The year’s final Grand Slam tournament, the US Open, is now a week away and given the form that Serena Williams has shown so far this year, it will be hard to see anyone other than her going all the way at Flushing Meadows.
The world number one and six-time champion will start as the rampaging favourite as she seeks to complete the Calendar Grand Slam, something that hasn’t been achieved since Steffi Graf did so in 1988.
But, as always, Williams will face challenges in her bid for more Grand Slam history, from a list of contenders including second seed Simona Halep, 2006 champion Maria Sharapova and two-time finalist Caroline Wozniacki.
Williams and Halep will start as the top two seeds, meaning that they cannot face each other until the final. The chances of Sharapova and Wozniacki will then rest on which halves of the draw they are slotted into.
Let’s now have a look at some of the major contenders for the 2015 US Open.
Serena Williams
Current world ranking: 1
US Open history
Best result: Won (1999, 2002, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2014)
Last year’s result: Champion
Grand Slam results so far in 2015
Australian Open: Won
French Open: Won
Wimbledon: Won
Titles so far in 2015: Australian Open, Miami, French Open, Wimbledon, Cincinnati
Given the dominant season which Williams has had this year, it seems that only complacency, injury or a bad day at the office will stop her from becoming the first woman in 27 years to complete the Calendar Grand Slam.
But despite her dominance at the Slams this year, it isn’t quite exactly what it has turned out to be.
Nine of the 21 matches she has played at this level have gone to three sets, with seven of them (the exception being her win over Lucie Safarova in the French Open final) requiring her to come from a set down.
The American will enter her national championships on the back of some mixed form – she was upset in the semi-finals by Belinda Bencic in Toronto, while she successfully retained her title in Cincinnati by defeating Simona Halep in straight sets.
With the lure of history awaiting Williams, expect the world number one to romp all the way to a seventh US Open title and thus make this her most successful Grand Slam tournament ever.
Prediction: Champion
Simona Halep
Current world ranking: 2
Wimbledon history
Best result: Fourth round (2013)
Last year’s result: Third round
Grand Slam results so far in 2015
Australian Open: Quarter-finals
French Open: Second round
Wimbledon: First round
Titles so far in 2015: Shenzhen, Dubai, Indian Wells
After a breakthrough season 2014, world number two Simona Halep appears to have taken a backward step this year. After reaching the quarter-finals at the Australian Open, the 23-year-old then suffered early exits at the French Open and Wimbledon, failing to get past the second round at either tournament.
The Romanian has put her early exits at Roland Garros and Wimbledon down to mental fatigue and family issues, but has bounced back post-Wimbledon to return to second in the world rankings.
She reached the final at both the Rogers Cup and Cincinnati, only to be beaten by Belinda Bencic (after retiring midway through the final set due to heat exhaustion) and Serena Williams, respectively.
Her qualification for the championship match at the latter event saw her overtake Maria Sharapova in the rankings, meaning she won’t have to face Williams until the final, provided she can get this far.
Halep will have to overcome a poor record at the US Open if she is to justify her world ranking of number two. In five previous appearances at Flushing Meadows, her best result is only a fourth round showing in 2013, while last year she was upset by Croatian veteran Mirjana Lucic-Baroni in the third round.
Prediction: Quarter-finals
Maria Sharapova
Current world ranking: 3
US Open history
Best result: Won (2006)
Last year’s result: Fourth round
Grand Slam results so far in 2015
Australian Open: Runner-up
French Open: Fourth round
Wimbledon: Semi-finals
Titles so far in 2015: Brisbane, Rome
Despite claiming two titles to date and remaining in the top four for the majority of the year, 2015 has not unfolded the way Maria Sharapova would have liked it to.
The Russian started the year by claiming the Brisbane International before going down to Serena Williams for a 16th consecutive time in the final of the Australian Open in January.
While she was able to regain the clay court title in Rome for the first time since 2012 last month, her French Open title defence came to an abrupt end when she lost in the fourth round to the eventual finalist, Lucie Safarova.
And at Wimbledon, she suffered yet another loss to Serena Williams in the semi-finals, the defeat being her 17th in a row to her long-time career nemesis.
The Russian hasn’t played since then, having been forced to withdraw from tournaments in Toronto and Cincinnati due to a leg injury, in addition to enduring personal heartbreak when she split from Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov.
Consequently, the 28-year-old has dropped to third in the world rankings, leaving her at the mercy of a possible semi-final showdown against Williams. It will be interesting to see if the lack of match practice tells in New York.
Prediction: Quarter-finals
Caroline Wozniacki
Current world ranking: 4
US Open history
Best result: Runner-up (2009, 2014)
Last year’s result: Runner-up
Grand Slam results so far in 2015
Australian Open: Second round
French Open: Second round
Wimbledon: Fourth round
Titles so far in 2015: Kuala Lumpur
Having endured a poor year at the Grand Slams so far, former world number one Caroline Wozniacki will return to what is historically her best Grand Slam tournament on the back of some recent poor form and a lack of match practice.
The Dane started this year in disastrous fashion, losing to Victoria Azarenka in the second round of the Australian Open while she also fell at this same stage at the French Open to Germany’s Julia Goerges. She did, however, fare better at Wimbledon, reaching the fourth round where she lost to Garbine Muguruza.
In addition, she has just one title so far to show for her efforts, winning in Kuala Lumpur just prior to the early North American swing in March.
The Dane has lost her last three matches dating back to Wimbledon, and her most recent outing saw her cop another straight-sets humiliation at the hands of Victoria Azarenka in Cincinnati, her fourth this year alone.
However, a return to Flushing Meadows, where she was twice a finalist, including last year when she lost to Serena Williams, should provide the spark for a return to form, and being the fourth seed, the former world number one won’t have to face the American, or second seed Simona Halep, until at least the semi-finals.
Prediction: Quarter-finals
Other contenders
Dual Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, former world number one Ana Ivanovic and recent Grand Slam finalists Lucie Safarova and Garbine Muguruza headline some of the other contenders for the US Open title.
Kvitova has battled poor form for most of this year and recently announced that she is also battling mononucleosis, though she can still play only under medical supervision.
Her output in the two lead-up tournaments in Toronto and Cincinnati delivered losses in her opening matches to Victoria Azarenka and rising star Caroline Garcia, respectively. This was after her Wimbledon title defence came to an end at the hands of Jelena Jankovic in the third round.
As this article goes to print, she is currently playing in Connecticut, where her first opponent is Madison Keys, the woman who knocked her out of the Australian Open earlier this year.
Another player who has struggled for consistency this year is Ivanovic, with her only season highlight so far being a semi-final run at the French Open where she lost to Lucie Safarova in a tight straight-setter.
The Serb, who recently rehired Nigel Sears as her coach, also recently reached the quarter-finals at Toronto and Cincinnati, only to lose to eventual champions Belinda Bencic and Serena Williams respectively.
It will also be interesting to see how Lucie Safarova and Garbine Muguruza fare at Flushing Meadows, having reached their first Grand Slam finals at the French Open and Wimbledon respectively, each of them going down to Williams.
Safarova recently reached the quarter-finals at Cincinnati before losing to rising Ukrainian Elina Svitolina in three sets, while Muguruza is winless since leaving the All England Club with the runner-up’s plate.
As always, Samantha Stosur will lead the Australian charge along with imports Ajla Tomljanovic and Daria Gavrilova, and while local hopes will hinge on Venus Williams, Sloane Stephens and CoCo Vandeweghe.
These are just some of the female contenders for this year’s US Open title. Can Serena Williams cap off a dominant year at the Slams with a seventh US Open title? Or will someone else steal her thunder? And who, among those I haven’t mentioned, will cause a surprise and make a deep run?
Whether it’s aces or races, try out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp for great odds and a great punting experience. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.
Former Wimbledon champion, double grand slam winner and Australian Open finalist Garbine Muguruza has announced her retirement from tennis at the age of 30.…
Rafael Nadal has hailed the brilliance of Alex de Minaur, calling him "a great player" after the Australian forced the Spanish legend to say…
The clay season promises to be one of high level and tight margins. With the Monte Carlo open just around the corner, it will…
In incredible scenes, defending champion Carlos Alcaraz's quarter-final clash with Alexander Zverev at Indian Wells was halted abruptly due to a "bee invasion." Less…
Marathon man Jordan Thompson has finally clinched his first ATP Tour title, with the Australian upsetting Norwegian Casper Ruud to lift the trophy in…
Alex de Minaur has earned the perfect 25th birthday present, booking a place in the final of the Rotterdam Open with an emphatic revenge…
