Injuries, slumps, and the absence of a dominant force like Serena Williams have left the women's field at the season's final Grand Slam wide open. The US Open, commencing on August 26, has not seen a successful defense of the women's title since Williams secured three consecutive victories at Flushing Meadows from 2012 to 2014. Unless defending champion Coco Gauff can reverse her recent struggles, this trend appears set to persist.
"On the women's side, it is very open," remarked six-time US Open champion and ESPN tennis analyst Chris Evert. "I do think that everyone's getting a little tired and it's been a long year," she added. "I can't say who's going to win with any kind of conviction right now."
Olympic gold medalist and world No. 7 Qinwen Zheng aims to build on her clay court victory at the Paris Games, where she defeated top-ranked Iga Swiatek in straight sets, securing an historic singles title for China. Her quarterfinals appearance at the 2023 US Open and runner-up finish at this year's Australian Open highlight her prowess on hard courts. A win in New York would cement her status as the best Chinese singles player since two-time major champion Li Na.
Jasmine Paolini's women's doubles gold medal in Paris with Sara Errani, marking Italy's first-ever tennis gold, somewhat alleviated her singles defeat by unseeded Romanian Ana Bogdan at the Games. However, the fifth-ranked Paolini is keen to finally secure a Grand Slam singles title at Flushing Meadows after finishing as runner-up at Wimbledon and Roland Garros this year.
Kazakh Elena Rybakina is aiming for her second Grand Slam title since winning Wimbledon in 2022. However, the US Open's hard courts have thus far challenged the big-serving world No. 4, with Rybakina advancing no further than the round of 32 in five previous appearances in New York. Eager to rebound after withdrawing from the Paris Games due to illness and a premature exit from her first Cincinnati Open match, Rybakina hopes to regain momentum from her quarterfinals showing at Roland Garros in June and a Wimbledon semifinals appearance.
Gauff leads a robust group of American women, with five ranked in the top 15 in the world for the first time in two decades. Fresh from a runner-up showing in Cincinnati, sixth-ranked Jessica Pegula is aiming to bounce back in New York, while Danielle Collins, ranked 11th in the world, will compete in her final Grand Slam, having announced her retirement at the end of this season.
