Karen Khachanov
Khachanov, a 22-year-old Russian, began 2018 ranked 45th in the world and enters the Australian Open as the No. 10 seed. He gave Rafael Nadal all he could handle in a hugely entertaining four-set match in the third round of the United States Open, and then won the Paris Masters by defeating four straight top-10 opponents: John Isner, Alexander Zverev, Dominic Thiem and top-ranked Novak Djokovic. Khachanov, who is 6-foot-5, has a huge serve and a Western forehand with a long, flowing backswing that suddenly accelerates at the ball, giving the impression that he is a cracking whip. It makes the shot nearly impossible to read.
Borna Coric
Coric, 22, has not won a match in four previous trips to the Australian Open, but he had an extraordinary 2018: reaching a career-high ranking of 12th, defeating Roger Federer twice and, with Marin Cilic, leading Croatia to its second Davis Cup title. A left-hander by nature who plays right-handed, Coric is 6-2 with a game that has evolved from a defensive, counterpunching style to a more aggressive, opportunistic brand of tennis. He has developed a superb serve, and his return of serve puts enormous pressure on his opponent. His two-handed backhand is considered one of the best in the game. His forehand, once a liability, is much improved.
Daniil Medvedev
Medvedev, a 22-year-old Russian, rose from No. 65 to No. 16 in the world in 2018 and attributes his ascent to a better serve and more control of his temper. He won in Tokyo in October with dominant serving, dropping just one set as he captured his third tour title. Last week, he reached the final in Brisbane with wins over Andy Murray, Milos Raonic and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, then lost in three sets to a resurgent Kei Nishikori. A lanky 6-6, Medvedev does not look powerful, but he hits the ball cleanly with perfect timing and with great disguise. He can serve bombs and also hit wide serves with a spin that opens up the court for his second shot.
Aryna Sabalenka
Sabalenka, a 20-year-old from Belarus, opened her 2019 season with a stirring three-set victory over Alison Riske to win the Shenzhen Open. Sabalenka began 2018 ranked 73rd, but under the tutelage of Dmitry Tursunov, a former tour player, she has risen to No. 11 by harnessing her prodigious power game and staying in points longer with improved shot selection. Her breakthrough came in the Cincinnati event in August, when she reached the semifinals with wins over Johanna Konta, Karolina Pliskova, Caroline Garcia and Madison Keys. She followed that by winning the Connecticut Open in New Haven, and then upsetting Petra Kvitova to reach the fourth round at the United States Open. The 6-foot Sabalenka serves with power and heavy spin, backing that up with a fearsome Western forehand. But what really makes her a threat is the way she plays fearlessly in the big moments of a close match.
Ashleigh Barty
Barty, a 22-year-old Australian, had a breakout season in 2018, winning her first Grand Slam doubles title at the United States Open (with CoCo Vandeweghe), and reaching a career-high singles ranking of 15th. In Sydney last week, she upset world No. 1 Simona Halep in straight sets. Barty has an exceptional all-court game, using her athleticism and wide array of shots to confound opponents. Although she is only 5-5, Barty leads the WTA Tour in second serve points won, using her heavy kick serve to pull the returner out of position and then attacking the first ball with her powerful forehand. With her superb volleys and overhead, Barty looks to attack the net, often approaching behind her one-handed slice backhand, which is considered the best in the game. Expect the Australian fans to turn Barty’s matches into rollicking events.
Madison Keys
Keys, a 23-year-old American who was the runner-up to Sloane Stephens in singles at the 2017 United States Open, last year reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, as well as the semifinals of the French Open and the United States Open. But her other results were somewhat lackluster, and she enters this week ranked 17th. Keys struggled to find a coach to replace Lindsay Davenport, who stopped traveling to spend more time with her family. In December, Keys hired Jim Madrigal, who guided Tennys Sandgren on his run to the quarterfinals in Melbourne a year ago. At 5-10, Keys has one of the game’s best first serves, and she generates astonishing pace with her ground strokes. But she ranks only 27th on tour in second serve points won, at just over 47 percent. An improvement in this area could pay off for Keys.
Geoff Macdonald is the women’s tennis coach at Vanderbilt University.
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