Australian Open 2025: 25 favorites to watch out for in Women's Singles | No. 25
Tennis stars are busy prepping for the 2025 season, which gets underway with the Australian Open swing in less than a couple of weeks’ time. The season’s first Grand Slam, meanwhile, begins on January 12.
While World No. 1 and two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka leads the entry list, there are plenty of dangerous floaters who are looking to make their presence felt in the draw. Among them will be the 2023 semifinalist Linette.
A seasoned campaigner, Linette has all the elements in her game needed to win big on hardcourts. She’s very consistent from the back court and packs that extra punch off her backhand wing. Her consistency also makes her a frustrating opponent for many.
All those qualities were on showcase during her breakthrough run at the Australian Open a year ago.
The Pole bested a series of big-hitting names, including Caroline Garcia, Ekaterina Alexandrova and Anett Kontaveit en route to the semifinals, where she lost to Sabalenka in two close sets.
The counterpunching abilities have always been a key part of Linette’s game, but she is also very methodical. Often carrying notes to her matches, the Pole is someone who likes to study the game and her opponent.
And while things always don’t work out, it is refreshing to watch her try and problem-solve in real-time.
Magda Linette's 2024 Australian Open exit will fuel her hunger
Magda Linette was admittedly excited about returning to the Australian Open in 2024, 12 months after her breakthrough run. Her campaign, however, ended in heartbreak after she suffered an injury scare at the tournament.
Playing with some strapping on her left leg, she was forced to retire down 6-2, 2-0 against former champion Caroline Wozniacki. Her season did not go as planned after that and she has dropped outside of the top-30 in the world rankings.
While Linette may just miss out on securing a seeding at the 2025 Australian Open, she should definitely be someone to keep an eye on. At 8-8 (50%), the Slam remains her best in terms of her overall win-loss record. Linette's unceremonious exit at the tournament this year will only fuel her hunger to come back stronger.
The Pole has in the past trained in China during the off-season and is very used to playing on hardcourts in balmy weather conditions. Given a little help from the draw, she could well be on her way to staging another surprise deep run Down Under.