Last week’s Wuhan Open final was a testament to this current golden age in US women’s tennis, with Coco Gauff battling past the nuggety Jessica Pegula to win her first WTA 1000 event of the season.
Gauff has endured a somewhat schizophrenic campaign, battling hardcourt demons while claiming a 2nd Major title at Roland Garros. But she is ending her season on a high, delighting her obsessive Chinese fans with victory in Wuhan. Gauff’s performance underscores what has been a sensational year for US women. Despite their many achievements, Fritz and Shelton live in the unenviable era of Sinneraz. On the ladies side, there is a growing list of players who could threaten at slams for years to come.
A Tradition of Excellence
First things first: this isn’t a new phenomenon. America has been a conveyor belt for talent for ages, with the likes of Billie Jean King and Chris Evert dominating their respective eras. The Williams sisters then broke the mold, taking American tennis- and tennis in general- to a physical realm we had never seen before. The Williams effect cannot be overstated, with Coco Gauff directly attributing her success to their legacy. However, American women have lost that feeling of dominance in the immediate aftermath of Willaims’ retirement, with Swiatek and Sabalenka collecting ten slams between them. This season may have moved the needle, introducing the very real possibility- as crazy as it sounds- of an American calendar slam in years to come.
Grand Slam Pedigree
The American ladies have been an omnipresent force during this year’s Grand Slam calendar, producing a finalist in each of the four Major championships. Madison Keys pulled on the heartstrings in Melbourne, exorcising all her past Grand Slam heartbreak to set the tone for the other Americans to follow. Coco Gauff then showed off her clay-court wizardry with an exceptional comeback win over Sabalenka in Paris. Then it was the turn of Amanda Anisimova to carry the flame, picking up back-to-back runner-up finishes at Wimbledon and the US Open. She showed tremendous strength of character during those two runs, avenging her nightmarish double-bagel defeat to Swiatek at SW19 in their US Open clash.
Outrageous consistency
The overall consistency of the ladies has been even more impressive than those isolated marquee results. Seven American women have won 13 titles between them this year, with five- Pegula, Keys, Gauff, Kessler and Anisimova- winning multiple titles. Hell, even 17-year-old prospect Ivo Jovic got in on the act, claiming her maiden title in Guadalajara. Amanda Anisimova won two WTA 1000 titles this year, becoming the first American to win multiple WTA 1000 titles in the same year since…..Serena Williams.
List of American WTA title winners this season
Adelaide International (500): Madison Keys
Hobart International (250): McCartney Kessler
Aussie Open (Grand Slam): Madison Keys
Qatar Open (1000): Amanda Anisimova
Merida Open (500): Emma Navarro
Austin Open (250): Jessica Pegula
Charleston Open (500): Jessica Pegula
French Open (Grand Slam): Coco Gauff
Nottingham Open (250): McCartney Kessler
Bad Homburg Open (500): Jessica Pegula
Guadalajara Open (500): Iva Jovic
Wuhan Open (1000): Coco Gauff
As a result of all this success, America have booked four spots at this year’s WTA Finals. Interestingly, this will be the first time since 2003 that USA has four players in the season-ending tournament. That 2003 edition marked another fertile period in US women’s tennis, with Capriati and Davenport joining the Williams sisters in the final eight (though only Capriati would go on to compete in the event).
Cometh the hour, cometh the woman
One defining feature of this current crop’s success in good old-fashioned American grit and determination. Americans occupy the top four spots in most three-set wins this year (see below).
Most three-set win on WTA Tour this year
Jessica Pegula- 16
Madison Keys- 15
Amanda Anisimova- 13
Coco Gauff- 12
Pegula was the embodiment of this never-say-die attitude in Wuhan, winning four three-set tussles en route to her runner-up finish. That Rocky-esque inability to admit defeat is a real cornerstone of the American sporting identity and this year’s WTA Tour proves it.
An American Calendar Slam?
Look, it’s hard to imagine a season of tennis passing without either Sabalenka or Swiatek getting in on the Grand Slam action. But are they as impervious to defeat as Sinner and Alcaraz? Not at all. And in Gauff and Anisimova, USA possess two players who can get the job done on all three surfaces (though Gauff needs to iron on some of her kinks on the brisker surfaces). With Gauff and Anisimova well positioned to challenge the top two, 2026 looks like it could be just as productive for the Stars and Stripes.
