The Flushing Meadows audience used to watch pre-tournament favorites fall short because 8 women have won U.S. Open trophy in last 9 years.
There are a few challengers poised to swoop in if players like defendi
ng champion Iga Swiatek, world number two Aryna Sabalenka, and in-form American Coco Gauff stumble in this year’s competition, with Elena Rybakina maybe the most likely to do so.
The 2022 Wimbledon champion Rybakina’s style can be destructive on hard courts, despite the fact that her greatest success has been on grass, as she demonstrated in some significant matches against top rivals on the surface this year.
The 24-year-old defeated Swiatek in straight sets at the Australian Open and Indian Wells before defeating Sabalenka in the tournament’s championship match.
Rybakina’s progress, though, has been derailed by an injury that required her to withdraw from the Cincinnati Masters, so the fourth-ranked Kazakh will have concerns about her fitness when she starts her U.S. Open campaign next week.
This month, Maria Sakkari celebrated her 100th straight week in the top 10 of the women’s rankings. Despite the Greek’s recent success, a Grand Slam championship
has eluded her.
At the U.S. Open, where she made the semifinals in 2021, Sakkari will continue her pursuit of a maiden major victory after losing to Gauff in the Washington final this month.
After losing to Gauff, Sakkari told reporters, “Starting the U.S. swing with a final and playing strong tennis is actually one of the few times I have done it. I think it will benefit me, but no one can say for sure.
Despite the Frenchwoman’s less than perfect preparations, Caroline Garcia will be trying to outperform her run to the semi-final at the U.S. Open from the previous year.
Following defeats to Sloane Stephens in her opening match in Cincinnati, where she was the defending champion, Garcia lost first-round matches in Washington and Montreal.
With Marketa Vondrousova, Karolina Muchova, Petra Kvitova, and Barbora Krejcikova, who are ninth through twelfth in the WTA rankings, the Czech Republic will have a large presence at the competition.
Muchova will be feeling especially confident after defeating two players ranked in the top 10 — Sabalenka and Sakkari — to advance to the Cincinnati Masters final.
“Marketa and I were outside of 200 last year. According to Muchova, it’s pretty excellent. “After that, there are still more Czechs behind us. It’s good to know they’re doing well.
Vondrousova, a fellow countrywoman of TMuchova, will be looking to improve on her title-winning Wimbledon run, and Kvitova, a two-time winner, is one of the most seasoned players in the draw and will be a tough opponent for anyone.
The draw is made even more unpredictable by the inclusion of former world number ones Venus Williams and Caroline Wozniacki, who were awarded wild cards by the organizers.
In the three competitive matches Wozniacki has played since her comeback, which she announced in June, she has won one and lost two.
Williams, a seven-time Grand Slam champion, had defeated 16th-ranked Veronika Kudermetova in Cincinnati and appeared to be in good health, but she withdrew from the Tennis in the Land competition due to a knee issue, casting doubt on her ability to compete in the U.S. Open.
