"Jake Michaels: Sabalenka's unbeaten run at the Australian Open came to a dramatic end in last year's final, but there's still no doubt she remains the greatest hard-court player on the women's tour. The 27-year-old world No. 1 has played in the final of the past six hard-court majors, winning four of them. Sabalenka arrives in Melbourne in a rich vein of form, having just taken out the Brisbane International without dropping a set. At this point, it would be a shock if she wasn't raising the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup in two weeks' time."
"Jarryd Barca: It might be the safe pick, but Sabalenka deserves clear favoritism. The world No. 1 is chasing redemption after last year's heartbreak in Melbourne, and her physical power gives her a genuine edge over most of the field. She carries expectation, but she has proved she can handle the pressure on the biggest stages before. That said, Elena Rybakina is definitely a danger. She's striking the ball really well, recently had a 13-match winning streak before her quarterfinal exit in Brisbane, and beat Sabalenka twice in 2025. She's a former finalist in Melbourne, too, and is definitely equipped enough to go deep again."
The Australian Open begins Sunday with Madison Keys and Jannik Sinner entering as defending champions. Sinner faces the added challenge of No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz in an ongoing rivalry. The women's top-ranked players are Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff and Amanda Anisimova, with Sabalenka a two-time Melbourne champion. Sabalenka has recent dominant hard-court results, including a Brisbane title without dropping a set and multiple recent major finals, making her the favored pick. Experts also identify Elena Rybakina as a significant threat after strong recent performances and wins over Sabalenka.
Read at ESPN.com
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