The Australian Open Tennis Championship is set to begin, with Chinese tennis star Zheng Qinwen emerging as one of the favorites to win the title this season. Last year, she reached the final and finished as the runner-up, also making it to the WTA Finals where she secured second place, propelling her into the world's top 10 rankings. As a result, she has been seeded fifth for this year's Australian Open, making her one of the most anticipated sports figures in China at present. CCTV5, the sports channel of China Central Television, has acquired the broadcasting rights for the event and will provide live coverage throughout the tournament.
The draw for the 2025 Australian Open took place on January 9th at 11:30 am, with the top eight seeds in the women's singles category as follows:
- Aryna Sabalenka
- Iga Swiatek
- Coco Gauff
- Beatriz Haddad Maia
- Zheng Qinwen
- Elena Rybakina
- Jessica Pegula
- Paula Badosa
According to the rules, the top two seeds are placed in separate halves of the draw, followed by a random draw for the third and fourth seeds into either half. The process continues for the fifth to eighth seeds, and so on. Sabalenka and Swiatek were drawn into opposite halves, with the following matchups for the top eight seeds:
Sabalenka vs. Zheng Qinwen, Gauff vs. Pegula, Haddad Maia vs. Rybakina, Swiatek vs. Badosa.
Last year, Zheng Qinwen, seeded 12th, fought her way to the final but was defeated 0-2 by Sabalenka, finishing as the runner-up. However, she achieved her best performance in a Grand Slam event. Prior to the draw, among the top four seeds, Zheng Qinwen had fewer victories against Sabalenka, Swiatek, and Gauff, particularly struggling against Sabalenka with no wins. Therefore, she hoped to avoid the top three seeds and be placed in the same section as the fourth seed, Haddad Maia, against whom she had a favorable record.
Unfortunately, Zheng Qinwen drew a tough opponent and will face the number one seed, Sabalenka, in the quarterfinals. In their five previous encounters, Zheng Qinwen suffered five consecutive losses, finding it difficult to secure a victory. During the 2024 season, she lost all four matches against Sabalenka, only winning one set.
The 2025 Australian Open has also announced its prize money and points distribution, with a total prize pool of 96.5 million Australian dollars (approximately 430 million RMB), an increase of nearly 12% from last year. Competitors who reach the main draw are guaranteed a prize of 132,000 Australian dollars (about 560,000 RMB), with additional prize money and points awarded for each round advanced. The eventual champion will receive a massive 3.5 million Australian dollars and 2000 points. This substantial prize money has attracted all the top players in the tennis world to compete, with Zheng Qinwen expected to at least reach the quarterfinals.
The prize money and points breakdown for each round of the 2025 Australian Open are as follows:
Round 1: 132,000 AUD (560,000 RMB) + 10 points
Round 2: 200,000 AUD (800,000 RMB) + 45 points
Round 3: 290,000 AUD (1.25 million RMB) + 90 points
Round 4: 420,000 AUD (1.8 million RMB) + 180 points
Quarterfinals: 665,000 AUD (2.9 million RMB) + 360 points
Semifinals: 1.1 million AUD (4.9 million RMB) + 720 points
Runner-up: 1.9 million AUD (8.2 million RMB) + 1300 points
Champion: 3.5 million AUD (15.92 million RMB) + 2000 points