The 2022 tennis season kicks off on Monday, with the Australian Open getting underway in Melbourne. The January Grand Slam has plenty of drama baked in as veterans seek to prove themselves and rookies aim to make waves.

Can Naomi Osaka repeat? Will Ash Barty break through? Here are the three storylines to watch for ahead of the Australian Open.

1. Ash Barty tries to win one at home

World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty heads into the Australian Open fresh off clinching the Adelaide International title. Defeating No. 7 seed Elena Rybakina in straight sets in the final, Barty has won 17 of her last 18 matchups against Top 20 opponents. The Australian native is also coming off a sensational 2021 campaign, capturing the Wimbledon title to become the first Australian woman since Evonne Goolagong Cawley in 1980 to win the major. The 25-year-old ended last season with a WTA Player of the Year award after taking home five titles in 2021 and ending the year as the World No. 1.

In her rise through the tennis ranks, Barty has captured the heart of Australians, with two million viewers from her home country tuning in to watch the Wimbledon final well into the night and early hours of the morning. With two Grand Slams to her name, Barty hopes to make it a third at home in Australia, improving upon her 2020 semifinal run in Melbourne.

If Barty pulls off the win, she will become the first Australian to capture the major since Chris O’Neil in 1978.

The No. 1 seed won’t have any easy path. As the draw stands, Barty could face reigning champion Naomi Osaka in the tournament’s fourth round.

2. Naomi Osaka returns to defend her title

Naomi Osaka is back on tour after a 2021 season largely defined by the multiple breaks she took from the sport. The 24-year-old first stepped back from tennis during last season’s French Open, citing her mental health. The four-time Grand Slam winner pulled out of Wimbledon as well before returning for the Tokyo Olympics. Following a tough US Open loss to Leylah Fernandez in September, Osaka took another break from tennis, announcing her decision in an emotional press conference after the Grand Slam.

Now, Osaka is back and ready to compete, admitting that her respite from tennis was shorter than even she expected.

“I actually really thought I wasn’t going to play for most of this year,” Osaka told reporters after the first round of January’s Melbourne Summer Set. “I’m really happy with myself that I love the sport that much, because I literally said that I was unsure when I was going to play after the US Open, and I’m here right now.”

After making a semifinal run at the Melbourne Summer Set, Osaka had to pull out of the Australian Open tune-up tournament, citing an abdominal injury. The reigning Australian Open champion is expected to recover for the Melbourne major, which kicks off Osaka’s 2022 campaign. Drawing a potential Round of 16 matchup with No. 1 seed Barty, Osaka’s title defense should be filled with drama and intrigue, as well as some exceptional tennis.

3. A preview of the tour without the Williams sisters

The Australian Open will be without both Venus and Serena Williams for the first time since 1997, with both sisters pulling out of the Grand Slam due to lingering injuries. The Williams sisters’ two-decade plus run down under speaks to the American stars’ prolonged dominance on tour. Neither Venus nor Serena have hinted at retirement, but with both in their 40’s and having already accomplished everything possible in the sport, it’s fair to assume the sisters are closer to the end of their careers than the beginning.

It is hard to imagine tennis without two of the sport’s most towering figures, but the 2022 Australian Open could provide a glimpse into what the post-Williams era looks like.

Will World No. 1 Barty take command as the undisputed leader of the sport, or will No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka clinch her first Grand Slam? Could Naomi Osaka win a fifth Grand Slam and regain her earlier trajectory? Not to mention Garbiñe Muguruza, Barbora Krejcikova, Iga Swiatek, Paula Badosa, and Emma Raducanu, all of whom will have a chance to step into the Williams’ void and claim their position at the forefront of the next generation of tennis stars.

The 2025 Wimbledon Championships wrapped its second round on Thursday, with the grass court Grand Slam seeing just 15 of the tournament's 32 seeded players advance to the Friday and Saturday's third round.

A full half of the WTA's Top 10 players did not survive the week, with 2024 Wimbledon finalist and world No. 5 Jasmine Paolini joining four first-round star exits by falling to unseeded Kamilla Rakhimova in a three-set, second-round battle on Wednesday.

At the same time, unseeded fan favorites like Japan's No. 53 Naomi Osaka and England's own No. 40 Emma Raducanu secured third-round spots at the London Slam, joining top surviving contenders like No. 4 Iga Świątek and defending Wimbledon champion No. 16 Barbora Krejčíková.

Notably, a full five US players managed to move ahead, tied for the largest national contingent still standing at the tournament.

Led by 2025 Australian Open champion No. 8 Madison Keys, the US group also includes No. 10 Emma Navarro and No. 12 Amanda Anisimova, as well as unseeded players No. 54 Danielle Collins and No. 55 Hailey Baptiste.

With matches against Świątek and No. 7 Mirra Andreeva, respectively, Collins and Baptiste have a tough third round ahead — though Navarro's battle against the 2024 champ Krejčíková arguably headlines Saturday's slate.

How to watch Wimbledon this weekend

While world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is still holding strong in the dwindling field, this year's Wimbledon play is proving that the London Slam is anyone's to take, as the grass court humbles even the sport's top stars.

Expect the twists and turns to continue as tennis's best battle for spots in Sunday's Round of 16.

Round-of-32 Wimbledon play kicks off at 6 AM ET on Friday, with live continuous coverage of the tournament airing on ESPN.

The 2025 European Championship is officially underway, as Euro action kicked off with a group-stage upset on Wednesday.

Though the 2025 UEFA tournament's opener was a sweltering affair amid a European heat wave, world No. 26 Finland prevailed, earning a 1-0 upset win over No. 14 Iceland in Group A.

Finnish winger Katariina Kosola played hero, curling in the winning goal in the match's 70th minute — just 12 minutes after Iceland midfielder Hildur Antonsdóttir picked up the competition's first red card.

"The result is important for our confidence," Kosola said after Finland's first major tournament win since the 2009 Euro. "It was the kind of goal I have been practicing a lot."

"It's terrible to lose and we feel frustrated," said Iceland head coach Thorsteinn Halldórsson. "It is an even group and we knew Finland were good, but our first half wasn't good enough."

Elsewhere, No. 16 Norway closed out Wednesday's slate on top of Group A, taking three points by defeating host No. 23 Switzerland in day's second match.

Led by captain and 2018 Ballon d'Or winner Ada Hegerberg — who pulled the match even with a second-half strike — Norway battled to a 2-1 comeback win, despite the Swiss side outshooting and out-possessing the Norwegians.

How to watch this week's 2025 Euro action

Group B steals the 2025 Euro spotlight on Thursday.

While No. 13 Italy snagged a 1-0 opening win over No. 20 Belgium to kick off the day, 2023 World Cup champions and tournament favorite No. 2 Spain will face No. 22 Portugal at 3 PM ET.

Friday's Group C slate will pit No. 12 Denmark against No. 6 Sweden at 12 PM ET, before No. 3 Germany contends with No. 27 Poland at 3 PM ET.

Closing out the first group-stage matches will be arguably the toughest draw of the 2025 Euro pool.

Saturday's Group D slate features major tournament debutants No. 30 Wales against the No. 11 Netherlands at 12 PM ET, with No. 10 France taking on defending champions No. 5 England to cap the day at 3 PM ET.

Live coverage of 2025 Euro matches will air across Fox Sports platforms.

The world No. 1 USWNT ruled the pitch on Wednesday night, shutting out North American rivals No. 8 Canada 3-0 to finish the international window on a high note.

Catching the Canada backline sleeping, US midfielder Sam Coffey opened the scoring at the 17-minute mark before 19-year-old Claire Hutton claimed her first-ever USWNT goal by heading in a Rose Lavelle corner kick in the game's 36th minute.

Houston Dash forward Yazmeen Ryan then padded the US tally in the waning minutes of the match, finding the back of the net just eight minutes after subbing onto the field.

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Despite fielding a young roster, the US overpowered a veteran-heavy Canada side in almost every category, topping their Northern neighbors in shots, shots on target, possession, and — most notably — set pieces.

Canada ultimately couldn't match the game's mental pace or physical battle, as the USWNT scored all three goals off dead ball situations — a free kick, a corner kick, and a throw-in.

"It's not about the opponent," US head coach Emma Hayes said after the match. "It's about what we do, and I felt that was extremely dominant."

With Wednesday's contributions, the USWNT finishes the summer window with 11 goals scored across the three friendlies — and zero goals conceded.

The US now enters an extended break before reconvening for another as-yet-unannounced friendly series in October — but players will be expected to perform in the meantime.

"I said to the players in the end in the huddle, if you want to compete to win the biggest things, it's not what you do here that matters," said Hayes. "It's what you do when you go back to your club."

The 2025 WNBA regular season returns on Thursday night, with teams at the top of the league standings looking to prove their mettle against close competition across the long holiday weekend.

The No. 5 Seattle Storm have arguably the toughest weekend assignments, taking on the No. 4 Atlanta Dream on Friday before tackling the No. 3 New York Liberty on Sunday.

Four middle-of-the-pack teams will look to close in on a double-digit season win tally while the league's frontrunners strive to maintain their advantage in this weekend's slate:

• No. 7 Las Vegas Aces vs. No. 8 Indiana Fever, Thursday at 7 PM ET (Prime): Though still without star Caitlin Clark, the Fever hope to harness their 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup victory momentum against an Aces side tied with Indiana with an 8-8 season record.

• No. 5 Seattle Storm vs. No. 4 Atlanta Dream, Thursday at 7:30 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): Seattle will look to make strides against a strong Atlanta side while putting last Sunday's stinging 84-57 loss to up-and-comer Golden State in their rearview.

• No. 6 Golden State Valkyries vs. No. 1 Minnesota Lynx, Saturday at 8 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): The rising Valkyries must face a Lynx side hunting redemption, as the league-leaders look to bounce back from their stifling Tuesday Commissioner's Cup upset loss.

• No. 5 Seattle Storm vs. No. 3 New York Liberty, Sunday at 1 PM ET (CBS): With injured Liberty center Jonquel Jones still sidelined, the Seattle Storm will have a chance to steal a weekend game against the reigning champs, as New York struggles to re-find their footing.

With the 2025 WNBA All-Star break looming, early top performers must keep standards high if they want to hold the line when the season crosses the midway point.