U.S. Open Women’s Seed Report: Will Coco Gauff’s Hot Streak Continue?
Who’s old enough to remember the WTA’s Big Three (Iga Świątek, Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina) distancing themselves from the field? Who’s old enough to remember Coco Gauff’s janky forehand and stagnating career? Who’s old enough to remember when the WTA pulled out of autocratic countries citing ethical concerns? The plots change fast in tennis. Within the next week, the WTA is likely to announce that, having left China, it is heading to … Saudi Arabia to stage its year-end soiree. The Big Three come swaddled with question marks, not limping into the fourth major but not thundering, either. And Coco Gauff is back to being the toast of the WTA. She has two new coaches since Wimbledon. She has two new titles since Wimbledon. And—swollen with confidence, comfortable on the big stage—she arrives as a contender to win her first major.
The top 16
1. Iga Świątek
2. Aryna Sabalenka
3. Jessica Pegula
4. Elena Rybakina
5. Ons Jabeur
6. Coco Gauff
7. Caroline Garcia
8. Maria Sakkari
9. Markéta Vondroušová
10. Karolína Muchová
11. Petra Kvitová
12. Barbora Krejčíková
13. Daria Kasatkina
14. Liudmila Samsonova
15. Belinda Bencic
16. Veronika Kudermetova
Assorted seeds 17–32
17. Madison Keys
18. Victoria Azarenka
19. Beatriz Haddad Maia
20.Jeļena Ostapenko
21. Donna Vekić
23. Qinwen Zheng
26. Elina Svitolina
Dark-horse pasture
Danielle Collins: Quick, name the last American to reach the finals of a hard-court major. A strong summer surge put her only one spot from seeding.
Sloane Stephens: You know the rules … all former winners get mentioned.
Alycia Parks: A top-five server.
Paula Badosa: If her top-five ranking was excessive, her sub-40 ranking is not indicative of how good she is.
Leylah Fernandez: Caught lightning in a bottle two years ago and nearly won the title. Hasn’t come close to replicating that result, but still a dangerous player.
Mirra Andreeva: A middle weekend player at two straight majors—the only two she’s played since reaching the 2023 junior *girls* final. Can she keep it going in New York?
Alizé Cornet: A consummate professional in what is likely her final major.
Venus Williams: Multiple U.S. Open champ gets mention—even when said titles occurred (and this is nuts)—more than 20 years ago.
First-round matches to watch
Venus vs. Badosa: A rough first outing for both
Pegula vs. Camila Giorgi: Steady vs. erratic
Fernandez vs. Ekaterina Alexandrova: Big upset possibility for 2021 finalist
Upset special
Sloane Stephens d. Haddad Maia
Doubles winners
Taylor Townsend and anyone!
Semis
Gauff d. Rybakina
Sabalenka d. Svitolina
Finals
Gauff d. Sabalenka