Iga Swiatek hits a backhand at US Open as she prepares for great tennis match

2024 US Open Women's Draw Preview: 7 Players to Watch

After a jam-packed summer, the tennis world turns to its final Grand Slam of the season – the US Open.

All players will be hoping for a strong result before heading into the fall, and the final months of the long tennis season. Below are seven players to watch in New York, with odds from UTR Sports INSIGHTS.

"On the women's side it is very open, very open," said ESPN's Chris Evert. "I think the depth is more and more each year. Every first-round match, you must have your A game. I think you couldn't have said that 20, 30 years ago."

Aryna Sabalenka serves at the US Open

Aryna Sabalenka (UTR Rating 12.99)

After losing her prior three matches to world No. 1 Iga Swiatek (UTR 13.19), Aryna Sabalenka finally got her revenge in the Cincinnati semifinals, 6-3. 6-3.

Sabalenka then defeated Jessica Pegula (UTR 12.77) in another straight-sets victory to take the title and the 15th WTA trophy of her career.

The reigning Australian Open champion, Sabalenka also was a quarterfinalist a week earlier in Toronto.

Back up to world No. 2, Sabalenka is always a threat any time she steps on the court and has been playing some of the best tennis of her career this season. Runner-up at the 2023 US Open (l. to Coco Gauff), she will be hoping to go one step further this year.

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Sabalenka opens against to-be-named qualifier and could meet 14th seed Madison Keys in the fourth round. Keys pushed Sabalenka to three sets in the 2023 US Open semifinals. A rematch with Gauff could await Sabalenka in the 2024 US Open semifinals.

UTR Sports INSIGHTS pegs the Belarusian as a 14% favorite to win her first US Open title.

Iga Swiatek celebrates at the US Open

Iga Swiatek (UTR 13.19)

Swiatek should be over her "disappointing" bronze medal finish at the 2024 Paris Olympics, which took place at Roland Garros, Swiatek's favorite tournament. She fell to eventual gold medalist Qinwen Zheng of China (12.76) in the semifinals.

The top-ranked Pole has won four Roland Garros titles, but she's also captured a US Open title, in 2022. Swiatek is the top seed in Queens and opens against a to-be-named qualifier.

INSIGHTS odds to win title: 25%

Coco Gauff smashes a backhand at US Open

Coco Gauff (UTR 12.77)

The 2023 US Open champion has not had the season she surely hoped for after winning her maiden Slam title last year. The top-ranked American reached two Grand Slam semifinals but fell in the fourth round at Wimbledon to up-and-coming compatriot Emma Navarro.

Gauff also failed to back up her stellar 2023 lead-in to the US Open. This year, she fell in the third round in Toronto and second round in Cincy.

"She's got to start to trust her instincts when she's playing a match and not always rely on patterns and coaches and people telling her what to do. I just think she's at an age now where she's got to play with a little more feel and a little more instinct and a little more belief in herself, get away from the patterns," Evert said.

Still, the 20-year-old is ranked No. 3 and competing at her home Slam, where no one else is more adored. Gauff could face 27th seed Elina Svitolina in the third round before a potential rematch against Navarro in the Round of 16.

INSIGHTS odds to win title: 5%

READ MORE: Ahead of US Open, Emma Navarro's UTR Rating shows her WTA status

Pegula finishes a backhand

Jessica Pegula (UTR 12.80)

Jessica Pegula has been playing absolutely superb tennis in August, advancing into the final of back-to-back WTA 1000 tournaments.

She claimed the title in Toronto, successfully defending her 2023 crown for the third 1000-level trophy of her career. She continued her winning ways the very next week.

Her consecutive victories streak came to an end at nine matches in the Cincinnati final, as she settled for runner-up with a loss to Sabalenka.

Pegula now heads into the US Open in top form at world No. 6. She reached the round of 16 there last year, with the quarterfinals in 2022 her best finish.

Pegula has reached six Grand Slam quarterfinals and will look for her first semifinal appearance in Queens. She opens against American Shelby Rogers, a two-time Grand Slam quarterfinalist.

INSIGHTS odds to win title: 4%

Paula Badosa hits a backhand and hopes for success at 2024 US Open

Paula Badosa (UTR 12.77)

With a WTA 500 title and a WTA 1000 semifinal to her name this month, Paula Badosa is playing top-notch tennis heading into the year’s final major. Thanks to her recent play, she has skyrocketed to sixth on the UTR women's pro tennis rankings (by UTR Rating).

A former world No. 2, Badosa captured the Washington crown at the beginning of August. She entered the tournament at No. 62 and went on a run all the way to the final, where she defeated Marie Bouzkova (UTR 12.31) 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 for the title, the fourth of her career and first since 2022.

At Cincinnati, Badosa advanced into the semifinals, including a win over No. 13 seed Anna Kalinskaya (UTR 12.61) before falling to Pegula.

The 26-year-old, now ranked No. 27 after her summer success, missed the US Open last year due to injury. She has yet to advance past the second round there, but will be hoping this is her year. Badosa opens against Switzerland's Viktorija Golubic.

INSIGHTS odds to win the title: 4%

Diana Shnaider (UTR 12.59)

One of the breakout players of 2024, Diana Shnaider has climbed from world No. 97 back in January into the Top 20.

One of the highlights of her season just earlier this month in Toronto. The 20-year-old defeated Coco Gauff (UTR 12.77) in the third round for her first Top 10 victory and first WTA 1000 quarterfinal appearance.

View UTR Sports women's tennis rankings by UTR Rating

She would take it one step further, ousting Liudmila Samsonova (UTR 12.53) as well to reach the semifinals before eventually falling to Pegula.

A women’s doubles silver medalist at the Olympic Games, Shnaider will be playing in the US Open main draw for the first time – and she’ll be doing so at a new career-high ranking of world No. 18.

INSIGHTS odds to win the title: 1%

Amanda Anisimova (UTR 12.58)

After taking a break from tennis last year, Amanda Anisimova – a former world No. 21 – is showing she is ready to take her place back near the top of the sport.

Anisimova has enjoyed the best results of her resurgence this month. First, the 22-year-old reached the WTA 500 Washington quarterfinals as a qualifier.

Then, most impressively, she made her first WTA 1000 final in Toronto. En route she eliminated four Top 20 players, including Sabalenka in the quarterfinals. She entered Toronto ranked world No. 132 and bounced all the way up to No. 49 following her runner-up finish.

The result helped propel her to a US Open wild card, where she will compete for the fifth time (her best performance is the third round in 2020). She opens against seventh seed and Paris Olympics gold medalist Qinwen Zheng of China (UTR 12.76).

INSIGHTS odds to win the title: 1%

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