The WTA world number one beat Elena Rybakina in the 2023 final to win her first Grand Slam title, and successfully defended her title against Qinwen Zheng in 2024.

Former world number one Simona Halep is back at the Australian Open meanwhile, with the 2018 runner-up receiving a qualifying wildcard.

It remains to be seen if the two-time Grand Slam champion can make it into the Australian Open main draw, where Sabalenka will likely be the player to beat.

Sam Stosur picks her dream women’s 2025 Australian Open final

Another former Grand Slam champion in Sam Stosur has now shared her dream final ahead of the event getting underway

“Maybe it wouldn’t be a surprise final in Sabalenka and [Coco] Gauff but I really like seeing their rivalry happen at the moment,” she said on The Tennis podcast.

“It’s current 5-4. They have had some really close matches, some huge matches, obviously US Open final and here in the Aussie Open in the semis last year.

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“It kind of could go either way on any given day. I think seeing two of the best players in the world go at it time and time again and bringing their best tennis is exciting.

“That is probably the rivalry at the moment on the women’s side, so I think we would be in for a treat if we got to see that in Melbourne.”

What is the head-to-head record between Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff?

It is indeed a very exiting rivalry that Sabalenka and Gauff have created in recent years, with the American leading the Belarusian 5-4 in their head-to-head.

Most recently, Gauff got the better of Sabalenka at the WTA Finals, with the third seed beating the top seed in the semi-finals before going on to lift the trophy.

Their rivalry dates all the way back to 2020, and includes a US Open final victory for the American in 2023.

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That is, however, the world number three’s only Grand Slam success to date, with Sabalenka on three Grand Slams.

Stosur’s dream 2025 Australian Open final would be a repeat of the 2024 Australian Open semi-finals, where Sabalenka beat Gauff in straight sets on her way to the title.

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