Australian Open futures: Iga Swiatek favored in WTA singles

The 2024 tennis season is officially upon us. The Australian Open, the first of four majors, begins this weekend in Melbourne and it’s expected to be very entertaining on both the men’s and women’s side. When it comes to WTA singles, we have the usual suspects as the favorites to win the tournament. Iga Swiatek is the frontrunner, followed by other big names like Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina, Coco Gauff, and Jessica Pegula. Some other long shots to keep an eye on include Naomi Osaka, Ons Jabeur, and Mirra Andreeva.

Iga Swiatek

There is a reason Swiatek is the world No.1. The Pole just won all five of her matches at the United Cup last week for her country to begin the season with a bang. Swiatek also won the WTA Finals in Cancun back in November. However, the Poland native has never captured the Aussie Open title, despite winning the French Open three times and Wimbledon once. In fact, Swiatek’s best finish in Melbourne is the semifinals and that came in the 2023 edition. Nevertheless, Swiatek is in good form and it should carry into the tourney. She has +225 odds at 888sport.

Aryna Sabalenka

Sabalenka stole the No.1 ranking from Swiatek for a short period last year and comes into the Aussie Open as the defending champion. The Belarusian just lost to Rybakina in the Brisbane final in straight sets but has made it to the quarterfinals at the very least in five straight tournaments. The 25-year-old is probably playing the best tennis of her life right now and cannot be overlooked as a contender to repeat in Melbourne. It’s the only major she’s ever won.

Elena Rybakina

Rybakina burst onto the scene a couple of years ago and had a spell last season where she was easily the best player on the WTA Tour. The Kazakhstani is currently ranked No. 3 in the world, her highest-ever ranking. As previously mentioned, Rybakina just beat Sabalenka in the Brisbane final. That was actually a rematch of the 2023 Aussie Open final where Sabalenka bested Rybakina. Her only Grand Slam title to this point is at 2022 Wimbledon. The 24-year-old is also competing in the Adelaide International right now as well, which means Rybakina will be coming into Melbourne in the best shape possible. She’s top-five in the odds at tennis betting sites.

Coco Gauff

The young American finished the 2023 season on absolute fire, headlined by her win at the US Open on home soil. Gauff took home first place at the Western & Southern Open before dominating in Flushing Meadows, too. However, Gauff hasn’t enjoyed a ton of success in Melbourne before, only advancing to the Round of 16 on two occasions in 2020 and 23’. When it comes to current form, Gauff just won the ASB Classic in New Zealand, beating Elina Svitolina in the showpiece.

Jessica Pegula

Pegula is another American who is always a force on the WTA Tour. And while Pegula has yet to make it past the quarterfinals in any Grand Slam, she’s capable of making some noise in Melbourne. Pegula was in the QFs in each of the last three tournaments Down Under. She is competing in the Adelaida International as a tune-up for the Aussie Open.