5 Women’s First-Rounders to Watch – Tennis Now

By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, January 15, 2026Photo credit: Mubadala Citi DC Open Facebook

The Happy Slam should deliver drama from the very first round.

Here’s our choices for Top 5 Australian Open women’s first-rounders to watch.

Barbora Krejcikova (CZE) vs. (23) Diana SchnaiderHead-to-head: First Meeting

Two-time Grand Slam champion Krejcikova has been slowed by a thigh injury and when she comes out wearing the heavy taping, Elena Dementieva-style, it can make you jittery. But Krejcikova’s all-court skills and calm competitiveness make her a threat against anyone. The left-handed Schnaider is only 21, but she’s already won five singles title and is knocking on the door of a Top 10 debut.

An interesting aspect of this match: Krejcikova knocked off another talented lefty shotmaker, Taylor Townsend, in an epic US Open comeback en route to the Flushing Meadows quarterfinals last September. I was lucky enough to be at that match on Louis Armstrong Stadium and Krejickova hit some brilliant backhand strikes down the line. Schaider must be aware of that dangerous shot and try to use her forehand to spread the court and keep the 30-year-old Czech on the move.

(Q) Sloane Stephens (USA) vs. Karolina Pliskova (CZE)Head-to-head: Stephens leads 6-1

There was a time this clash between former No. 1 Pliskova and former No. 3 Stephens could have been a Grand Slam final. Stephens famously beat Venus Williams and Madison Keys back-to-back to win the 2017 US Open; Pliskova pushed Angelique Kerber to three sets before bowing 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 in the 2016 Flushing Meadows final.

Both women are aiming to launch comebacks in Melbourne. On the surface, you can view this as pitting Pliskova’s power and first-strike play vs. Stephens’ consistency, court coverage and skill extending points. Forehand exchanges should be crucial here as both possess potent forehands. 

(8) Mirra Andreeva vs. Donna Vekic (CRO)Head-to-head: Andreeva leads 1-0

Vekic can pump the first serve, pound the forehand and knows how to perform in Grand Slams. Vekic reached the 2023 AO quarterfinals and 2024 Wimbledon semifinals, coming achingly close to the SW19 final.

I respect Andreeva’s athleticism, court sense and overall game. The Indian Wells champion is one of the brightest young talents in the game, who serves bigger than you might think. The question is: How will Andreeva, coming off successive AO fourth-round finishes, respond to the pressure as a favorite? And will Andreeva get too passive and try to bleed errors from the big-hitting Vekic or use her variety to unsettle the former No. 17? In their lone meeting, Andreeva rallied for a 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory at the 2024 Beijing.

Janice Tjen (INA) vs. (22) Leylah Fernandez (CAN)Head-to-head: First Meeting

The initial clash between Babolat-wielding 23-year-old talents could be special. If you haven’t seen Tjen play, know that she’s assertive and can close at net. A college standout at Pepperdine, Tjen became the first Indonesian woman to win a WTA singles title since Angelique Widjaja when she won the 2025 Chennai Open crown. If you play tennis at any level, you must respect the fire, desire and impeccable timing Fernandez brings to every match. Straddling the baseline, Fernandez is at her best taking the ball on the rise—and robbing reaction time from opponents. How tough is Fernandez? She made her major debut in the 2020 AO qualifying. One season later, Fernandez made her inspired run to the US Open final losing to Emma Raducanu. The winner of this match will meet the winner of the Sloane Stephens vs. Karolina Pliskova clash.

(27) Sofia Kenin (USA) vs. Peyton Stearns (USA)Head-to-head: First Meeting

An interesting stylistic contrast in that Kenin can bang her two-handed backhand with the best of them—she’ll sometimes even step around the forehand to hit the backhand—while Stearns’ topspin forehand is her best weapon. The fact both women will give up court space to try to hit their best shots could create openings for the one willing to fire down the line.

The 2020 Australian Open champion Kenin has only one AO match win since she beat Garbine Muguruza in that 2020 final, suffering four consecutive first-round losses. So Kenin will feel the pressure, but so will Stearns, who has yet to win a match in Melbourne Park and has fallen in the first round in five of her last eight Slams. Stearns is most comfortable on clay and slower surfaces, but remember she did reach the 2023 US Open round of 16. This is an opportunity match, but also a tense test for both.