PREVIEW | WTA US Open 2025: Aryna Sabalenka to defend title as Iga Swiatek threatens No.1 - Gauff, Pegula, Rybakina and Raducanu between the contenders

The 2025 US Open will take place from Sunday, August 24, to Saturday, September 6, marking the final Grand Slam of the year at the traditional Flushing Meadows venue in New York. The defending champion, Aryna Sabalenka, returns to seek her last Grand Slam title of the year. For the first time in a while, she's at risk of losing her world No. 1 ranking.

The top contender is likely Iga Swiatek, the recent Cincinnati Open champion. She unexpectedly won the Wimbledon title, despite grass courts not being her strong suit. Her credentials on hard courts are far more impressive, with a US Open title in 2022 and six of her WTA 1000 titles on the same surface.

The local players will also be looking to make a deep run, led by 2023 champion Coco Gauff. The world No. 3 has serious aspirations in Flushing Meadows, but recent struggles with her serve raise questions about what she can achieve in New York. The two-time major champion needs to build confidence from the early rounds, though she has a tough draw, with a debut against Ajla Tomljanović and a potential second-round match against either Donna Vekic or rising Spanish star Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.

Jessica Pegula, the 4th seed, also has high hopes for the American contingent. She was a finalist at the 2024 US Open, falling to Sabalenka. She has a significant number of points to defend, but she'll have the home crowd's support as the last American to reach the final. Other local favorites include Madison Keys, the Australian Open champion, and Amanda Anisimova, the Wimbledon finalist. The American women have several strong contenders this year and are hoping to see a repeat of Coco Gauff's 2023 victory.

Sabalenka and Swiatek start the tournament as the top two seeds and main favorites, closely followed by the Americans. However, there will be several other players to watch who could be a "surprise" at the tournament.

Throughout the last year, Mirra Andreeva has consistently been a player to watch at Grand Slams. The 18-year-old is in impeccable form this season, reaching the top 5 after winning two WTA 1000 titles at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships and Indian Wells. The Russian teenager had an injury that kept her out of Cincinnati, but if she is physically fit, she will be a name to consider in the title race.

Attention will also be on Jasmine Paolini, the 7th seed, who recently reached the final of the Cincinnati Open. The Italian, who has won two WTA 1000 titles and reached two major finals, never seems to get enough credit. She has already shown she is comfortable on hard courts and will be a player to follow.

The same goes for world No. 10 Elena Rybakina, a usual contender in the majors, who has not yet managed to have another deep run in a major tournament. The Kazakh is playing at a high level and has the ability to put anyone in trouble. She could face Paolini in the fourth round and Sabalenka in the quarterfinals, so she will be a name to watch as she could shake up the draw if she performs well.

The list of players who could surprise at the US Open is topped by recent Canadian Open champion, 18-year-old Victoria Mboko. She skipped Cincinnati and arrives in New York on a remarkable seven-match winning streak, having defeated players like Coco Gauff and Rybakina before beating Naomi Osaka in the final. Mboko has been drawn against two-time major champion Barbora Krejčíková, making it one of the most anticipated first-round matches.

On the other side of that Canadian Open final was Naomi Osaka, a two-time US Open champion who, as the 23rd seed, is once again a contender at a major. After three years, she is seeded at a Grand Slam again and has an easier path in the draw as she looks to dazzle fans once more. In Cincinnati, she showed she is ready to make a big leap, especially after teaming up with her new coach, Tomasz Wiktorowski.

Another player to watch is Emma Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion, who has shown flashes of great tennis in recent months. She pushed Sabalenka to the limit in the third round of Cincinnati and appears ready to make a statement. On her favorite surface—four years after her major title—a more mature Raducanu could be a factor to consider this week.