We take a look into some of the big names ahead of the upcoming Australian Open.
ashleigh barty
The world number one and our hope of becoming the first Australian to win the Australian Open since Chris O’Neil did so in 1978.
Ashleigh Barty is the outright favourite to take out the women’s side of the draw after a huge 2021 saw her take home the Wimbledon crown.
Her best finish at this tournament was when she featured in the semi-final back in 2020.
She will be hoping to go a few better than that and bring up her third grand slam title with a win in front of her home fans.
Barty has the power, despite only being five foot five inches in stature, to hold off any of her challengers.
Ash Barty to win the Australian Open = $3.70
Naomi Osaka
Naomi Osaka will be looking to put a tough 2021 behind her as she heads into a new season.
The Japanese starlet faced mental health battles last season which saw her pull out of numerous events.
Osaka now looks somewhere near her best and can definitely post a huge threat to Barty and the rest of her competition.
There is a little bit of an injury cloud over the four-time grand slam champion after she pulled out of the Melbourne Summer Set 1 semifinal with an abdominal complaint.
Osaka has since squashed any rumours she will not be fit to play by saying it was the first time her body had gone through really rigorous back-to-back games.
On talent alone, she can win this tournament having done so on two occasions already.
Naomi Osaka to win the Australian Open = $6.25
Garbine Muguruza
Garbine Muguruza is always up there in terms of contending for grand slams.
The two-time grand slam winner almost pinched her first Australian Open back in 2020, but just fell short.
The argument against her is that her best form is probably on the clay courts, which is such a characteristic of nearly every Spanish player on the WTA and ATP Tour.
She is currently ranked third in the world and is looking to build off a very strong finish to her 2021 campaign.
Her performance when winning the WTA Final in Guadalajara would have her on even keel or maybe even slightly ahead of Naomi Osaka as the main threat to Ash Barty’s number one rank.
Muguruza showed prowess and court coverage similar to what we saw back in 2016 and 2017 when she won Wimbledon and the French Open.
A return to that sort of form could see her sweep the floor on the hard courts of Melbourne Park.
Garbine Muguruza to win the Australian Open = $12
simona halep
There has been no better player in the lead-up events to the 2022 Australian than Simona Halep.
The 30-year-old two-time grand slam winner coasted to victory in the final the Melbourne 1 Summer tournament and did so by only dropping one set through her five matches.
Her 6-2, 6-3 victory over Veronika Kudermetova ensured she surged into calculations as a genuine threat to this Australian Open Women’s crown.
What really stood out in her lead-up was the ability to punish her opponents when landing her first serve.
Cheap points are going to be hard to come by, but if she can replicate that great form on first serve, she will go deep into the tournament.
The win marked Halep’s 23rd career title as she builds towards an attempt to take home her first ever Australian Open title.
She has the experience and fitness to produce a big performance in Melbourne this year.
Simona Halep to win the Australian Open = $13
