Australian Open 2020 - Predictions: who will win the women’s Australian Open title?

Fresh off a quite incredible 2019, home favourite Ash Barty is finally ready to end Australia’s singles drought at Melbourne Park. No Australian has won a singles championship in Melbourne since Chris O’Neill did so in 1978, but the Queenslander has the game and recently-discovered confidence to make it happen. The 23-year-old is already Australia’s first female world number one since Evonne Goolagong Cawley in 1976 and is set to end another long wait.

Women’s tennis is wide open at the moment and it makes for fascinating viewing. My heart says Serena – I’d love to see her get that 24th win and prove that she can still win Grand Slams three years after her last title. However my head says Naomi Osaka to defend her crown. Despite her slump in form at the end of last year, Osaka is still a player with the game that perfectly suits the hard courts of Melbourne and a style that (if she gets it right) should avoid long rallies in the sweltering heat. That being said, such is the spread of quality in the women’s game currently, even though she is my favourite to win overall I wouldn’t be particularly surprised to see Osaka knocked out in the opening rounds.

Winning in Auckland, her first title since the 2017 Australian Open, will have been a huge relief for Serena Williams and having made Slam finals without warm-up tournaments since her comeback after giving birth, she will be fit and firing here. Playing doubles with Caroline Wozniacki in Auckland will also have helped her get match practice - one thing she has certainly been missing. It would be fitting if she were to equal Margaret Court's record in Australia.

Women's tennis is as exciting and open as it ever has been and with so many possible winners it stands to reasons that a lot of the bigger names make end up taking each other out. That could open the door for a wildcard like Danielle Collins. The American reached the semis last year and has been hugely impressive in the warm-up events ahead of Melbourne. It's a long shot but she has form on her side and could cause problems for a lot of players seeded higher than her.

Serena Williams has just won her first single title since giving birth to her daughter with victory in Auckland. Serena remains the most talented player on the tour, so, in form, she has to be favourite. Home hope Ash Barty might have something to say about that.

Seemed to suffer under the pressure of being world number one but, without that burden, Naomi Osaka can play her best tennis and flourish in Melbourne. Finished last season strongly by picking up two titles and can take that form into the Australian Open. A blockbuster quarter-final win over Serena Williams will get fans off their seats.

Karolina Pliskova has that horrible ability to peak at minor tournaments, then blow it when it really matters. She’s built a career as the nearly woman, incapable of converting her promising runs at Slams into a trophy her talent deserves. But with a favourable draw – Barty, Osaka and Serena are all in the other half – this is finally the chance for her to end the hoodoo. She arrives at Melbourne Park as the Brisbane International champion, beating 2019 Australian Open champion Osaka en route to the title.

Serena Williams, for sure. She’s going to defy naysayers and further cement herself as the greatest sportsperson of all time.

Another home favourite, Ash Barty comes into the Aussie Open as world No. 1, WTA finals champion and top seed. Barty has never got past the quarter-finals in Melbourne but in 2019 she produced her best career performance in every Grand Slam of the year. She’s the woman to beat and will have fearsome support every time she plays on Rod Laver Arena

Serena Williams has been building since her return from maternity leave, and though she might have to get past Naomi Osaka in the quarter-finals, or possibly BFF Caroline Wozniacki, first, I think this is her time. With four grand slam finals and now, at last, her first WTA title since the 2017 Australian Open - which don't forget she was pregnant when she won - she is fighting fit and will be well placed to give any young pretenders a run for their money.