Australian Open | A queen who wants to defend her throne

A lot has happened since May 15, 2017.

The Montreal Canadiens participated in a Stanley Cup final, Denis Coderre was defeated twice in municipal elections and the show The voice changed from coachs 15 times.

Meanwhile, nine players have sneaked to the top of the WTA rankings: Angelique Kerber, Karolína Plíšková, Garbiñe Muguruza, Simona Halep, Caroline Wozniacki, Naomi Osaka, Ashleigh Barty and Iga Świątek all had their moments of glory.

However, none had the stuff, charisma and potential of Serena Williams, replaced on the throne on May 15, 2017. None, except Aryna Sabalenka. The queen that women’s tennis has been looking for for eight years.

On the website of the Australian Open, which will begin on the night of Saturday to Sunday (Montreal time), the face of the Belarusian is everywhere. A large banner with Sabalenka in action, at the top of the home page, invites fans to purchase tickets.

The first video published is a compilation of his best shots made during the last tournament. Below the results table, we even offer an analysis of his game on Australian soil.

The 26-year-old athlete attracts fans and arouses passion. Thanks to her presence on social networks, her demeanor on the field and her ease with a microphone under her nose, Sabalenka reaches a large audience and gets people talking about her.

Two essential elements for the sustainability of women’s tennis. Two elements that none of her predecessors had mastered before her.

Write history

If she manages to charm fans thanks to her authenticity, a quality increasingly rare among these highly trained athletes in terms of public relations, she also boasts the most complete and refined game on the women’s circuit. This is why she remains the most dangerous player at the start of the season.

At her first tournament of the season, in Brisbane, she secured another title. After losing the first set of the final against Polina Kudermotova, she recovered to win the next two sets. “I was playing too cautiously. I wasn’t following my game plan,” Sabalenka revealed after the match.

When she listens to herself and plays to her own standards, Sabalenka is untouchable on hard court.

Data such as 92.3% of points won on first serve in the second set and 60% of points won in return of first serves in the third set during this final support the point.

In Melbourne, Sabalenka will attempt to become the first player since Martina Hingis in 1999 to triumph three consecutive years at the first major tournament of the season.

Only four other players have achieved such a feat, namely Margaret Court, Evonne Goolagong, Steffi Graf and Monica Seles. Players who dominated in their time. Like Sabalenka now.

With his 56 victories, his 7 finals and his 2 Grand Slam tournament titles, no one has had a better year 2024 than Sabalenka. She also won 11 of her 17 clashes against members of the top 10.

Since 2023, the Belarusian has taken part in four of the last eight major tournament finals. Last year, she maintained a positive record on all surfaces. If she were to win Roland-Garros or Wimbledon in 2025, she would further cement her place at the top of the rankings.

But for now, she is preparing to defend her title in Australia. His record of 45 victories and 9 defeats on hard courts over the last 52 weeks is enough to frighten each of the opponents who will have to cross his path.

Świątek on his trail

More discreet, less talkative, but as talented as Sabalenka, Iga Świątek was outdone in the final months of the season. Like in a race, she ran out of energy in the last few miles before crossing the finish line.

After her victory at Roland-Garros in May, the Pole was a victim of the rise of new rivals. Semi-final loss to Qinwen Zheng at the Olympics. Defeat in semi-final against Sabalenka in Cincinnati. Loss in the quarterfinals against Jessica Pegula at the United States Open. Then defeat against Coco Gauff at the WTA finals.

Period during which she also had to deal with off-field problems linked to doping allegations.

At 23, Świątek should get his act together. But unlike the last two years when she fought alone to access the throne, she will now have to work together with Gauff, Jasmine Paolini, Zheng, Elena Rybakina and Pegula. However, she is Sabalenka’s true rival in addition to being his main threat.

In Australia, Świątek has never made it better than a semi-final, in 2022. If Sabalenka wants to consolidate her lead, she will have to do so in the first major of the season. Where she excels. Where she could rewrite history in her own way.