Williams sisters to lead the charge Down Under

American women have had their fair share of success on the tennis court in recent years. While the Williams sisters are still thriving, younger talents are making names for themselves.

Madison Keys and Sloane Stephens are missing Melbourne due to injuries, but there are still plenty of Americans who will have an opportunity to leave their mark in Australia.

1

Age: 35

Ranking: No. 2

Best Australian Open result: 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2015, champion

How weird does it sound to associate 22-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams with the second seed? Very, very weird. Serena’s last match in 2016 was at the US Open, where she not only was shocked in the semifinal by eventual runner-up Karolina Pliskova, but also lost her No. 1 ranking.

Consider this Australian Open an opportunity for Serena to remind the world why she has been a dominant force on the circuit throughout much of her career. Last year in Melbourne, she was surprised in the final by the new leader of the WTA Tour rankings and 2017 top seed Angelique Kerber. But despite a recent second round exit in Auckland, expect the six-time Australian Open champion to put herself in a position to capture a seventh title down under. Her path will be tough from the get-go with a first-round matchup against former Top 10 teen Belinda Bencic.

2

Age: 36

Ranking: No. 16

Best Australian Open result: 2003, finalist

A lot can happen over the course of a season, and Venus showed that in 2016. As the eighth seed, she was bounced from the Australian Open in the first round (albeit by current world No. 10 Johanna Konta), but managed to work her way all the way up to No. 6 in the rankings by virtue of a semifinal appearance at Wimbledon.

The Rio mixed doubles silver medalist has won seven Grand Slams, but can she make a run for her first major title since 2008? It will be tough, but Venus' draw is favorable with the nearest seed being No. 19 Kiki Bertens. Expect the older Williams sister to take full advantage and make a run deep into the second week.

3

Age: 25

Ranking: No. 38

Best Australian Open result: 2015, third round

It is hard to believe that a player with as big of a game as Vandeweghe has lost in the first round in 14 of her 24 Grand Slam main draw appearances. The world No. 38 has the potential to play Top 20 tennis on any given day, but has yet to find the consistency that would bump her ranking up to that level.

However, there are few top seeds who will want to play her early on in Melbourne, especially Roberta Vinci (who she's drawn in the first round and upset at last year's Wimbledon). Not only does Vandeweghe have a serve to give her plenty of free points, but she is comfortable at net too with a higher ranking in doubles than singles (No. 18).

4

Age: 26

Ranking: No. 44

Best Australian Open result: 2014, third round

Riske’s career best Grand Slam showing was at the US Open in 2013, when she made the round of 16. But the American is playing some of her best tennis. She reached her career-high ranking of No. 39 in November, beat Top 10 veteran Svetlana Kuznetsova and just reached the final in Shenzhen with a victory over world No. 3 Agnieszka Radwanska along the way.

The Pennsylvanian’s repertoire has the ability to throw many opponents off, thanks to her flatter groundstrokes that can take away time from her opponent. With the way she is playing, Riske will have a chance to at least match her best showing in Melbourne, but she'll have to beat her compatriot Madison Brengle in the first round to start doing it.

5

Age: 23

Ranking: No. 46

Best Australian Open result: 2014 and 2016, third round

Do not judge Davis by her five-foot-two frame. The American uses her foot speed and heart every time she steps on the court, and it has been working. Davis has the ability to step in and put opponents on the backfoot, and she showed her ability to hang in there with tallest players when she pushed Maria Sharapova to three sets in Melbourne last year.

Davis is nearing her career-high ranking of No. 43 as well, as she took home her first WTA title last week in Auckland with a straightforward win over teenage sensation Ana Konjuh. She's starting her campaign against fellow unseeded American Samantha Crawford, with a possible encounter with Garbine Muguruza next.

Keep an eye out for Christina McHale (ranked No. 43) and Shelby Rogers (ranked No. 57) as well—both have the potential to make runs in Melbourne. Bethanie Mattek-Sands also recently became the top-ranked doubles player in the world, and will look to win her second Australian Open.