It is simply understood that the four majors in tennis are important. Many may have their favorite pet tournaments, but there remains universal agreement that the slams are a cut above the rest. For better or for worse, they can have a colossally quick impact on a player's career as well as a carryover effect in the weeks and months that follow. Contested so early in the season, the Australian Open is in a unique position to set an early narrative for the year, and with what appears to be an intriguing women's field, there will be plenty of competitors eager to try and write that narrative in her own favor.

The woman apt to be most under the microscope is Ash Barty. As the current Number 1 and top seed, she naturally would garner a strong share of the spotlight, but as a native Australian, she is also the home crowd favorite. She is not a bad bet to go all the way either. She has two majors under her belt already, and despite having not played since the US Open last season, she went into Adelaide last week and won both the singles and doubles titles. She is in a particularly tricky section of the draw, however, and as much as she will enjoy the crowd support, it is a double-edged sword with the added pressure being the home favorite can bring. If she can manage her nerves and bring her best against game opposition, then it is well within the realm of possibility that she could satisfy the hopes of a nation and set up anything else she does during the season as merely icing on the cake.

Located in Barty's section of the draw, Naomi Osaka will undoubtedly be one to watch as well. She is a former champion here, but she will be well aware that most will be looking to see how she mentally handles the situation. 

The thirteenth seed's struggles with mental health issues last season are well-documented, and her 2021 season ended on a disappointing and emotional note with her loss to Leylah Fernandez in the third round of the US Open. She did, however, conjure some positive vibes to get her 2022 off to the right start before pulling out of her semifinal match at the Melbourne tune-up event last week. 

That run, coupled with her past success at this event, could bode well for Osaka, but because of what transpired last season, she may also be under a little more pressure to post a solid showing Down Under to help her cause as this season progresses.

Like Osaka, Simona Halep will be looking to find some magic at the Australian Open in an effort to get her own game and ranking moving in the right direction. The Romanian was hampered by injuries throughout much of last season and struggled to build any momentum in its latter stages. But the former Number 1 sent a warning shot to the rest of the field that she could be back after securing her first title in over year with her win at the Melbourne warm-up event last week. She has already proven she knows what it takes to win a major, is a former finalist here, is under less pressure given that she is flying under the radar, and she is in a workable section of the draw. All told, she could be a sleeper that finds success at this year's staging of the Australian Open.

Of course, these are hardly the only three to keep tabs on as the tournament unfolds. Players like Coco Gauff, Paula Badosa, and Aryna Sabalenka will be keen to carve out a breakthrough title. Emma Raducanu and Leylah Fernandez, last year's US Open Champion and Finalist respectively, will also be eager to try and replicate their success from New York in Melbourne. Or maybe there will be some other dark horse who will rise to the occasion and make her mark on the sport. Regardless of how it all pans out, there is bound to be some entertaining and exciting tennis on offer, and the opportunity will be there to seize the early 2022 momentum for whomever is brave enough to step up and take it.