Melbourne –

Aryna Sabalenka will try to join a select group of players by winning her third straight Australian Open title this month, but the big question ahead of the year's first Grand Slam is can anyone stop the Belarusian from tightening her grip on the women's game?

The 26-year-old world No. 1 is the red-hot favorite at Melbourne Park, where another victory would give her a fourth Grand Slam title and widen the gap in the rankings between her and Poland's Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff of the United States.

Sabalenka, who started her season by winning her 18th career WTA title in Brisbane on Sunday, has reached at least the semifinals in nine of her last 12 Grand Slams, a run which included a win at the U.S. Open in 2024.

That kind of form has drawn comparisons with Serena Williams, who reached the final four in 10 Grand Slams between 2014 and 2017 during a run that saw her win six of her 23 Grand Slam titles.

"Definitely, I've got some confidence at the Grand Slams," said Sabalenka, who can become the first woman to capture three successive Australian Open titles since Switzerland's Martina Hingis achieved the feat from 1997 to 1999.

"I know I'm capable of so many things, that I'm able to hold that beautiful trophy. It's good to know that. But there's still (some) way to go. A lot of things have to be done.

"You have to focus on improving yourself every day, do your best and hope for the best. That's my mentality going into the Australian Open."

After being replaced by Sabalenka as world No. 1 at the end of last season, Swiatek has no shortage of motivation.

The Pole held the top spot for 125 weeks during two spells from the 2022 season, and while the clay courts of Paris continue to offer her the best chance of adding to her five Grand Slam titles, she is already showing strong form in Australia.

Swiatek, 23, who reached the Australian Open semifinals in 2022, delivered strong individual performances during the United Cup mixed team competition, taking Poland to the final round last weekend.

"I'm very satisfied with my game," said Swiatek, who served a monthlong suspension late last year over a doping violation.

"I was able to overcome difficult moments by maintaining a high level of tennis for a long time. This is what all players seek, so it's nice to feel like this already in the first week of competition."

The world No. 2 came up short in her bid to lead Poland to victory at the United Cup after she lost in straight sets to world No. 3 Gauff, who hailed the win as one of the best performances of her career.

Gauff's sole Grand Slam title came at Flushing Meadows in 2023, and she underlined her hardcourt credentials by beating both Sabalenka and Swiatek en route to winning the WTA Finals in November.

"I think after the way she finished (last season), she's going to be really interesting to see," former women's doubles world No. 1 Rennae Stubbs said.

"I believe she has absolutely put her hands up to be one of the favorites for the Australian Open."

Last year's tournament highlighted the depth of the women's game, with China's Zheng Qinwen enjoying an inspired run to the final. The Paris Olympic champion will be fresh for another shot at the title after opting out of warm-up tournaments.

Melbourne's blue courts have often favored big hitters like Zheng, and there are few women on the tour who pack a punch like Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion.

Rybakina, who lost to Sabalenka in the 2023 Australian Open final, has bolstered her team by adding Novak Djokovic's former coach Goran Ivanisevic and has already started to reap the rewards with dominant displays ahead of the Australian Open.

Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka should also be in the mix, providing she overcomes the abdominal issue that scuttled her title bid in Auckland last week.

Jasmine Paolini was the surprise package of the 2024 season with runner-up finishes at the French Open and Wimbledon and the ever-smiling Italian will hope she can be third-time lucky in the tournament dubbed the "Happy Slam."