6C:@FD E9C62E 27E6C 6?;@J:?8 E96 36DE J62C @7 96C 42C66C :? a_ad[ C6249:?8 E96 7:?2=D @7 (:>3=65@? 2?5 E96 &$ ~A6?[ 2?5 H:??:?8 `___ E:E=6D :? q6:;:?8 2?5 "2E2C]k^Am
kAm$96 2=D@ >256 E96 D62D@?\6?5:?8 (%p u:?2=D 7@C E96 7:CDE E:>6[ 8@:?8 5@H? E@ $232=6?<2 :? E9C66 D6ED :? 2 9:89\@4E2?6 D6>:\7:?2=]k^Am
kAmQ$96 2=H2JD AFD96D >6 E@ A=2J >J 36DE E6??:D[Q D2:5 $232=6?<2]k^Am
kAm{:<6 !68F=2[ 2 7:CDE >2;@C E:E=6 C6>2:?D 6=FD:G6 7@C p?:D:>@G2 56DA:E6 8@:?8 4=@D6]k^Am
kAm$H:2E6<[ $232=6?<2VD =@?8\E6C> C:G2= 7@C E96 E@A C2?<:?8[ :D @G6C5F6 D@>6E9:?8 DA64:2= :? |6=3@FC?6]k^Am
kAm%96 !@=6 :D 2 D:I\E:>6 vC2?5 $=2> 492>A:@? 2?5 E96 pFDEC2=:2? ~A6? :D E96 @?=J >2;@C D96 92D J6E E@ H:?]k^Am
kAm$96 >2E4965 96C 36DE |6=3@FC?6 A6C7@C>2?46 3J C6249:?8 =2DE J62CVD D6>:\7:?2=D[ 2?5 5:5 D@ :? C2>A2?E DEJ=6[ @?=J E@ =@D6 E@ 2? :?DA:C65 z6JD]k^Am
kAmQpE 2 vC2?5 $=2> J@F 92G6 E@ C62==J A=2J 8C62E 7@C EH@ H66<D[ ?@E 92G6 2?J 325 52JD[ 36 4@?D:DE6?E[Q E96 ac\J62C\@=5 D2:5 2E E96 &?:E65 rFA]Â k^Am
kAmy2A2?VD 7@C>6C H@C=5 ?F>36C @?6 ~D2<2 H@F=5 36 2 A@AF=2C H:??6C :7 D96 H6C6 E@ 255 E@ 96C a_`h 2?5 a_a` |6=3@FC?6 EC:F>A9D]k^Am
kAm}@H C2?<65 `eE9[ E96 ag\J62C\@=5 >FDE C2?< 2D 2? @FED:56C[ 42A23=6 @7 4@?;FC:?8 FA 96C 36DE E6??:D :? 7=2D96D 3FE F?23=6 E@ 5@ :E 4@?D:DE6?E=J 2?5 DE2J 7:E 7@C =@?8 DEC6E496D]k^Am
kAm(@C=5 ?F>36C 7:G6 t=6?2 #J32<:?2[ E96 |@D4@H\3@C? z2K2<9[ :D 2?@E96C E@ H2E49]k^Am
k9am\ x>A6C:@FD $232=6?<2 \k^9am
kAmxE :D 92C5 E@ =@@< 36J@?5 $232=6?<2]k^Am
kAmw2G:?8 366? DEF??65 3J E96 F?72?4:65 z6JD[ E96 q6=2CFD:2? DF776C65 >@C6 vC2?5 $=2> 962CE3C62< :? E96 uC6?49 ~A6? 7:?2= 282:?DE v2F77]k^Am
kAm$96 E96? H6?E 5@H? E@ p?:D:>@G2 :? E96 (:>3=65@? =2DE 7@FC[ 367@C6 C@2C:?8 324< E@ 86E C6G6?86 @G6C E96 p>6C:42? 2?5 C6E2:? 96C &$ ~A6? E:E=6]k^Am
kAm%96 pFDEC2=:2? ~A6? 492>A:@? :? a_ab 2?5 a_ac[ $232=6?<2 H:== 36 :? 2? F?72>:=:2C C@=6 H96? D96 8@6D :?E@ E96 E@FC?2>6?E 2D CF??6C\FA 7C@> `a >@?E9D 28@]k^Am
kAmQw@?6DE=J[ E96C6 :D ?@ 5:776C6?46[Q E96 92C5\9:EE:?8 $232=6?<2 D2:5 :? qC:D32?6 E9:D >@?E9[ H96C6 D96 H@? E96 E:E=6 7@C 2 D64@?5 DF446DD:G6 J62C :? 2? @>:?@FD DE2E6>6?E @7 :?E6?E]k^Am
kAmQtG6CJ E:>6[ :7 xV> 5676?5:?8 492>A:@?[ :7 x =@DE 7:CDE C@F?5 =2DE J62C[ E96 8@2= :D 2=H2JD E96 D2>6 \\ E@ 3C:?8 >J 36DE E6??:D 2?5 E@ :>AC@G6 >J 82>6]Qk^Am
kAm~FED:56 E96 E:E=6 4@?E6?56CD E96C6 H:== 36 72D4:?2E:@? :? 9@H '6?FD (:==:2>D A6C7@C>D H96? D96 364@>6D E96 @=56DE H@>2? E@ A=2J :? E96 >2:? 5C2H 2E |6=3@FC?6]k^Am
kAm%96 D6G6?\E:>6 vC2?5 $=2> D:?8=6D 492>A:@? H2D 92?565 2 H:=542C5 2865 cd]k^Am
kAm%96 p>6C:42?[ H9@ 92D A=2J65 @?=J 2 =:>:E65 ?F>36C @7 D:?8=6D >2E496D :? C646?E J62CD[ H:== 4@>A6E6 2E E96 pFDEC2=:2? ~A6? 7@C E96 7:CDE E:>6 D:?46 a_a`]k^Am
kAmADE^59k^Am
