Australian Open 2026: Top contenders for women’s singles title

The new tennis season is about to get underway, with all eyes on the first Grand Slam of the year, the Australian Open. 

Last year, the Grand Slam at Melbourne Park witnessed a record crowd turnout both in the men’s and women’s categories. The women’s singles final was played between defending champion Aryna Sabalenka and Madison Keys. Sabalenka was on course to make it a hat-trick of Australian Open titles, but Keys spoiled her party and ended up winning her first Grand Slam. 

With the women’s singles category being as competitive as it is, it will be intriguing to witness if unpredictability rules the game yet again and different players win the four Grand Slams, or if one or two top players sweep up the big trophies. 

Here, we present our pick of the top contenders for the women’s singles title at the 2026 Australian Open.

Aryna Sabalenka

The current women’s World No. 1 has reached the last three consecutive finals at the Happy Slam, winning two titles and finishing runner-up once, which was last year.

Though she recently lost in the final of the year-ending WTA Finals, Aryna Sabalenka has yet again started the season well with a title at the Brisbane International, defeating Marta Kostyuk in straight sets. Hard courts suit her powerful style of tennis, and there aren’t many who can out-hit and out-perform the strong Belarussian at the Australian Open. Sabalenka has also shown great consistency over the past two years. Last year, she reached the final of all Grand Slams, except Wimbledon, and won her second US Open title as well.

Due to her affinity for the hard courts, as well as her form and consistency, Sabalenka remains the favourite for the Australian Open women’s singles title this time around as well. Even though she missed out last season, she could be on course to win her third Australian Open crown.

Coco Gauff

A semi-finalist in 2024 and a quarter-finalist last year, Coco Gauff has done well at Melbourne Park. Being a previous champion at the US Open, we all know she has the ability to go all the way on hard courts. 

Gauff added another crown to her collection last season when she defeated Aryna Sabalenka at the French Open, winning her second Grand Slam title. She possesses the game, temperament, and mental fortitude to defeat anyone on her day. Barring a shock first-round exit at Wimbledon, the 21-year-old did well at the other Grand Slams last year. 

Gauff has started the 2026 season well, having beaten rival Iga Swiatek in the United Cup, even though the US failed to qualify for the finals as Poland won the overall tie. Gauff will definitely want to go further and win her third Slam at Melbourne Park this year. And, knowing that she can play power tennis with a booming serve, it is hard to not consider the youngster a contender for the title. 

Iga Swiatek

The former World No. 1 can never be written off when it comes to the Grand Slams. With six Grand Slam titles already in her glittering collection, Swiatek only needs to win the Australian Open to complete a career Grand Slam.

Grass is not one of her favourite surfaces, and Swiatek has always struggled on it, though she won her first Wimbledon title there last season, which is a testament to her improved skills and incredible mentality. Furthermore, the Pole reached the semis of the Australian Open and the French Open, while also making a quarter-final appearance at the US Open, showcasing once again her undeniable consistency at the Slams.

Though Swiatek had an underwhelming 2025 by her usual high standards, when it comes to the big tournaments, she rarely disappoints. Having won the US Open once, she knows how to win on hard courts. Therefore, she is again a prime contender for this year’s Australian Open, especially with that added motivation of achieving a career Grand Slam.

Elena Rybakina

Elena Rybakina is yet to win another Grand Slam after the 2022 Wimbledon title. While there is no doubt about her ability, it’s her inconsistent performances and off-court disturbances that have stopped her from winning the big tournaments. 

Rybakina didn’t have a great start to 2025. She struggled with coaching changes, injuries, and inconsistency, which saw her drop down the WTA rankings. However, the Kazakh turned her form around in the latter half of the season, winning tour-level tournaments and qualifying for the year-ending WTA Finals yet again. The 26-year-old then showed why she’s such a threat as she went on to win the WTA Finals without dropping a match, also defeating World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka to take the title home. 

She also reached the quarter-finals of the 2026 Brisbane International, which was decent preparation for the Australian Open. A finalist here in 2023, she is undoubtedly another contender to go all the way at Melbourne Park this time. 

Amanda Anisimova

Without a doubt, Amanda Anisimova was the most improved women’s player on the WTA circuit last year. Termed a prodigious talent in her early days, Anisimova finally showed her capabilities by reaching two Grand Slam finals last year. Though she ended up losing both, the American defeated some top players en route to the showpiece finals, just missing out on clearing the final hurdle.

The 24-year-old also won a few WTA 1000 titles last season and reached a career-high fourth in the WTA rankings. She added another feather to her cap with her first WTA Finals qualification last year, where she managed to reach the semi-finals.

Anisimova is a hard-hitting player who feels comfortable on the hard surface. She is also one of the few players who have got the better of Aryna Sabalenka on more than one occasion. In fact, in recent times, Anisimova has beaten most top-ranked players in the big tournaments, which will be a huge confidence booster for her coming into this year’s Australian Open.