The Australian Open is right around the corner, and there are a number of legitimate contenders for the women’s singles title.
Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff are the favourites in Melbourne, while Elena Rybakina and Amanda Anisimova will be hopeful of upsetting the apple cart after strong 2025 campaigns on the WTA Tour.
Madison Keys, the 2025 champion, will also look to repeat her feat when the tournament starts on January 18.
Belinda Bencic, who has just re-entered the WTA top 10, is another star who could enjoy a breakthrough campaign at the Australian Open.
Who are your favourites for the 2026 Australian Open title?
Credit: Sofascore
After such a strong start to her 2026 campaign, Bencic is most certainly a dark horse for the title.
Belinda Bencic is a dark horse for the 2026 Australian Open title
Belinda Bencic is the most in-form player in profesisonal tennis.
The Swiss star, the 2025 WTA Comeback Player of the Year, has won her first nine matches [singles and mixed doubles] of the 2026 tennis season.
Bencic, the 2020 Olympics Women’s Singles champion, defeated Jasmine Paolini and Iga Swiatek as Switzerland reached the 2026 United Cup final.
Despite Bencic’s best efforts, her nation was defeated by Poland in the final. However, there was a silver lining for Bencic: she was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player [MVP].
Bencic, the new world number 10, rose over 900 places in the WTA rankings from November 2024 to November 2025 and has continued to prove her worth at the start of this year.
If the Swiss star can emulate her United Cup form in Melbourne, she will certainly be a major contender for the title.
Boris Becker congratulates Bencic
Boris Becker, a three-time Wimbledon champion, has congratulated Bencic on her return to the WTA top 10.
On X [formerly Twitter] Becker said: “Congrats Belinda [on] being back in the top 10.”
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Bencic first broke into the top 10 in 2016 when she was 18 years old, reaching a ranking of seven. Four years later, Bencic achieved a career-high ranking of world number four.
After taking time away from the sport to focus on her family, Bencic has proven she is yet again capable of challenging for tennis’ greatest honours.
The Swiss star is a force to be reckoned with on the tennis court, and should not be underestimated by her peers moving forward.
