Plenty of contenders at Australian Open
MELBOURNE, Australia — Without defending champion Serena Williams in the draw at the Australian Open, there’s certainly an opportunity for another player to go on a surprising run and emerge as a first-time Grand Slam champion.
Sloane Stephens and Jelena Ostapenko did it last year. Just don’t describe the first Grand Slam of the year as “more open” than usual.
“Whenever I get asked that question, it always comes across in really kind of an almost negative way instead of acknowledging how many great players we have,” Johanna Konta said on Saturday.
Konta, who reached the semifinals at Wimbledon last year, said: “The depth in women’s tennis has gotten so strong. There’s no straight sailing to the quarters or semis. It doesn’t exist.”
Stephens agrees the Australian Open field is still extremely tough, even without Williams, the 23-time major winner. Williams withdrew from the tournament to recover from health issues after a complicated childbirth in September.
“There’s a lot of great players,” Stephens said. “It’s up for grabs.”
A new face will be holding the trophy at Melbourne Park in two weeks. The No. 1-ranking changed seven times in 2017, with five women assuming top spot — three for the first time.
Top-ranked Simona Halep is looking to finally break through and win her first major after twice finishing runner-up. She won the season-opening Shenzhen Open in China, but has mixed results at Melbourne Park, losing in the first round the last two years.
“I don’t feel pressure. I feel OK. I feel fit. I feel ready to start,” Halep said. “I have one more goal, to win a Grand Slam.”
Stephens made a stellar run to the U.S. Open title after missing several months with an injured left foot. She has struggled to adjust to the sudden stardom that’s come with being a Grand Slam champion — losing seven straight matches since September — but believes she can find her game again in Melbourne.
“It’s always a tough transition when you go from not playing for 11 months to winning a Grand Slam,” she said. “I like to just stay in my own little bubble.”
There are plenty of other contenders. Among them, Ostapenko, now 20, rocketed up the rankings after her win at the French Open. Venus Williams is a threat at 37, after finishing runner-up to her sister last year. Angelique Kerber, the 2016 Australian Open winner, won the Sydney International title this month.