Simona Halep and Caroline Wozniacki are seeded one and two in the women’s singles event at this year’s Australian Open.
With 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams pulling out last week, there appear to be many chances of a new Australian Open champion this year. Seven-time champion Williams announced last week she wouldn’t defend her title, saying she was “super close” but not quite ready to compete so soon after becoming a mother.
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Maria Sharapova, making her first Australian Open appearance since failing a drug test in 2016, will face Tatjana Maria in the first round.
Halep will look to rectify her recent record in Australia as the event’s top seed; the Romanian has lost in the first round in Melbourne for the past two years, and has never advanced further than the quarterfinals in Australia. The world No 1, who faces Australian wildcard Destanee Aiava in the first round, will also hope to win her first Grand Slam at the Rod Laver arena.
Garbine Muguruza (seeded third), Venus Williams (seeded fifth) and Jelena Ostapenko (seeded seventh) are the only ones among the top-10 seeds to have won a Grand Slam.
Champion of 2016, Angelique Kerber is seeded 21st. The German’s in fine form, having knocked Venus out of the Sydney International on Tuesday and qualifying for the semi-finals.