Australian Open 2020
Preview
Who can go all the way at the 2020 Australian Open?
Can Ash Barty claim her maiden home Grand Slam? Who is standing in her way at the 2020 Australian Open?
The countdown to the 2020 Australian Open is on, with preparations well and truly underway as the festival looks to again take over Melbourne.
Stretching far beyond the Melbourne Park precinct, next year’s Open is set to go bigger and better than ever before.
The AO Live Stage has just dropped, featuring some absolute superstars ready to take over the stage including Kate Miller-Heidke, The Veronicas and Jess Mauboy.
The superstars on court are just as exciting, and with such fierce competition in the WTA we’re taking a deep dive to see who has the goods to go all the way.
The contenders
Of course, we would all love to see our hometown hero and world number one, Ash Barty take home her maiden Australian Open. But there are plenty of contenders standing in her way.
After a phenomenal 2019 campaign, the 23-year old finished the year holding the number one ranking. She claimed her first Grand Slam title at the French Open in June, after reaching the quarterfinals in Melbourne.
In 2019, Barty became the first Australian Grand Slam champion in eight years, the first Australian French Open Singles Champion since Margaret Court in 1973, and only the second Australian WTA Singles world number one since the legendary Evonne Goolagong Cawley.
How good was the Barty Party in 2019
World number 10 and arguably the greatest player of all time, Serena Williams, will head in as the favourite to take out the title. With a total of 23 Grand Slam Singles titles, there are very few that can stand in her way.
Despite an interrupted couple of years on the WTA circuit, Williams has still managed four Grand Slam Finals in the past two years. She will go into the Australian Open looking to claim her first Grand Slam title since 2017, and her 24th overall.
The GOAT
Another key contender at this year’s Open will be rising next-generation superstar, 19 year-old Canadian Bianca Andreescu.
Andreescu has only been on the circuit for two years, but after a breakout 2019 campaign where she claimed the US Open knocking off Williams in the Final, she has proven she can match it with the best.
The powerful and energetic youngster brings plenty of entertainment to the court, and many believe she will head to Melbourne as second-favourite.
Bianca Andreescu claimed her first Grand Slam title last year.
The next two biggest threats in the tournament will be Naomi Osaka and Simona Halep.
Osaka is the reigning Champion in Melbourne and current world number three, after knocking off Karolina Pliskova in the Final and claiming back-to-back Slams after a 2018 US Open victory.
Proven on hard court, Osaka is still every chance to back up her success at Rod Laver Arena, and at just 22 years of age, she further proves the future of women’s tennis is ridiculously strong.
Can Naomi Osaka go back-to-back?
Halep will in fact begin her Australian Open preparations at the Adelaide International, in a field also headlined by Barty, the first WTA tournament held in Adelaide.
Halep herself has two Grand Slam titles to her name, including Wimbledon last year. The former world number one, and current number four, has previously made the Final in Melbourne (2018) and as a big fan on the hard court, is every chance to go one better in 2020.
[interaction id=”5dd5f054d42ed3d5033f9bdc”]
When can you see them?
The Women’s Singles Semifinals will take place during the day session on Rod Laver Arena on Thursday 30 January.
You can then catch the two best of the tournament go head-to-head in the Women’s Singles Final on Saturday 1 February.
Stadium tickets to this year’s Australian Open are selling fast, and the early bird period is almost over. Saturday 30 November is the date, so make sure you lock in your Stadium tickets before then to make the most of the early bird discount.
The Australian Open 2020 lands in Melbourne from Monday 20 January to Sunday 2 February. Who will be battling it out to take the Women’s Singles crown this year? Grab all your tickets to the 2020 Australian Open from Ticketmaster.com.au.
