The draw for the year's first Grand Slam at the Australian Open is set -- and there are some tough tests for the biggest names in the early rounds.
Two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka
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"To be back here, and to walk here with this beautiful trophy as the two-time defending champion is definitely something special," Sabalenka said. "I really hope that I can keep doing what I'm doing here in Australia.
"Putting your name into history and being next to those legends, it's something special. [Winning three in a row] would be huge, but I have to focus on myself ... bring my best tennis every time I'm out there, and to hopefully put my name next to those legends."
But Sabalenka won't have things all her own way. First up, she was drawn to face 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens in the opening round -- and the road only gets tougher from there.
Read on for a quarter-by-quarter breakdown of the women's draw:
First quarter
Top 10 seeds: No.1 Aryna Sabalenka
View Profile , No.5 Zheng Qinwen
Sabalenka and Stephens have played four times previously, and Sabalenka has never lost -- but three of the four matches went the distance. The other, their most recent meeting, was a 7-6(5), 6-4 triumph for Sabalenka at Roland Garros in 2023.
Should Sabalenka navigate her way past the former World No.3, a softer match on paper awaits against either Brit Sonay Kartal
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Down the line, a fifth career matchup against Mirra Andreeva
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Other names to watch in Zheng's section are No.12 seed Diana Shnaider
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Second quarter
Top 10 seeds: No.3 Coco Gauff
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Sabalenka and Coco Gauff
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View Profile . Kenin is 2-0 at Grand Slam events against Gauff in her career, though they haven't played since she upset her younger compatriot in the first round of Wimbledon two seasons ago.
Looming in Gauff's quarter is two-time Australian Open winner Naomi Osaka
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The winner of that could face No.20 seed Karolina Muchova
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At the bottom of the quarter is No.7 seed Jessica Pegula
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Third quarter
Top 10 seeds: No.4 Jasmine Paolini
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Paolini and Rybakina, the 2023 Melbourne finalist, anchor this quarter. Paolini's first opponent is Chinese qualifier Wei Sijia, while Rybakina will face a wild card: Aussie Emerson Jones
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Also here are players who've thrived in Melbourne before, including No.10 seed Danielle Collins
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Svitolina opens against Sorana Cirstea
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Should the seeds hold, Paolini and Rybakina could play for a sixth time, after facing each other three times last year.
Fourth quarter
Top 10 seeds: No.2 Iga Swiatek
View Profile , No.8 Emma Navarro
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In the bottom quarter, No.2 seed Swiatek opens against Katerina Siniakova
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Alexandrova's first opponent is 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu
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At the top, and Swiatek's projected quarterfinal foe, is No.8 seed Emma Navarro
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