By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Friday February 5, 2021
The singles draws are out at the Australian Open and the first takeaway is that it’s going to be very tricky for Serena Williams to power her way out of a vicious lower half.
Not that Williams, a 23-time major singles champion, can’t handle it, but the American could end up facing No.7-seeded Aryna Sabalenka, No.2-seeded Simona Halep and No.3-seeded Naomi Osaka from the round of 16, if the seeds hold in Melbourne. That's a tough road to the final if there ever was one.
Also featured in the lower half of the women’s singles draw: No.14-seeded Garbine Muguruza, No.9-seeded Petra Kvitova, No.15-seeded Iga Swiatek, No.8-seeded Bianca Andreescu and No.17-seeded Elena Rybakina.
Williams, a seven-time champion at Melbourne, will face Laura Siegemund of Germany in the first round. She could face either Irina-Camelia Begu or Nina Stojanovic in the second round. The American is chasing the all-time singles Grand Slam record of 24, currently held by Australia's Margaret Court.
Williams has not been able to claim a major singles title in her last 10 appearances at the Slam, a streak that dates back to her title in 2017 at the Australian Open, when she defeated her sister in the final while nine weeks pregnant.
Here is the full women’s singles draw for the Australian Open. Play begins on February 8.