Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff lead the US Open 2023 girls’s energy rankings

Aug 27, 2023 at 5:28 PM
Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff lead the US Open 2023 girls’s energy rankings

As the tennis world rolls into New York for maybe the largest and brashest of the Grand Slams, the ladies’s US Open draw appears fascinating with potential champions at each cease on the principle draw.

World No. 1 Iga Swiatek is the defending champion and took her profession whole to 4 Grand Slams with a 3rd French Open title in 4 years. A local of Poland, she is a worthy favourite regardless of severe competitors in what guarantees to be an exciting two weeks.

Since Serena Williams gained three in a row from 2012 to 2014, seven completely different gamers have gained the title with solely Naomi Osaka claiming double trophies. Flavia Pennetta, Sloane Stephens, Bianca Andreescu and Emma Raducanu are a few of the sport’s shock main champions they usually all triumphed in New York for his or her solely Grand Slam title up to now.

Such is the power in depth which made it tough to maintain our record to simply 10 names. But Daily Express Sports US has taken an in-depth take a look at latest play and Grand Slam information and put all of it collectively to give you the highest 10 energy rankings for ladies’s singles on the 2023 US Open.

1. Iga Swiatek

World Ranking: 1

First spherical opponent: Rebecca Peterson

While we’re comfortable to hearken to any arguments about an alternate No. 1, they won’t persuade us in any other case as a result of Iga Swiatek one hundred pc deserves to sit down on the high of those rankings. She is the defending champion, having crushed Ons Jabeur to win her first US Open final yr. Since then, she’s added a 3rd French Open and reached the quarterfinal on her least favourite floor, the grass of Wimbledon. With a 65-14 document in majors already and 15 profession titles together with 4 this yr, it is tough to recollect she continues to be simply 22.

2. Coco Gauff

World Ranking: 6

First spherical opponent: Laura Siegemund (qualifier)

If anybody might make a case to knock Swiatek off the highest spot, it is Coco. The 19-year-old has discovered one other gear on the US onerous court docket swing since linking up with Brad Gilbert earlier this summer time. She gained the largest title of her profession in Washington, after which after a quarterfinal defeat to doubles associate Jessica Pegula in Montreal, she gained her first 1000 title in Cincinnati, beating Swiatek for the primary time in her profession. That gave her a WTA main 5 titles for the yr, and with the persona and all-court sport to thrill the New York crowds, the one concern is expectation — one thing the American has discovered to embrace

3. Aryna Sabalenka

World Ranking: 2

First spherical opponent: Maryna Zanevska

The world No. 2 and reigning Australian Open champion appears to go below the radar and we won’t work out why. Six Grand Slam semifinals since Wimbledon 2021 stacks up with anybody for consistency. However, solely as soon as has she gone on to make the ultimate, doing so in Melbourne the place she beat Elena Rybakina in three high-quality units. She tuned up with a semifinal run in Cincinnati and already has a closing win over Swiatek earlier this yr in Madrid. It might be a shock if she is not in one other semifinal.

4. Elena Rybakina

World Ranking: 5

First spherical opponent: Marta Kostyuk

Rybakina’s Wimbledon title final yr – with no rating factors on provide – has meant she has needed to battle for recognition. A primary-round exit in New York adopted, however 2023 has been an announcement yr. She had one other Grand Slam closing in Australia; a quarterfinal in protection of her title at Wimbledon; 1000 titles at Indian Wells — typically thought of the fifth Grand Slam — and Rome; and a closing in Miami. She won’t be as underestimated as she has been prior to now. Rybakina leads the tour on first serve factors share, so if the serve is firing anticipate a best-ever run at Flushing Meadows.

5. Jessica Pegula

World Ranking: 3

First spherical opponent: Camila Giorgi

Pegula has been a mannequin of consistency to rise to 3rd on the planet, however her performances within the Grand Slams are the place she has but to make her mark. Six quarterfinal defeats at that stage present there could also be a slight psychological barrier to beat, and skilled an Italian nobody’s concept of a very good first-round draw. But Pegula tends to rise to most challenges and it isn’t a stretch to suppose she has an “Empire State of Mind” in New York – her dwelling state the place her dad and mom personal the NFL’s Buffalo Bills and NHL’s Buffalo Sabres.

6. Ons Jabeur

World Ranking: 5

First spherical opponent: Camila Osorio

It can be one of many nice injustices if Jabeur ended her profession and not using a Grand Slam. A participant as wealthy in persona as she is in her expertise, which have been so constant over the past couple of years, not least within the majors. Two Wimbledon closing defeats to go along with a loss to Swiatek in final yr’s US Open closing underline the heartbreak that she has taken in her stride, however greater than that present somebody on the point of a significant win. The gifted younger Colombian Osorio is an ungainly first rounder but when she comes via, one other deep run appears doubtless.

7. Elina Svitolina

World Ranking: 26

First spherical opponent: Anna-Lena Friedsam

Ignore the world rating. Svitolina returned to the tour in April after giving delivery to her first youngster in October and her type has been terrific. Inspired by the honour of enjoying for her war-torn homeland and her household, the Ukrainian gained her seventeenth WTA title in May and reached the quarterfinals of the French Open and the semis of Wimbledon this yr. It’s that tenacity that makes her a severe contender for the title and with a lot to focus the thoughts off the court docket, it’s no shock to see her maybe focusing on the most important occasions lately.

8. Marketa Vondrousova

World Ranking: 9

First spherical opponent: Na-Lae Han (qualifier)

A shock French Open finalist in 2019, Vondrousova put nearly two years of wrist damage issues behind her with a fairytale run to win the Wimbledon title simply a few months in the past, turning into the first-ever unseeded participant to take action. It was her first title in additional than two years and at simply 24 years outdated the Czech left-hander appears primed to be an everyday within the second week of the majors for a very long time to return. Despite a few second-round exits, she has good reminiscences of New York when at simply 18 she reached the fourth spherical in 2018. A quarterfinal run in Cincinnati shook off any considerations after the comprehensible consideration that got here with the Wimbledon triumph.

9. Karolina Muchova

World Ranking: 10

First spherical opponent: Storm Hunter

Another from the Czech manufacturing line, however Muchova is now 27 and may simply be discovering a degree of consistency to contend at Flushing Meadows. Two Wimbledon quarterfinals and a semifinal on the Australian Open present her potential on the highest degree and a closing at Roland Garros this yr suggests it does not matter what floor Muchova is on. A disappointing document in New York has introduced first-round exits within the final two years however she has risen to a career-high tenth on the planet. Beaten by Coco Gauff within the Cincinnati closing final week, her solely barrier to a closing could be psychological as she has only one profession title on the WTA Tour, not sufficient for a participant of her high quality.

10. Maria Sakkari

World Ranking: 8

First spherical opponent: Rebeka Masarova

There is a case to be made for a lot of right here – Carolina Garcia and Petra Kvitova would not have a lot of their play and the likes of Qinwen Zheng, Linda Fruhvirtova and Mirra Andreeva are maybe not fairly prepared at this stage of their very promising careers.

So regardless of one other season the place she stays and not using a title, Maria Sakkari will get the nod based mostly on a robust run to the ultimate in Washington to go alongside her 5 semifinals on the Tour this yr, together with Indian Wells and Madrid. It stays a thriller that the Greek participant has only one title in her profession, coming again in 2019, and has solely twice reached the final 4 of a significant. One of these was the U.S. in 2021 – it is sufficient to sneak her into our high 10, however the confidence of a run will not be excessive