The Australian Open’s slot near the beginning of the annual sports calendar makes it perhaps the most unpredictable of tennis’ grand slams. Most players arrive in Melbourne coming off their longest stretch without competition each year, and surprises often follow, with the event serving as a breakthrough slam for many over the years. 

Aryna Sabalenka won her first grand slam title in Melbourne last year, defeating Elena Rybakina in her first major final. The 25-year-old Belarus native has sustained that momentum for a year, reaching the semifinals at the French Open and Wimbledon before falling to Coco Gauff in the US Open final last fall. 

This year’s No. 2 seed avenged that defeat to the young American in the semifinals Thursday and is back in the championship with a chance to be the first repeat women’s singles winner at the tournament since countrywoman Victoria Azarenka in 2012 and 2013. 

Azarenka’s opponent in the latter final was Li Na, who would take the title in 2014 to become the first Asian player to win a grand slam. Ten years later, Li’s countrywoman Zheng Qinwen will face off against Sabalenka in her first major final. 

Zheng, 21, is in the midst of the best stretch of her career. Before this tournament, her deepest run at a grand slam was the quarterfinals at last year’s US Open, where she lost to Sabalenka in straight sets. 

That was the only meeting to date between the pair, and there will be much more on the line this time. 

Here’s all you need to know to watch Sabalenka face Zheng in the 2024 Australian Open women’s singles final.

This women’s championship match takes place on Saturday, January 27. It’s a prime-time event in Melbourne but will begin overnight in the U.S.

Here’s the start time for Sabalenka vs. Zheng:

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Both Fubo and ESPN+ are streaming the match live, and US fans can also tune into ESPN to watch on TV, with encore presentations also airing on ESPN2 and Tennis Channel. 

On paper, this one is an absolute mismatch. Defending champion Sabalenka and has plowed through this year’s draw without dropping a set, and indeed had not lost more than three games in any set until beating Gauff 7-6 (2), 6-4 in the semifinal. 

Her draw hasn’t been easy, either; in addition to the fourth-seeded Gauff, Sabalenka dominated No. 9 seed Barbora Krejcikova in the quarterfinals and double-bageled 28th seed Lesia Tsurenko in the third round. 

The 12th-seeded Zheng, on the other hand, has not played a top-50 opponent yet in her six matches, facing qualifier Dayana Yastremska in the semis. Her section of the draw opened up early when top seed Iga Swiatek suffered a stunning defeat to Linda Noskova in the third round. 

Though Zheng has shown plenty of fortitude to make it this far, winning a pair of three-set matches after dropping the opening set, Sabalenka’s experience and form make her The Sporting News’ pick to take the title. 

Prediction: Sabalenka to win in straight sets