NEW YORK (AP) — Here are some of the women to watch at the U.S. Open, which starts in New York on Monday (money-line odds are via BetMGM Sportsbook ):
Iga Swiatek
Ranking: 1
Career-Best Ranking: 1
Country: Poland
Age: 23
2024 Record: 50-6
2024 Titles: 5
Career Titles: 22
Grand Slam Titles: 5 — U.S. Open (2022), French Open (2020, 2022, 2023, 2024)
Last 5 U.S. Opens: 2023-Lost in 4th Round, 2022-Won Championship, 2021-4th, 2020-3rd, 2019-2nd
Aces: Was upset in the Paris Olympics semifinals but rebounded to win the bronze medal — and wasn’t quite sure how to feel about that. … Has been ranked No. 1 for nearly every week since April 2022. … Is 5-0 in Grand Slam finals after winning her fourth French Open in five years in June. … Voted WTA Player of the Year in 2023 for second season in a row; Serena Williams was the last to get that honor consecutively, in 2012-15.
She Said It: “There’s like a lot of mixed emotions and still is.”
Read All About It: Swiatek has a hard time processing what happened at the Paris Olympics
Odds Are: +350
Aryna Sabalenka
Ranking: 2
Career-Best Ranking: 1
Country: Belarus
Age: 26
2024 Record: 39-11
2024 Titles: 2
Career Titles: 15
Grand Slam Titles: 2 — Australian Open (2023, 2024)
Last 5 U.S. Opens: 2023-Runner-Up, 2022-SF, 2021-SF, 2020-2nd, 2019-2nd
Aces: A semifinalist or better in each of her past three trips to the U.S. Open. … Arrives in New York after winning a hard-court title at the Cincinnati Open, where she defeated Iga Swiatek in the semifinals. … Missed Wimbledon because of a shoulder injury and decided to skip the Olympics. … Won the past two Australian Open titles. … Listed as the money-line favorite in New York. … Briefly ranked No. 1 last season.
She Said It: “I mean, definitely Grand Slams — that’s the goal for everyone. And definitely, everyone feels the pressure.”
Read All About It: Sabalenka’s first major championship was about persistence
Odds Are: +250
Coco Gauff
Ranking: 3
Career-Best Ranking: 2
Country: United States
Age: 20
2024 Record: 36-13
2024 Titles: 1
Career Titles: 7
Grand Slam Titles: 1 — U.S. Open (2023)
Last 5 U.S. Opens: 2023-W, 2022-QF, 2021-2nd, 2020-1st, 2019-3rd
Aces: Won her first Grand Slam title at the U.S. Open last year — the first American teenager to triumph there since Serena Williams in 1999. … Claimed her first major doubles trophy at the French Open in June, teaming with Katerina Siniakova. … Entered last year’s U.S. Open on a terrific run that included hard-court tiles at Washington and Cincinnati. But has been in a bit of a slump lately, with losses in the fourth round at Wimbledon, third round at the Olympics, second match in Toronto and first match in Cincinnati.
She Said It: “I’ll try to take the positive out of it and do better next time.”
Read All About It: Gauff’s first Slam trophy came at the U.S. Open at age 19
Odds Are: +600
Jasmine Paolini
Ranking: 5
Career-Best Ranking: 5
Country: Italy
Age: 28
2024 Record: 31-14
2024 Titles: 1
Career Titles: 2
Grand Slam Titles: None — Best: Runner-Up, French Open (2024), Wimbledon (2024)
Last 5 U.S. Opens: 2023-1st, 2022-1st, 2021-2nd, 2020-1st, 2019-Did Not Play
Aces: Just a 1-4 career record at the U.S. Open. … Enjoying a surprising year given her career until now, with appearances in the finals at both the French Open and Wimbledon. … Her first 16 Grand Slam appearances resulted in losses in the first or second round. She ended that rut by making it to the fourth round at the Australian Open in January. … Teamed with Sara Errani to win a gold medal for Italy in women’s doubles at the Paris Olympics.
She Said It: “These last months have been crazy for me.”
Read All About It: Paolini wins Wimbledon’s longest semifinal to reach a 2nd Slam final
Odds Are: +1800
Jessica Pegula
Ranking: 6
Career-Best Ranking: 3
Country: United States
Age: 30
2024 Record: 29-10
2024 Titles: 2
Career Titles: 6
Grand Slam Titles: None — Best: Quarterfinals, Australian Open (2021, 2022, 2023), French Open (2022), Wimbledon (2023), U.S. Open (2022)
Last 5 U.S. Opens: 2023-4th, 2022-QF, 2021-3rd, 2020-3rd, 2019-1st
Aces: Is 0-6 in Grand Slam quarterfinals, including a loss at that stage in New York in 2022. … All six of her career titles came at hard-court tournaments, including at Toronto this month. … She followed that up by getting to the final at the Cincinnati Open before losing to Aryna Sabalenka. … Has been ranked No. 1 in doubles.
She Said It: “I always feel comfortable on hard courts.”
Read All About It: Pegula keeps coming close at Grand Slam tournaments
Odds Are: +1100
Zheng Qinwen
Ranking: 7
Career-Best Ranking: 7
Country: China
Age: 21
2024 Record: 25-13
2024 Titles: 1
Career Titles: 3
Grand Slam Titles: None — Best: Runner-Up, Australian Open (2024)
Last 5 U.S. Opens: 2023-QF, 2022-3rd, 2021-DNP, 2020-DNP, 2019-DNP
Aces: A rising star who really has made a breakthrough this season, highlighted by a run to her first Grand Slam final at the Australian Open in January and the triumph at the Paris Olympics in August that gave her the biggest title of her young career. … Victory over Iga Swiatek in the Summer Games semifinals ended the four-time French Open champ’s 25-match unbeaten run at Roland Garros.
She Said It: “After this gold medal, I feel, finally, I can play tennis more relaxed.”
Read All About It: Zheng Qinwen wins China’s 1st Olympic singles tennis gold
Odds Are: +1600
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Howard Fendrich has been the AP’s tennis writer since 2002. Find his stories here: https://apnews.com/author/howard-fendrich
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