The 2016 Australian Open[1] is just days away, but there are more questions than answers heading into the first major of the year.
On the women's side, several high seeds are currently dealing with injury or illness. As a result, the outlook for the top of the draw is cloudy at best.
Defending champion Serena Williams[2] is a heavy favorite, but a pesky knee problem[3] is proving tough for her to overcome. Her main rivals—Simona Halep, Garbine Muguruza and Maria Sharapova[4]—are dealing with injury problems of their own with little time left before play begins on Jan. 18.
The field is in flux, but that doesn't mean the event will suffer. If anything, the uncertainty adds an extra layer of intrigue that a few under-the-radar players could capitalize on.
With all these recent developments, now is the perfect time to reassess everything. Based off their performance last year and results to open this season, here are the top 10 women's players heading into the 2016 Australian Open.
The 27-year-old German is undeniably one of the more overlooked players on the WTA Tour.
For someone who's finished inside the top 10 the last four seasons, Angelique Kerber isn't usually thought of as one of the elite contenders. Despite solid overall records, her shaky results at Grand Slam events play a big factor in that lack of respect.
Make no mistake: She has the talent to go far at the Australian Open. With so many question marks surrounding the other top players, there's a window open for Kerber. But will she take advantage?
Kerber has never reached a quarterfinal in Melbourne, and she suffered a first-round loss last year. Because of that track record, it's tough to project much success for her at the 2016 edition.
But Kerber performed well during a recent runner-up finish in Brisbane, so maybe this will be the year she finally advances past the fourth round Down Under.
Just 18 years old, Belinda Bencic plays the game with the wisdom of a much older player.
Her Toronto title run last summer proved the breakout moment for the young Swiss. Mentored by Martina Hingis, she has the right people molding her considerable talents. The arrow is pointing firmly upward for the teenager.
But can she deal with the mounting pressure heaped upon her shoulders? Bencic recently admitted[5] that it's tough to stay focused with all that attention. She'll have to get used to it because more is certainly coming as she continues to rise.
On potential alone, Bencic's 2016 forecast looks promising. And it all begins in Australia, where she'll look to advance to the middle rounds for the first time.
From down on the ropes to the WTA Comeback Player of the Year[6], Venus Williams[7] is proving that you can never count out a champion.
Many thought she was done after illness and injury plagued her from 2011 to 2013. Yet Williams never called it quits. She kept fighting and trying to find a way to stay active with the game she loves.
In 2015, we saw flashes of the old Williams. She finished as year-end No.7—her best such mark since 2010—won 41 matches and took home three titles. A truly renaissance season for the 35-year-old star.
Because of that rejuvenation, Williams is hungry and expects to do well at the Australian Open. Her run to the quarterfinals there last year helped kickstart the comeback, and she's reached that stage eight times in Melbourne, including the final in 2003.
Even in the twilight of her career, Williams is still capable of surprising us. Her passion and resolve are intangibles that should once again serve her well during this next fortnight.
Will an illness upend Petra Kvitova's Aussie campaign before it even begins?
Many are asking that same question after the sixth seed recently withdrew from Shenzhen and Sydney due to a stomach virus[8]. Not only is her health compromised at the moment, but so is her preparation heading into the year's first major.
Not that the Australian Open has ever been her strongest tournament to begin with. While Kvitova made the semifinals in 2012, she's also lost before the fourth round five times, including the last three years. The heat and the (relatively) slower surface don't really suit her.
How ready is she to compete? We'll soon find out and discover whether there are any lingering effects from her illness.
Agnieszka Radwanska has waited a long time to experience the feel of Grand Slam glory. So far, it's proved elusive for the 26-year-old player.
A dark-horse pick at least year's Australian Open after hiring Martina Navratilova, Radwanska instead bowed out in the fourth round. For someone who's performed reasonably well at the tournament throughout her career, that result fell far short of expectations.
She might soon be ready to wash away that memory.
Heading into Melbourne, Radwanska is brimming with confidence after winning the title[9] in Shenzhen. Granted, the highest-ranked player she beat there was No. 95 Anna-Lena Friedsam. That's why she's lower on our list. But a week in which she didn't lose a single set isn't something to scoff at.
With so many of her peers debilitated by injury or illness, Radwanska has a good opportunity to go far in Australia.
Victoria Azarenka[10] may only be ranked No. 16, but she's a legitimate contender heading into the Australian Open.
The two-time champion in Melbourne (2012 and 2013) has the momentum she needs heading into the tournament. After two injury-riddled seasons, she's back to full health and ready to regain her spot near the top of the game.
In Brisbane, Azarenka won her first title[11] in two-and-a-half years, dropping just 17 games while taking out Angelique Kerber in the final. That performance sent a message to her peers: She's once again a force to be reckoned with.
Because of her history at the Australian Open and her recent results, Azarenka earns a high spot on this list.
Maria Sharapova is back, but her body is still proving to be especially brittle.
Down to No. 5 in the rankings, Sharapova has finally recovered from leg pain that forced her to miss several months in 2015. But sure enough, she hurt herself in Brisbane, suffering a forearm injury that knocked her out of that tournament. When will the maladies ever stop for her?
Sharapova is probably wondering that herself. Fortunately, she's entering an event that historically has treated her very well. The 2008 champion stormed to last year's final, falling to an overwhelming performance from Serena Williams, her third runner-up finish in Melbourne.
Because of her experience, Sharapova should be one of the top challengers in Australia. She's comfortable with the courts there and has the game to power through to the late rounds.
While Simona Halep tries to convince skeptics that she indeed has the power and will[12] to compete with the big guns on the WTA Tour, the second seed has something else to prove: that she's healthy enough to compete.
Dealing with a painful Achilles injury[13], Halep withdrew from a recent tournament in Brisbane and looked far from 100 percent in a tight win over Caroline Garcia in Sydney. She's trying to play through the pain, but how much longer can her body hold up before rest is needed?
The injury couldn't have come at a worse time for Halep, who faces a pivotal season as she desperately tries to win her first Grand Slam title. Reliant on her athleticism and defensive skills, she could be at risk for an early exit from the Australian Open if her body can't recover quickly.
A trendy pick to win her first major in 2016, Garbine Muguruza already has an early obstacle to overcome: a left-foot injury[14].
The world No. 3 retired from her opening match in Brisbane because of that ailment, though she doesn't believe the injury is too severe. Still, foot problems can be delicate situations, and it's something Muguruza will have to monitor closely.
On the basis of her game, she's definitely trending upward after a 2015 season that saw her win 41 matches and reach the Wimbledon final. Blessed with enormous power and shot-making skills, Muguruza has the talent to do damage in Melbourne, where the 22-year-old has reached the fourth round the last two years.
Expect her to continue her rise and make a deep run.
Even though she's nursing a left-knee injury, Serena Williams will be the prohibitive favorite to capture her seventh title in Melbourne.
Pain in that knee has lingered since last fall when she skipped several tournaments, and it forced her to pull out of the Hopman Cup to open this season. But Williams insists her body feels great[15] as she prepares her title defense.
Already a six-time champion (2003, 2005, 2007, 2009-2010 and 2015) Down Under, the world No. 1 is out to make amends for her shocking semifinal loss at the U.S. Open.
Just three Grand Slam titles away from tying Margaret Court's record, motivation won't be a problem for Williams. As long as her body cooperates, she has an excellent chance to capture the title yet again.
All statistics are courtesy of WTATennis.com[16] unless otherwise noted.
Joe Kennard is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report.
References
- ^ Australian Open (bleacherreport.com)
- ^ Serena Williams (bleacherreport.com)
- ^ pesky knee problem (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Maria Sharapova (bleacherreport.com)
- ^ recently admitted (www.tennis.com)
- ^ WTA Comeback Player of the Year (www.wtatennis.com)
- ^ Venus Williams (bleacherreport.com)
- ^ stomach virus (espn.go.com)
- ^ winning the title (www.skysports.com)
- ^ Victoria Azarenka (bleacherreport.com)
- ^ first title (www.wtatennis.com)
- ^ power and will (www.vavel.com)
- ^ painful Achilles injury (www.tennis.com)
- ^ < a href="http://www.brisbaneinternational.com.au/2016/01/muguruza-retires-injured-with-foot-injury" target="_blank" name="readabilityFootnoteLink-14">left-foot injury (www.brisbaneinternational.com.au)
- ^ feels great (sports.yahoo.com)
- ^ WTATennis.com (www.wtatennis.com)
- ^ Follow @JoeKennard (twitter.com)
