Agency Report

World number one and home favourite Ashleigh Barty is strongly fancied to win her maiden Australian Open when the first tennis Grand Slam of the year begins on Monday.

In the absence of Serena Williams, who is skipping the event because of fitness concerns, AFP Sport highlights five players to watch in an open-looking women’s draw:

– Ashleigh Barty –

The 25-year-old Wimbledon champion ended her 2021 season early, following a shock third-round loss at the US Open in September, opting to return to Australia because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Australian made her major breakthrough by winning the French Open in 2019 and rising to number one, but is yet to reach the final of her home Grand Slam.

Her best performance was a semi-final in 2020, losing to eventual champion Sofia Kenin, but she slumped out at the quarter-final stage last year, shocked in three sets by the 25th-seeded Czech Karolina Muchova.

Started her 2022 season in style by winning the singles and doubles titles at the Adelaide International.