WHO WANTS IT? The US Open 2026 is up for grabs!

Has there ever been a more volatile time in women’s tennis? Can anyone seriously predict the winner, let alone the finalists in the US Open? Do rankings go out the window when players emerge into the gladiatorial arena in Queens, with its partisan crowd, intense heat and non-stop noise?

Georgia Hamblett looks at the likely contenders…

The US is no stranger to phenomenal female tennis players.

The first to spring to mind is the incredible Serena Williams, holder of the Open Era record for the most Grand Slam singles titles. Her sister, seven-time major champion and multi- Olympic Gold medallist Venus has also cemented her name in tennis history.

Looking further back, Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert won title after title, relentlessly showing they were the ones to beat. And then there’s a certain Billie Jean King, winner of 39 Grand Slam titles, founder of the WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) and pioneer of equity for women’s sport.

And it’s at the tennis centre named after the legend BJK that Americans hope another young rising star may add her name to the list of US tennis greats. Still aged only 22, Coco Gauff has already won two Grand Slam singles – including the US Open – and it’s hard to believe she has her eyes set on anything other than a third slam as the tournament gets underway at the Billie Jean King Tennis Centre in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, in bustling Queens next week.

But there are several women that could be pictured lifting the trophy. Aryna Sabalenka is the number one seed going in to the tournament, followed by Elena Rybakina. The women’s top ten seeds are quite US heavy, with no less than three of the women competing under the US flag.

Bright lights, blue hard courts, hot and humid weather. The US open is a different vibe to Wimbledon, with the lively energy and raucous buzz of New York filling the stadium. The Americans didn’t invent tennis, but they’ve certainly made their mark on it. Will this year see another American stamp their name into the history books, or will another rising star take the glory?

Unlike when many of the women mentioned above were at their peaks, the women’s tennis field has opened up in recent years, and this year’s US Open is no different. Any one of the top ten seeds could take the win, but to be honest it wouldn’t be a massive surprise if the champion came from outside that list.

Who am I backing? I’m not sure. But probably one of the women below…

Top Ten

No. 1: Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus)

The current world number 1 (just) is no stranger to huge serves, explosive forehands… and on-court outbursts. All four of her grand slam triumphs have taken place on clay courts, which suit her powerful style. Having won the US Open in 2024 and 2025, she’ll be attempting to become the first woman since Serena Williams (2014-2016) to win the tournament three years in a row.

The 2026 season, however, hasn’t gone to plan for Sabalenka (below, left) as far as slams are concerned. Despite being world number 1 and winning at Indian Wells and Miami to complete the Sunshine Double, she’s yet to win a slam this year. She lost in the Australian Open final to Elena Rybakina, in the French Open quarter-final to Diana Shnaider, and in the fourth round of Wimbledon to a resurgent Naomi Osaka.

Will the US Open bring 2026 Grand Slam redemption, or continue the trend?

No. 2: Elena Rybakina (Kazakhstan)

Another of the most powerful players on the WTA tour, Elena Rybakina (below, right) has been on form in 2026. She’s currently ranked world number 2 – closing in on the top spot – and won her second major this year at the Australian Open. She has a huge serve, aggressive play and excels on hard courts. As long as she gets over the injury that saw her retire against Iga Świątek, could the US Open be hers for the taking?

No. 3: Jessica Pegula (USA)

The highest American seed is 32-year-old Jess Pegula. Pegula is currently ranked world number 3, which equals her career singles best ranking. She reached the US Open final in 2024, and has got far in several tournaments this year, including the Wimbledon quarter-finals and winning Charleston. Despite being one of the leading American players of her generation, Pegula doesn’t have the Grand Slam resume of some of the other highly seeded players, but does have more experience on her side. Will this be the secret ingredient on home turf in New York?

No. 4: Coco Gauff (USA)

Ranked just below Pegula is Coco Gauff. She is currently the highest paid female athlete in the world, though the majority of her earnings come from sponsorships, not on-court prize money. That said, the former world number two has had a streak of reaching finals and semi-finals this year, including Miami, Rome and Wimbledon. Will the Flushing Meadows be the place where she not only makes the later rounds, but actually wins?

No. 5: Iga Świątek (Poland)

Iga Świątek made her way back into the WTA Top 5 following her Toronto win earlier this month. The former world number 1 had been experiencing a bit of a title drought, having not won a major title for eleven months prior to Toronto. But now she’s out of her slump, could this be the start of a more positive patch for the six-time Slam champ?

No. 6: Mirra Andreeva (USA)

Women’s tennis is full of young talent at the moment, and Mirra Andreeva is one of the biggest of this galaxy of stars. At just 19, she won her very first slam at this year’s French Open, the same championship in which she reached the semi-final in 2024 when just 17. She’s already had a career-high of world number 5, and arrives at the US Open with the confidence boost of winning that first Grand Slam only a few months back.

No.7: Karolina Muchova (Czech Republic)

The 2026 season has been a real breakthrough for Muchova, winning her first and second WTA titles. She reached the 2026 Wimbledon final, her second Grand Slam final after reaching the French Open final in 2023. Her participation at the US Open is currently uncertain though, following surgery after Wimbledon, which forced her to withdraw from the Cincinnati Open.

No.8: Linda Noskova (Czech Republic)

The winner of a gripping Wimbledon 2026 final was another Czech athlete, Linda Noskova (above, left). This was her maiden slam win, in a year which has also seen her win the title at Berlin, and enter the WTA top 10 for the first time. Still only 21, she’s firmly cemented herself amongst the next gen of big Czech names, but can she make her way further up the global rankings? You wouldn’t bet against it.

No.9: Elina Svitolina (Ukraine)

Elina Svitolina has a varied and impressive tennis resume. With a career-high ranking of world number 3, this four-time Grand Slam semi-finalist, and Olympic bronze medallist at Toyoko 2020 has both experience and ability. This year she reached the Australian Open semi-final, then won titles in Rome and Auckland. She withdrew from Cincinnati due to an ankle injury, but hopes to recover enough to play at the US Open.

No. 10: Amanda Anisimova (United States)

Anisimova (above, right) burst onto the scene as a teenager in 2019, reaching the French Open semi-finals at just 17. She stepped away from tennis for part of 2023 for her mental health, but has since burst back again, reaching both the Wimbledon and US Open finals in 2025, and becoming a Top 5 player for the first time.

Outside Bets

The top ten is, as you’d expect, full of strong contenders. But the depth of the field goes far beyond that list.

Naomi Osaka (below, centre) became the first Asian player to reach number 1 in the WTA singles rankings back in 2019. She’s a four-time slam winner, but took time away from tennis following mental health challenges and maternity leave. She returned to tennis in 2024, but this year feels like the real start of her comeback narrative. She put together her best ever run at Wimbledon, reaching the quarter-finals, and also made the quarters in Toronto. Plus she’s brought her iconic fashion style and memorable post-match interviews onto the most famous courts in the world.

Other names to through into the mix include American teenager, Iva Jovic (above, left), along with three-time WTA singles winner, Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk. Alexandra Eala (above, right) won her first WTA in Washington earlier this year, reached a career-high ranking of number 20, and she brings out delirious Filipino fans in full force.

It may be over a decade since Sorana Cîrstea (below, right) last reached a Grand Slam quarter-final, but the four-time WTA winner added the Transylvania Open to her list of titles this year, proving she isn’t done quite yet. At 36 years old, and nearing retirement in her last season, could she progress further into a slam than previously?

Then the likes of Italy’s Jasmine Paolini will bring her charm, cheek and skill into the mix – and two more Americans, Madison Keys (below, centre) and Emma Navarro are lurking with home advantage. And further down, 23-year-old Qinwen Zheng (below, left) could even spring a surprise…

And then it would be rude to get to the end of this article and not mention wildcard Venus Williams (below, left). At 46, Venus Williams’ first US Open win was back at the turn of the century, but she still demonstrates that she has what it takes to compete at this level.

And while we’re on the topic of the Williams sisters, might Serena (below, right) also add her name to the list? It seems highly unlikely, but only time will tell.

Regardless, this year’s US Open is there for the taking. Gone are the days when you could confidently predict who would make the final and go on to win it, usually Serena. But for noisy, popcorn-munching, beverage-swigging spectators at Flushing Meadows and neutrals watching at home, doesn’t that make it all the more exciting?