US Open: Six questions for top six women’s title contenders including Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula

The final Grand Slam of the 2023 tennis season is here.

The US Open will see the likes of Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff battle it out to win a major title in New York.

Alcaraz and Swiatek will be the defending singles champions after triumphing last year, but could face stiff competition as they look to win again.

Ahead of the tournament starting on August 28, we run the rule over the top six contenders for each of the singles titles and ask a question for each, starting with the women…

With a week off she should be ready to go again at the US Open and will start as the favourite, but the gap between Swiatek and the rest of the WTA Tour appears arguably closer now than it has been at any point over the last year.

Swiatek comes into the tournament on the back of defeats to Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff, meaning that the world No. 1 ranking is up for grabs again. Swiatek needs to better Aryna Sabalenka’s result to stay top of the pile.

Will Swiatek come out on top in New York? Her experience on the biggest stages could be important as she looks to defend her crown.

Aryna Sabalenka has had a great year, but it could have been even better.

At the French Open there was the crushing semi-final defeat to Karolina Muchova, and at Wimbledon she was beaten at the same stage by Ons Jabeur. Both times Sabalenka was within touching distance of a second Grand Slam title of the season, as well as getting to world No. 1 for the first time.

In Cincinnati she was beaten again by Muchova, but Sabalenka has made the semis at the US Open for the last two years and should be pencilled in for a good run.

But how good? And will it be good enough to finally overtake Swiatek at the top?

She has been a near-consistent presence in Grand Slam quarter-finals over the last two years, losing at that stage in five of her last seven major appearances.

Is this the one where she makes the final four or beyond?

Having been pushed aside slightly by the emergence of the ‘Big Three’ on the WTA Tour this season, Pegula could make a statement performance.

She then withdrew from her second match in Cincinnati, so overall doesn’t appear to have had the best prep for the US Open.

Considering she doesn’t have a great record at the Grand Slam – three wins in four appearances – Rybakina doesn’t seem to enter as one of the strong favourites.

But if she’s healthy and firing she could still be a threat.

Coco Gauff looks in better form than anyone on the WTA Tour ahead of the US Open.

With titles in Washington DC and Cincinnati, plus a new coaching team including Brad Gilbert that has helped devise a different approach, there’s excitement that Gauff could contend at her home Slam.

She has not only won big titles this summer but has been impressive in doing so and scored a big win over Swiatek – her first in eight attempts – and beaten Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova.

Just two months after a shock first-round loss at Wimbledon, the expectations around Gauff have flipped 180 degrees.

After making the quarters in New York for the first time last year, she looks set to go at least as far again.

Only Swiatek can better Ons Jabeur in terms of Grand Slam results over the last year.

But unfortunately for Jabeur – despite competing in three of the last five major finals – she has yet to win one.

Can she do the same again this summer? And then can she take the next step?