Sabalenka leads host of surging players heading to Australian Open

The quarterfinals of the Adelaide International 2 featured no fewer than eight of the WTA Tour’s Top 16 players, something not even Grand Slams can guarantee. All of the top seeded players advanced to the quarters in a single WTA-level tournament for the first time in five years (Stanford 2017).

It was a sizzling lineup, with Belinda Bencic ultimately taking out Daria Kasatkina in the final. They are among an elite group of players who come into this Australian Open as hot as the summer air embracing Melbourne Park.

Aryna Sabalenka also has tons of it. So do Madison Keys and Jessica Pegula. As well as Coco Gauff, Petra Kvitova, Veronika Kudermetova and Caroline Garcia. 

No.1 Swiatek not taking Australian Open opener lightly

Early momentum can set up a player for the entire year. 

It doesn’t come out of nowhere. With what has become an 11-month season, December is the time of reckoning for professional tennis players, working in the anonymity of gyms around the world. Those training blocks -- what happens when no one other than your coaches are watching -- can translate a few weeks later to a big jump on the competition, in the public domain where everyone can see.

AO2023: Draws, dates, prize money and everything you need to know

Here’s a look at some of the players who have cornered the market on early momentum heading into Monday’s first round:

Aryna Sabalenka: Remember last year, when Sabalenka was plagued by double faults, lost her first two matches in the Adelaide events and had a losing record (7-8) four months into the season? This year, she’s 4-0 after winning in Adelaide and hasn’t lost a set. With three tiebreaks, there were plenty of opportunities to tighten up, but the No.5-ranked Sabalenka is sailing into Melbourne. Her last two outings at the Australian Open resulted in best-ever fourth-round appearances, but that’s well shy of the three semifinals she’s achieved at Wimbledon and the US Open.

First-round opponent: Tereza Martincova

Belinda Bencic: She rolls into the first major of the season red hot. In Adelaide this past week, Bencic beat Garbiñe Muguruza, Anna Kalinskaya, Garcia and then after a walkover into the final, Bencic dropped only two games to Daria Kasatkina. "Yeah, obviously I think it was my best result before the Australian Open for now," Bencic said after her win." Currently ranked No.13, Bencic reached the fourth round in Australian seven years ago, her best result.

First-round opponent: Viktoriya Tomova

Madison Keys: The 27-year-old American, continuing the trend we saw in 2022, is back in the Top 10 after winning all five of her matches at the United Cup. She helped lock down victory for Team USA and won 10 of 11 sets. Can she make it back-to-back semifinal appearances in Melbourne?

First-round opponent: Anna Blinkova

Coco Gauff: She is already up to No.7, is 5-0 after winning her third singles title in Auckland. She lost only 22 games along the way, but the highest-ranked player she beat was No.60 Danka Kovinic. The Australian has been a challenge. After reaching the fourth round three years ago (at the age of 16), Gauff, 18, is a disappointing 1-2. Her recent results suggest that may change.

First-round opponent: Katerina Siniakova

Petra Kvitova: The 32-year-old from the Czech Republic was the only one to beat Pegula in the United Cup. Kvitova followed that up with a win over Germany’s Laura Siegemund and, in the first round at Adelaide a straight-sets defeat of reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, then a retirement victory over rising Zheng Qinwen. Kvitova was 4-0 before falling to Kasatkina in the quarters.

First-round opponent: Alison Van Uytvanck

Veronika Kudermetova: She finished last year with a career-high ranking of No.9, then won her first two matches in Adelaide against Amanda Anisimova and Bianca Andreescu before falling to Irina-Camelia Begu. Kudermetova knocked off Victoria Azarenka in the first round of the Adelaide sequel, then beat 2022 Australian Open finalist Danielle Collins in the quarterfinals, saving five match points. Kudermetova withdrew before her semifinals match with Belinda Bencic.

First-round opponent: Maryna Zanevska

Caroline Garcia: The Frenchwoman finished 2022 in a blaze, winning the WTA Finals in Fort Worth. So far, 2023 looks a lot like the end of last year. While Garcia won both group singles matches in the United Cup, France was unable to advance. In  the Adelaide 2 event, she defeated Katerina Siniakova in the Round of 16 before falling to Olympic champion Bencic in the quarters.

First-round opponent: Katherine Sebov

Jessica Pegula: That loss to Kvitova in Sydney -- 7-6 (6), 6-4  -- is the only mark in the loss column for the 4-1 American. Pegula was super-steady in semifinal and final wins against Iga Swiatek and Martina Trevisan. The past two seasons, she reached the quarterfinals in Melbourne, the best AO results of her career. This year could see her go one or two better.

First-round opponent: Jaqueline Cristian