2025 Australian Open women’s draw sets Coco Gauff, Aryna Sabalenka on semifinal collision course

The 2025 Australian Open women’s singles draw is out and all eyes are on the projected semifinal clash between two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka and No. 3 seed Coco Gauff—a rematch of their popcorn final four face-off from 2024. Gauff will kick off her campaign in an all-American first round against Sofia Kenin, who famously won their first round at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships.

Sabalenka, who will play her first match against 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens, is looking to become the first woman since Martina Hingis (1997-1999) to win three consecutive Australian Open titles, having captured her first major title Down Under in 2023 and defending her title in 2024.

"I wasn’t really looking into the history but they’ve told me in interviews in Brisbane," Sabalenka said at the draw ceremony. "It was 25 years ago, so it’s like putting your name in the history books and being next to those legends would be something special. It would be huge, but I’d better focus on myself, keep improving every day and hopefully I’ll be able to bring my best tennis every time I’m out there and put my name there.

The world No. 1 went on to end 2024 with a clean sweep of hard-court majors by capturing her first US Open title last summer, redeeming a 2023 finals defeat to Gauff.

Gauff got the better of Sabalenka in their most recent meeting at the 2024 WTA Finals, a tournament she went on to win with additional victories over Iga Swiatek and Zheng Qinwen, whom she beat in a thrilling three-set final.

The 20-year-old American began her 2025 season with another win over Swiatek at the United Cup, leading the United States to victory alongside countryman Taylor Fritz. Gauff is in a section that features former Leylah Fernandez, Karolina Muchova, Jelena Ostapenko, and Paula Badosa.

Sabalenka was equally successful in her first outing of the year, winning the Brisbane International after overcoming finals debutante Polina Kudermetova in three sets. The three-time major champion is projected to face No. 29 seed Linda Noskova in the third round, and No. 14 seed Mirra Andreeva—who won their dramatic Roland Garros quarterfinal last spring—in the fourth round.

No. 2 seed Iga Swiatek anchors the bottom half of the draw, with No. 4 seed Jasmine Paolini serving as her projected semifinal opponent. Though the former world No. 1 lost the top spot at the end of last season, the Pole has proven plenty formidable in only her second tournament since hiring famed coach Wim Fissette. Despite the loss to Gauff, Swiatek was otherwise undefeated at United Cup, defeating the likes of Karolina Muchova, Katie Boulter, and Elena Rybakina. She will open against Katerina Siniakova.

Elsewhere in the draw, 2024 finalist and No. 5 seed Zheng Qinwen landed in the same quarter as Sabalenka and will play her first match against a qualifier or lucky loser. No. 6 seed Elena Rybakina, who is in the midst of an ongoing coaching controversy, will play Aussie Emerson Jones in her first round, with Paolini her projected quarterfinal opponent.

Two-time champion Naomi Osaka will play her fifth major tournament since returning from maternity leave and will once again face Caroline Garcia in the first round. Garcia won their Down Under face-off last year. It won't get much easier for Osaka should she win as Muchova and Ostapenko all loom in a stacked section.

**Click here** to view the completed draw.