U.S. Open: Top women to watch
Iga Swiatek of Poland, reacts during her game against Jessica Pegula of the United States, during the semifinals of the National Bank Open on Aug. 12 in Montreal. Credit: AP/Christinne Muschi
IGA SWIATEK
Current ranking: 1
Country: Poland
Age: 22
Last 5 U.S. Opens: 2022-Won, 2021-Lost in 4th Rd, 2020-Lost in 3rd, 2019-Lost in 2nd, 2018-DNP.
Swiatek will attempt to defend a major title somewhere other than at the French Open for the first time. She won last year's U.S. Open after fretting about the balls used there; now those have been switched so the women use the same equipment as the men in New York.
Her words: “The amount of hate and criticism that me and my team get after even losing a set is just ridiculous. I want to kind of encourage people to be more thoughtful when they comment on the Internet.”
ARYNA SABALENKA
Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, reacts during her match against Petra Martic, of Croatia, during the National Bank Open on Aug. 9 in Montreal. Credit: AP/Christinne Muschi
Current ranking: 2
Country: Belarus
Age: 25
Last 5 U.S. Opens: 2022-SF, 2021-SF, 2020-Lost in 2nd Rd., 2019-Lost in 2nd, 2018-Lost in 4th.
Sabalenka credited an improved serve — she worked with a biomechanics expert — and improved outlook for her initial major title at Australia in January. She reached at least the semifinals at the past four majors.
Her words: “Sometimes I don’t like to watch my matches, because seeing myself struggling so much with emotions, I just can’t handle watching it.”
JESSICA PEGULA
Jessica Pegula, of the United States, hits a return to Liudmila Samsonova, of Russia, in the women's final of the National Bank Open in Montreal on Aug. 13. Credit: AP/Christinne Muschi
Current ranking: 3
Country: United States
Age: 29
Last 5 U.S. Opens: 2022-QF, 2021-Lost in 3rd Rd., 2020-Lost in 3rd, 2019-Lost in 1st, 2018-DNP
Pegula is 0-6 in major quarterfinals after losing to champion Marketa Vondrousova at Wimbledon. Pegula beat Swiatek a day after Tommy Paul beat Carlos Alcaraz this month, the first time since 2008 that players from the U.S. defeated the No. 1 woman and man in the same week.
Her words: “Being an American at the U.S. Open is so much fun. There’s so much energy. It's so special. ... I get a lot of adrenaline, and sometimes it's hard for me to balance it.”
ELENA RYBAKINA
Elena Rybakina, of Kazakhstan, reacts during her game against Liudmila Samsonova, of Russia, during the semifinals of the National Bank Open in Montreal on Aug. 13. Credit: AP/Christinne Muschi
Current ranking: 4
Country: Kazakhstan
Age: 24
Last 5 U.S. Opens: 2022-Lost in 1st Rd., 2021-Lost in 3rd, 2020-Lost in 2nd, 2019-Lost in 1st, 2018-DNP. Rybakina won Wimbledon in 2022 and was the Australian Open runner-up this January but is 3-4 in her career at the U.S. Open, the only major where she has a losing record. Nearly completed the so-called Sunshine Double on hard courts, winning Indian Wells in March, then reaching the Miami final in April.
Her words: “In the end of the day, you cannot always have good days. You never feel 100%. So this is something you need to go through."
ONS JABEUR
Tunisia's Ons Jabeur returns to Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina in a women's singles match on day ten of the Wimbledon tennis championships in London on July 12. Credit: AP/Kirsty Wigglesworth
Current ranking: 5
Country: Tunisia
Age: Turns 29 on Monday
Last 5 U.S. Opens: 2022-Runner-up, 2021-Lost in 3rd Rd., 2020-Lost in 3rd, 2019-Lost in 3rd, 2018-Lost in 1st.
Jabeur has reached the final at three of the past five major tournaments (she’s 0-3 in those finals). She is the first woman from North Africa and first Arab woman in a Slam final.
Her words: "I’ve been having more pressure. The more good results that I do, the more pressure I feel."
RECENT GRAND SLAM CHAMPIONS
AUSTRALIAN OPEN
Aryna Sabalenka def. Elena Rybakina, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
FRENCH OPEN
Iga Swiatek def. Karolina Muchova. 6-2, 5-7, 6-4
WIMBLEDON
Marketa Vondrousova def. Ons Jabeur, 6-4, 6-4
2022 U.S. OPEN
Iga Swiatek def. Ons Jabeur, 6-2, 7-6
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