Us Open Women’s Singles: How The Top Players Are Shaping Up For Flushing Meadows

How nan apical 5 style up

Aryna Sabalenka Is 2025 conscionable not nan world No 1’s year? Finishing arsenic runner-up successful Melbourne and Paris and falling successful nan semi-finals astatine Wimbledon, Sabalenka has grounded to get complete nan statement astatine slams this play contempt being a changeless favourite. But pinch her powerful crippled and a devastating service – particularly connected difficult courts – she has nan devices to make a heavy tally arsenic the defending champion successful New York. The Belarusian has racked up a full of 52 weeks arsenic nan world No 1, surpassing her compatriot Victoria Azarenka’s 51 for nan 13th-most weeks atop nan WTA rankings since they began successful 1975. Perhaps, for illustration Roger Federer successful 2008, nan 27-year-old tin triumph successful nan last slam of nan twelvemonth aft making 2 finals and a semi.

Aryna Sabalenka is nan defending champion astatine Flushing Meadows. Photograph: Wally Nell/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

Coco Gauff The emotion nan 2023 victor receives astatine Flushing Meadows is palpable and it seems to elevate her game. Gauff stunned pinch a French Open win this summer, but nan American’s writer play was a struggle, culminating successful a first-round exit astatine Wimbledon. The 21-year-old’s anemic serve, successful particular, has been a constituent of discussion. “I americium disappointed successful myself erstwhile it comes to that portion of my game,” she has said. “Serving good successful practice, I would for illustration to transportation it to nan matches. I americium winning, having 1 portion of my crippled connected a crutch. So if I tin guidelines connected some feet, past I tin only ideate it is going to beryllium a batch much straightforward.” Her 23 double faults successful a triumph against Danielle Collins successful Montreal were nan astir successful a WTA level lucifer since 2011.

Coco Gauff will want to rebound from a difficult clip astatine Wimbledon. Photograph: Robert Prange/Getty Images

Iga Swiatek After a stunning Wimbledon triumph that included a historical double bagel successful nan final, nan Pole enters nan US Open arsenic a favourite aft a difficult commencement to nan year. The 2022 champion appears to beryllium backmost to her astir ascendant shape and pinch a formidable head-to-head grounds against astir of nan field, nan 24-year-old whitethorn person a important intelligence separator complete different contenders. Since nan commencement of nan 2020 season, she has claimed nan astir wins astatine nan WTA level complete expansive slam champions pinch 44.

Jessica Pegula This twelvemonth nan American has won 3 singles titles, successful Bad Homburg, Charleston and Austin, and reached finals successful Miami and Adelaide, but has grounded to spell further than nan 4th information successful a slam. She is coming disconnected a third-round upset to Magda Linette successful Cincinnati, wherever her slow activity hindered her game. At 31, her chance to triumph a expansive slam is getting slimmer, but she has a beardown grounds connected difficult courts and successful New York, finishing arsenic runner-up past year.

Jessica Pegula is moving retired of clip to triumph a expansive slam. Photograph: Robert Prange/Getty Images

Mirra Andreeva Though she has yet to triumph a expansive slam, nan 18-year-old is quickly becoming a superior contender. She has an fierce baseline game, but her expertise to support attraction erstwhile things neglect to spell her measurement needs improving. The Russian’s 36-12 grounds successful 2025 gives her 2 much wins than her erstwhile champion of 34 past year, and her tally to nan Wimbledon quarter-finals made her nan youngest subordinate to scope nan apical 5 since Maria Sharapova.

Other location hopes

Madison Keys It is simply a bully clip for American tennis. Outside Gauff and Pegula, Keys will beryllium different sanction that is expected to impressment successful New York. Her breakthrough expansive slam triumph came this twelvemonth successful Australia, wherever she defeated Sabalenka successful nan last and, though she has not maintained that form, she remains a vulnerable opponent. Emma Navarro, classed No 11, will besides dream to amended her semi-final quality past year.

Madison Keys comes to New York arsenic a expansive slam champion for nan first time. Photograph: Daniel Kopatsch/Getty Images

Best British hopes

Emma Raducanu The British No 1 is playing pinch a newfound freedom, saying she has ne'er felt much confident heading to Flushing Meadows since she won nan tournament. Since winning 10 matches to triumph nan 2021 version arsenic a qualifier, Raducanu has not had a azygous triumph successful New York, suffering first-round losses successful 2022 and 2024 and missing nan 2023 tourney owed to surgery. This will beryllium her first expansive slam pinch her new coach, Francisco Roig, who was portion of Rafael Nadal’s squad from 2005 until 2022. It will besides beryllium absorbing to watch Sonay Kartal successful her main tie debut successful New York. The Brighton autochthonal had an breathtaking Wimbledon tally but mislaid successful nan first information successful Cincinnati and lacks hard-court experience.

Emma Raducanu says she has ne'er felt much assured astir her chances successful nan US Open since winning it successful 2021. Photograph: Frey/TPN/Getty Images

Big sanction astir apt to clang retired early

Venus Williams A fable of nan athletics and a erstwhile world No 1, Williams has received a wildcard into nan main draw, an evident determination fixed nan much-beloved erstwhile champion will tie monolithic crowds. However, she has only 3 wins from 14 since January 2023 and past won a US Open lucifer successful 2019. While her emotion for nan crippled is undeniable, an early exit seems probable.

One to watch

Victoria Mboko The 18-year-old arrives brimming pinch assurance aft winning her maiden WTA title astatine her location Canadian Open, defeating 4 expansive slam champions on nan way. Mboko started nan play classed extracurricular nan apical 300. Seven months later she is nan world No 24 and for nan first clip anyplace will beryllium seeded. “The US Open, it’s been 1 of my favourite tournaments ever since I was really little. It is very typical for me.” Mboko said. “I don’t really person galore expectations for myself. I conscionable want to person arsenic overmuch nosy arsenic possible.”