The 2019 US Open is upon us, which means players are high on their preparation for the final Grand Slam event of the year. As expected the big-hitters are all in Flushing Meadows, along with the rest of the top players in the world. Below, we take a look at some of the players to watch over at the women’s singles side, including a pair of favorites, a couple of sleepers, and a longtime fan favorite standing in as a long shot to win it all at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
Williams will get another chance to tie the great Margaret Court’s all-time record for Grand Slam singles (24) when she sees action at the 2019 US Open. People though Williams was going to do it last year, when she made the Finals of the 2018 US Open, only to get ambushed by Naomi Osaka. Williams came close to achieving the feat recently at the 2019 Wimbledon, but she was dominated by Simona Halep in the Finals. Despite those setbacks, Williams remain as the heavy favorite to win the women’s singles at the US Open, largely because of her past success at the tournament. Williams has five US Open singles titles. Williams is 37, but the fact that she’s been going deep in tournaments this year says a lot about how elite she still is.
Speaking of Halep, the Romanian tennis star assured herself of a Grand Slam title this year when she won the 2019 Wimbledon in London. Now, she’s just short of a Australian Open title and a US Open championship to complete a career Grand Slam. The US Open, however, seems to be a Waterloo of sorts for Halep lately, who was upset in the first round of this tournament in back-to-back fashion in 2017 and 2018. However, she made the quarterfinals and the semifinals of the same tourney in 2016 and 2015, respectively. With her still high on the Wimbledon win, expect a dominant and inspired Halep to show up in New York.
Azarenka has played in just one edition of the US Open since 2016. That was last year, where she failed to advance past the third round. However, she’s made deep runs in the tournament before, making the quarterfinals in 2014 and 2015 and the Finals in 2012 and 2013. Azarenka may be past her prime, but the Belarusian can’t be overlooked given her strong performances in the past at the US Open.
It was just last year when Wozniacki topped the Australian Open, but since then, she has yet to make any noise. She is still without a title this year, but that could also mean that she’s due for one. Wozniacki’s best finish at the US Open was as runner-up at the 2009 and 2014 editions of the tournament. Wozniacki is 36-12 all-time at the US Open and has made the semifinals five times since 2009.
Unlike her sister, Serena, Venus Williams doesn’t have the lasting power that deserves for us to have a high perception of her. Williams is just 17-11 this year and she hasn’t won a title since 2017. Ranked 52nd overall, Williams can show that she has some gas left in her tank to make waves in Flushing Meadows. Williams is 78-17 all-time at the US Open and is a two-time winner of the tournament as well.
