Australian Open 2026 Women's draw: Aryna Sabalenka's path to glory fraught with danger

If all hold seed, the Belarusian is set to face Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek in succession in Melbourne.

Sabalenka and third seed Gauff are pitted on a semifinal collision course, but she may first need to navigate a passage past 2021 US Open champion and 28th seed Emma Raducanu, big-hitting Danish 14th seed Clara Tauson and the seventh seed, two-time major finalist Jasmine Paolini just to reach that stage.

The biggest possible clash of the first week could come to pass if top seed Sabalenka runs into 2021 US Open winner Raducanu. Sabalenka leads the ledger 3-0 but only narrowly snuck through in their most recent meeting in Cincinnati last year.

Meanwhile, Swiatek could find the second week tough going early in a potential fourth round against two-time champion Naomi Osaka, a player she owns a 2-1 record against.

World No.2 Swiatek's bid to complete the career Grand Slam is fraught with serious threats before the final, none bigger than the in-form fifth seed Elena Rybakina - unbeaten at the WTA Finals in November - in a potential quarterfinal.

The Pole could meet fourth-seeded Amanda Anisimova - the American who avenged their Wimbledon final in the US Open quarterfinals - in the semifinals.

Gauff, who claimed her second major Roland Garros last year, could run into 18-year-old Mirra Andreeva, the eighth seed, in the quarterfinals.

Two-time major finalist Amanda Anisimova could face compatriot Jessica Pegula in the quarterfinals, but the sixth seed faces a daunting prospect of reigning women's champion, ninth seed Madison Keys, in the fourth round.

Despite back-to-back fourth rounds at Melbourne Park, eighth seed Andreeva will be squarely focused on a tricky first assignment in her third campaign, a clash against former world No.17 Donna Vekic.

After warming up for her 22nd Australian Open campaign in Auckland and Hobart, previous world No.1 and seven-time major champion Venus Williams opens against Serbian lefty Olga Danilovic, a player 21 years her junior.

The 45-year-old Williams has twice reached the Australian Open final; Danilovic beat seventh seed Pegula en route to the fourth round last year.

READ MORE: Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka headline 2026 Australian Open draw