Australian Open 2025, women’s draw: Sabalenka projected to face Gauff in semifinals, Swiatek opens campaign against Siniakova
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka will begin her title defence at the Australian Open with a first-round match against former US Open champion Sloane Stephens, according to the draw ceremony held in Melbourne on Thursday.
Sabalenka aims to become the first woman since Martina Hingis (1997-99) to win three consecutive titles at Melbourne Park.
World No. 2 Iga Swiatek will start her campaign against Czechia’s Katerina Siniakova.
Third seed Coco Gauff, a former US Open champion, will face compatriot and former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin in the first round.
Two-time Major runner-up and fourth seed Jasmine Paolini will take on a qualifier in her opening match, while fifth-seeded Chinese player Zheng Qinwen, who lost to Sabalenka in last year’s final, also faces a qualifier in the first round.
The projected semifinals are Sabalenka vs Gauff and Swiatek vs Paolini.
First-round matches to keep an eye on:-
- [3] Coco Gauff (USA) vs Sofia Kenin (USA)
- Naomi Osaka (JPN) vs Caroline Garcia (FRA)
- Belinda Bencic (SUI) vs Jelena Ostapenko (LAT)
- [2] Iga Swiatek (POL) vs Katerina Siniakova (CZE)
- [14] Mirra Andreeva vs Marie Bouzkova (CZE)
- [6] Elena Rybakina (KAZ) vs [WC] Emerson Jones (AUS)
- Emma Raducanu (GBR) vs [26] Ekaterina Alexandrova