HOW THE LEADING WOMEN'S CONTENDERS AND BEST AUSSIE HOPE SHAPE UP FOR THE US OPEN STARTING ON MONDAY:
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IGA SWIATEK (POL)
Age: 23
Ranking: 1
Plays: right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Career prize money: $US31,576,991
Career titles: 22
Grand slam titles: 5 (French Open 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024; US Open 2022)
US Open win-loss record: 16-4
Best US Open result: champion 2022
The game's dominant force has won a tour-best five titles in 2024 and chalked up 50 victories before falling to Aryna Sabalenka last outing in the Cincinnati semi-finals. A deserved favourite to reign for a second time in New York.
ARYNA SABALENKA (BLR)
Age: 26
Ranking: 2
Plays: right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Career prize money: $24,761,708
Career titles: 15
Grand slam titles: 2 (Australian Open 2023, 2024)
US Open win-loss record: 21-6
Best US Open result: runner-up 2023
The two-time defending Australian Open champion could not have had a better build-up, winning the Cincinnati Open without dropping a set all week and rolling past Jessica Pegula in the final after taking down Swiatek in the semis.
ELENA RYBAKINA (KAZ)
Age: 25
Ranking: 3
Plays: right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Career prize money: $US14,909,990
Career titles: 8
Grand slam titles: 1 (Wimbledon 2022)
US Open win-loss record: 4-5
Best US Open results: third round 2021, 2023
The big-hitting, power-serving Kazakh enters the Open underdone after playing only one match since the Wimbledon semi-finals and has yet to make her mark in New York, but is seeded to make the semi-finals.
JASMINE PAOLINI (ITA)
Age: 28
Ranking: 4
Plays: right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Career prize money: $US6,972,197
Career titles: 2
Grand slam titles: 0
US Open win-loss record: 1-4
Best US Open result: second round 2021
The Italian has been the revelation of the year, emerging from relative obscurity to reach back-to-back grand slam finals at Roland Garros and Wimbledon to send her ranking soaring. However, she's won only one match in four visits to Flushing Meadows.
COCO GAUFF (USA)
Age: 20
Ranking: 5
Plays: right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Career prize money: $US15,189,772
Career titles: 7
Grand slam titles: 1 (US Open 2023)
US Open win-loss record: 14-4
Best US Open result: champion 2023
The defending champion has been out of sorts of late, failing to make the quarter-finals at the past two slams and Paris Olympics. She also fell early in Toronto and Cincinnati. But the prodigy loves the big stage - and there's none bigger than Arthur Ashe Stadium.
JESSICA PEGULA (USA)
Age: 30
Ranking: 7
Plays: right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Career prize money: $14,305,123
Career titles: 6
Grand slam titles: 0
US Open win-loss record: 12-7
Best US Open result: quarter-finalist 2022
The American is the form hardcourt player, reaching back-to-back finals in Toronto, where she won, and Cincinnati, where Sabalenka snapped her winning streak at nine. Yet to break through at a major, but this could be her time.
BEST OUTSIDER
QINWEN ZHENG (CHN)
Age: 21
Ranking: 9
Plays: right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Career prize money: $US4,700,297
Career titles: 3
Grand slam titles: 0
US Open win-loss record: 6-2
Best US Open result: quarter-finalist 2023
Inspired by Li Na, the bubbly Chinese burst to prominence with a charge to the Australian Open final in January, before confirming herself as tennis's next big thing with gold-medal glory on clay at Roland Garros.
BEST AUSSIE HOPE
AJLA TOMLJANOVIC
Age: 31
Ranking: 119
Plays: right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Career prize money: $US6,251,753
Career titles: 0
Grand slam titles: 0
US Open win-loss record: 11-9
Best US Open result: quarter-finalist 2022
The three-time grand slam quarter-finalist is playing on an injury-protected ranking, but proved with her run to the last eight two years ago, when she ended Serena Williams' career, that she's capble of going deep if the stars align.
Australian Associated Press