Iga Swiatek has finally had a brief moment to catch her breath. Her life has been on fast-forward for the last few hectic yet rewarding weeks, emerging from the heat and humidity of the Cincinnati Open with another significant title. Fourteen hours later she was on court in New York, throwing herself into two long days of competition alongside her new partner Casper Ruud. The stakes might have been low for singles players in the mixed doubles this week, but every point she played meant more mental energy expended.
There is still little time for Swiatek to reflect on how the summer has developed, but with the final Grand Slam tournament of the year starting on Sunday, it is clear that the past few months have become a defining moment in her career.
She started the season swimming upstream, still reeling from her anti-doping case last year. She emerged from that difficult period with the most surprising, special victory of her career, a triumph on grass, her least favourite surface, at Wimbledon, which she sealed with a merciless 6-0, 6-0 demolition in the final. In stark contrast to the relief she felt after previous triumphs, this victory brought her only joy.
That joy has endured throughout Swiatek’s hardcourt season, and as a result she will begin the US Open as the favourite to win her seventh Grand Slam title. The competition, however, is varied and difficult. Aryna Sabalenka rightfully remains the No 1 player, although despite how frequently she has put herself in a position to win big titles, she has repeatedly frozen in the most significant moments. After two major finals and a semi-final this year, her US Open title defence represents her last opportunity to end a year of near misses with a massive victory.
RM Block
Sabalenka’s challenges, however, pale in comparison with Coco Gauff’s struggles. It was reasonable to assume that Gauff’s triumph at the French Open, where she established herself as a multiple Grand Slam champion, would have inspired more freedom and confidence in her game. Instead, her serve has completely deteriorated over the past few months. On the eve of the US Open, she took the drastic decision to part ways with one of her coaches, Matthew Daly, and hire Gavin MacMillan, the biomechanics expert who helped to revive Sabalenka’s serve. It was a drastic choice.
As is always the case, a wide variety of characters can compete for the title depending on how they are feeling in New York. Although Mirra Andreeva’s form has cooled over the past few months, she has the talent to break through at any time. Madison Keys and Amanda Anisimova put together spectacular Grand Slam runs this year and can do so again on home soil.
Elena Rybakina appears to be on the verge of rediscovering her top form. Perhaps the Canadian Open will turn out to be a sign of things to come, with the 18-year-old Victoria Mboko putting together a spectacular breakout title win and Naomi Osaka showing promising signs by reaching the final.
In comparison to the notable shifts in women’s tennis this year, absolutely nothing has changed at the top of the men’s game. Just as in Paris, Wimbledon and the Masters 1000 events between them, the question remains whether any challenger is prepared to take down just one of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. As the gap between them and the rest of the field continues to grow, they will start the US Open attempting to contest a third consecutive Grand Slam final and a fifth straight final overall.
Novak Djokovic, now 38, has been the third-best player at the Grand Slam tournaments with three semi-finals. However, he has not competed since Wimbledon. After his straight-sets defeat by Sinner there in early July, Djokovic himself cast doubt on his ability to win his 25th Grand Slam title due to the physicality of these events across the best of five sets, which are increasingly difficult to navigate due to his ageing body.
One of the most significant developments this summer has been Ben Shelton’s continued growth. He followed up his quarter-final run at Wimbledon by emerging from a bruising two weeks in Toronto with his first Masters 1000 title. Already a two-time Grand Slam semi-finalist, Shelton produces his best tennis at the major tournaments and in front of home crowds. The coming weeks are a chance for him to consolidate his status as a top contender.
Earlier this year it was Jack Draper who seemed to have positioned himself as the younger player most likely to challenge Sinner and Alcaraz, but his last few months have been complicated. After frustrating defeats at the French Open and Wimbledon, a left forearm injury forced Draper off the tour for three months and he has not competed in singles since Wimbledon. A year after his first big Grand Slam breakthrough, a rousing semi-final run, he returns to the US Open without any hardcourt preparation.
Time is not on Draper’s side this week, but the qualities that have put him in this position as the fifth-best player in the world at a Grand Slam – his ability and ambition – mean he is more than capable of quickly finding his feet and taking another significant step forward.
