Exclusive/ Vedika Anand Breaks Down Australian Open 2026; Momentum in Women's Tennis and Aryna Sabalenka's Winning Edge

Women's tennis is in a fascinating zone as the Australian Open 2026 gets underway. The first Grand Slam of the year is expected to have rising stars break through and established performers continuing to deliver a spirited performance in the competition.

Title-winning stars like Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek remain the dominant forces in the Australian Open 2026, while rising tennis stars participating in the competition bring a diversity of talent in the first Grand Slam of the year.

This year's draw does not assure supremacy to any women's participants, making it one of the most unpredictable and exciting draws in recent memory. Teen sensations like Mirra Andreeva and Victoria Mboko, who are already grabbing the headlines, are expected to deliver a breakout outing in the competition.

Ahead of the Australian Open 2026 Main Draw, Republic Digital sat down in an interview with former Indian-origin collegiate tennis player Vedika Anand. She has shed light on the boom in women's tennis and the qualities that will define the eventual champion this year.

Also Read: Novak Djokovic Responds to Retirement Speculation Following Injury Setback as Australian Open Looms

The Following Are Excerpts Taken From The Interview

Q1: The Australian Open 2026 is just around the corner. From your perspective, how significant is this year's women's singles draw compared to the previous editions?

I think the cool part about the women's draw is that there are multiple people who could be contenders for winning the slam. So that makes things exciting. You never know what week one is going to bring.

We could see some really tough matches going into the first and second rounds. So it keeps things exciting, and it makes predicting even harder. So I'm excited to see the women's draw even more than I want to see the men's draw, and looking forward to it.

Q2: Sablenka, Swiatek and Gauff are among the three favourites. Which qualities do you think will define the eventual champion in Melbourne this year?

Yeah, you know, being able to deal with the conditions in Melbourne is the biggest challenge here. And so the players that you mentioned, between Sabalenka, Iga and Coco, the player that has the capability of managing the heat is probably going to have a little bit of an edge.

It's seven matches, two weeks, it's not easy to play in those circumstances. But I do think that Sablenka has a little bit of an edge. And I think that she will (1:20) eventually take the title. And that's a prediction that I'm making even before seeing the draw. So so let's call it a let's call it a soft prediction for now.

Q3: The Australian Open has been a breakthrough stage for rising stars. Which young female players do you think or do you believe could surprise the fans in 2026?

Yeah, I'm excited to see Vicky Mboko. I'm excited to see Mirra Andreeva. I think those are two players that going in on the women's side will be exciting this 2026 season.

On the men's side, we have a lot of new players, a lot of young guns, right? I think Fonseca will be exciting to watch. I think the Brazilian fans really show up for him, and he always pulls the crowd. So I'd love to watch him. And of course, there's also a feat of young Australian players that are going to be in the draw both in qualies and the main draw, so excited to watch them play.

Q4: As someone who's played at a competitive level, what mental and physical challenges do players face in the opening Grand Slam of the year?

I think coming off of offseason, the biggest challenge is that you haven't had enough match practice, recent match practice. Even as an analyst, as someone who's watching the sport, one thing we make predictions off of is recent performance.

Right now, we don't have that we haven't seen performance to go for. So that's the challenge for the players: being absolutely fresh from an offseason is going to be difficult. And the players that have the ability to come in well prepared are going to make the biggest difference.

So yeah, looking forward to seeing how the offseason has gone for these players. And I've been reading a little bit about you know, who's been injured, who's recovering from injuries, who's you know, coming back and has coaching changes, etc. And all of those are going to make a difference in how the draw pans out and how the eventual champions look.

Q5: How do you see the rivalry between Sabalenka and Swiatek shaping the narrative of women's tennis in 2026, especially at the Australian Open?

I would love to see them play the final against each other. I think there's those are two players that are so different, not just in game style, but also in personality. And that's what makes it exciting, right? Why did we love the Rafa Roger rivalry so much? It's not just because they played differently.

It's also because they brought two different personalities to the court. So it's the same thing that I see with Sabalenka and Swiatek. That being said, honestly, I'd be happy to see either of them when they're both great competitors, and both are driving forces in bringing women's tennis forward.

Q6: The Australian Open is known for its demanding conditions. How crucial is preparation and adaptation to the heat and the hardcourts for success?

Again, I mean, hardcourts is what most of our season is, right? So players are not; it's not that they're not used to hardcourts. The challenge is that every hardcourt plays differently, right? Like the US Open is a hardcourt tournament, but it plays very different than the Aussie courts.

Not just because of the way the courts are laid, but also because of the conditions that we mentioned, including heat. So like I said, you know, off-season preparation is going to be very telling in how players enter this first slam. And what makes it exciting is because you're coming off an off-season, the first few rounds can be very tricky.

You can see a lot of upsets in the first few rounds, which, for me as an analyst, is super exciting. I love it when the draw gets shaken up.

Also Read: Mira Andreeva Stages Epic Comeback to Defeat Victoria Mboko In The Final, Claims Adelaide International Title

Q7: From an Indian perspective, what impact does the Australian Open have on inspiring young female tennis players back at home? And how can India build stronger pathways for women in tennis?

I think sports visibility makes a big difference. Sony, being the broadcaster forthe  Australian Open in India, is a great way to inspire the youth to not just watch sports, but also follow suit.

So from an Indian perspective, given that the Australian Open happens at a time zone that is suitable to watch in India, it will be great to have more and more people watch, learn and be inspired to continue playing.

I think on the doubles side, we have a significant number of men competing from India. And I think that will be great for the youth to kind of see someone who looks like them, who's come from similar places to them competing at the highest stage, and hopefully inspire them to do even better.

TUNE IN: Watch Australian Open 2026 starting from 18th January, 2026 live and exclusive on Sony Sports Ten 5 (SD & HD),  Sony Sports Ten 2 (SD), Sony Sports Ten 3 Hindi (SD & HD), Sony Sports Ten 4 Tamil & Sony Sports Ten 4 Telugu channels.