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.