U.S. Open: Five women to watch

IGA SWIATEK

The Polish star was the hottest player on the planet this spring and early summer, winning 37 consecutive matches beginning in Qatar and including her first Grand Slam victory in the French Open. That huge run, the longest for a WTA player in the 21st Century, propelled her to No. 1 in the world. She won back-to-back hardcourt titles at Indian Wells and Miami. She would seem to be a prohibitive favorite for the Open, but since the streak came to an end in Wimbledon with a loss to Alize Cornet in the third round, she hasn’t made it past the third round of subsequent tournaments.

ONS JABEUR

Tunisia’s Jabeur is the first Arab-African player to win a WTA tournament, the first to be ranked in the top 10 and the first to reach a Grand Slam final, losing to Elena Rybakina at Wimbledon in July. She hasn’t shown a lot of form this summer,  but she is difficult to predict. Jabeur plays with a style of her own, with plenty of drop shots, slices and change-of-pace groundstrokes. She has one victory this year on the clay at Madrid. Jabeur has never made it past the third round at the Open, but if healthy is always dangerous.

SIMONA HALEP

She always seems to be hanging around at the U.S. Open, though the two-time Grand Slam champion has never made it past the semifinals. Halep has produced a fairly large career, at 5-6 and 125 pounds a relative pixie in a land of giants. Halep pulled out of last week’s Western & Southern Open with a right thigh injury, but if she’s feeling good she’s always competitive. Just the week before she won the big hardcourt tournament in Toronto, so maybe a long rest will make for a long run at Flushing Meadows.

CAROLINE GARCIA

France’s Garcia had to qualify for last week’s Western & Southern Open, then won it, beating Petra Kvitova for her third title of the year. The 28-year-old may finally be reaching her potential and has 25 wins since June, the most on the WTA Tour.  She said she is once again playing a free-swinging offensive game and both her serve and groundstrokes proved that she can compete at the highest level. In July she beat No 1 ranked Swiatek on the way to winning the Poland Open

JESSICA PEGULA

Buffalo’s Pegula (her parents own the Buffalo Bills and the Buffalo Sabres) has quietly worked her way into the top 10 in the world. She’s 28 years old and reaching wily veteran status. She has one victory to her name in Washington in 2019, but she keeps knocking at the door. Pegula lost in the final at Madrid to  Jabeur this year. Pegula has gone out in the third round of the past two Opens, but if she gets herself together in Flushing Meadows, there are possibilities.