Top women to watch at the Australian Open, which begins at Melbourne Park on Monday morning (Sunday night EST):
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IGA SWIATEK
Ranked: 1
Career-Best Ranking: 1
Country: Poland
Age: 21
2022 Record: 67-9
2022 Titles: 8
Career Titles: 11
Grand Slam Titles: 3 — French Open (2: 2020, 2022), U.S. Open (1: 2022)
Last 5 Australian Opens: 2022-Lost in Semifinals, 2021-Lost in 4th Round, 2020-4th, 2019-2nd, 2018-Did Not Play
Aces: Made debut at No. 1 in the WTA rankings last April following 2022 Australian Open champion Ash Barty’s retirement at age 25 and has remained ever since. … In 2022, became first woman since Serena Williams in 2013 with at least eight titles in a season and first since Angelique Kerber in 2016 with two Grand Slam trophies in a year. … 37-match winning streak from February to July last season was longest in women’s tennis since 1997.
She Said It: “For the future, I know I still have a lot to improve on court. That’s something that I’m excited for, because maybe it’s just going to get easier to play these matches.”
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ONS JABEUR
Ranked: 2
Career-Best Ranking: 2
Country: Tunisia
Age: 28
2022 Record: 47-17
2022 Titles: 2
Career Titles: 3
Grand Slam Titles: None — Best: Runner-Up, Wimbledon (2022), U.S. Open (2022)
Last 5 Australian Opens: 2022-DNP, 2021-2nd, 2020-QF, 2019-1st, 2018-1st
Aces: After a surprising first-round French Open loss, turned things around to reach her first career Grand Slam finals at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. … She was the first woman since Serena Williams in 2019 to get to the title matches at both the All England Club and Flushing Meadows in the same season. … She is the woman from North Africa and first Arab woman to reach a Grand Slam final. … Recently signed on with the management company founded by Naomi Osaka (who is sitting out the Australian Open) and her agent. … Her husband is her fitness trainer.
She Said It: “Definitely I’m not someone that going to give up. I am sure I’m going to be in (a Grand Slam) final again.”
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JESSICA PEGULA
Ranked: 3
Career-Best Ranking: 3
Country: United States
Age: 28
2022 Record: 42-21
2022 Titles: 1
Career Titles: 2
Grand Slam Titles: None — Best: QF, Australian Open (2021, 2022), French Open (2022), U.S. Open (2022)
Last 5 Australian Opens: 2022-QF, 2021-QF, 2020-1st, 2019-DNP, 2018-DNP
Aces: Beat Swiatek — first victory over the No. 1 player — while helping the United States win the United Cup this month in Australia. … Reached the WTA Finals for the first time last season after cracking the top 10 for the first time. … Breakthrough season included three Slam quarterfinals before a loss to the No. 1 seed and eventual champion: Barty at Australian Open; Swiatek at French Open and U.S. Open. … Coached by David Witt, who used to work with Venus Williams. … Parents own NFL’s Buffalo Bills and NHL’s Buffalo Sabres.
She Said It: “The goals reset a little, but I also think it’s important to keep challenging yourself. Even though I had a great year, still hitting goals is always something that keeps you motivated and keeps you wanting to improve.”
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CAROLINE GARCIA
Ranked: 4
Career-Best Ranking: 4
Country: France
Age: 29
2022 Record: 43-20
2022 Titles: 4
Career Titles: 11
Grand Slam Titles: None — Best: SF, U.S. Open (2022)
Last 5 Australian Opens: 2022-1st, 2021-2nd, 2020-2nd, 2019-3rd, 2018-4th
Aces: Revealed in a recent interview with French newspaper L’Equipe that she dealt with bulimia, triggered by losses and pain from a lingering foot injury. … Won the biggest title of her career at the season-ending WTA Finals in November. … Did not drop a set en route to her first Grand Slam semifinal at New York in September, before a 13-match winning streak ended with a loss to Jabeur. … Got to a career-best ranking of No. 4 in 2018, but slid after that, finishing last season at No. 74.
She Said It: “You feel so empty, so sad, that you need to fill yourself up. It was the distress of not being able to do what I wanted to do on the court, not winning and suffering physically. Eating soothed me for a few minutes.”
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MARIA SAKKARI
Ranked: 6
Career-Best Ranking: 3
Country: Greece
Age: 27
2022 Record: 40-23
2022 Titles: Zero
Career Titles: 1
Grand Slam Titles: None — Best: SF, French Open (2021), U.S. Open (2021)
Last 5 Australian Opens: 2022-4th, 2021-1st, 2020-4th, 2019-2nd, 2018-1st
Aces: Victory over defending champion Swiatek at 2021 French Open put Sakkari in the semifinals of a major for first time, although she was eliminated at that stage after holding a match point against eventual champion Barbora Krejcikova. … Says in the new Neftlix docuseries “Break Point” that she “retired for four days” after that loss. … Also got to the final four at the U.S. Open that year. … Took a step back at the majors in 2022, only once making it as far as the fourth round. … Saved 63.1% of break points she faced in 2022, third-best on tour.
She Said It: “There were moments in the season I was panicking. I didn’t know what to do. But the most important thing for me was that I had the same people — and the people I trust — next to me.”
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COCO GAUFF
Ranked: 7
Career-Best Ranking: 4
Country: United States
Age: 18
2022 Record: 38-22
2022 Titles: Zero
Career Titles: 3
Grand Slam Titles: None — Best: Runner-Up, French Open (2022)
Last 5 Australian Opens: 2022-1st, 2021-2nd, 2020-4th, 2019-DNP, 2018-DNP
Aces: Tuneup title at Auckland this month was her first trophy at a hard-court tournament since 2019. … Seems like she’s been around forever, but still just 18 and Australian Open is only her 14th Grand Slam appearance. … Made it to first major singles final at the French Open last year before losing to Swiatek. Also teamed with Pegula to reach the doubles final there. … Last season, became the youngest American woman since 1994 to earn a singles berth at the WTA Finals. Also qualified in doubles.
She Said It: “When it comes to these statistics and stats about my age … it’s cool, but I feel like it’s my life, so I don’t look at it as amazing or outstanding, (the way) other people look at it.”
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