This year’s WTA Grand Slam circuit has been a complete and utter lottery, with six different finalists making up the first three slams.
In fact, three of the last four finalists were competing in their maiden Grand Slam final. Just to give you a little indication of the volatility of the women’s tour, there have been ten different Grand Slam finalists since the beginning of last season. There have only been five in the men’s draw. Sabalenka and Swiatek have both regressed this season while Rybakina hasn’t really built on the one-two punch of the WTA Finals and Aussie Open. Honestly, I think it’s fantastic for the game. In keeping with this volatility, I have decided to do a power ranking of five possible US Open contenders who are yet to reach a Grand Slam final (so no Anisimova, etc).
5. Paula Badosa (Spain)
Sure, Badosa is about as physically reliable as Tiger Woods these days. Badosa has struggled with chronic back issues for some time, forced to take cortisone injections just to deal with the pain. Earlier this year, she fell outside the top 100 in the world for the first time since 2019. But the 28-year-old has the heart of a champion and looks dead-set on clawing her way back into the upper echelons of the game. She has looked back to something resembling her best of late, winning the Nordea Open before being forced to retire in the final of the Iasi Open. Still, her recent bump in form has helped her climb comfortably back into the top 100. She reached the quarterfinals in New York in her last outing in 2024 (she missed last year due to injury). She has a bit of momentum and could feed off the general New York hysteria.
4. Iva Jovic (USA)
American teenager Iva Jovic has enjoyed a meteoric rise these last 12 months or so. The flat-hitting 18-year-old won her first title during last year’s hardcourt swing, thrashing Arango in the Guadalajara Open final. She proved that was no fluke during this year’s Australasian jaunt, reaching the Hobart final before a breakthrough quarterfinal run at the Aussie Open. Jovic solidified her burgeoning Grand Slam reputation with a solid 4th round run at the recent Wimbledon Championships. Buoyed on by fanatical home support, Jovic has all the tools to make a deep run. She likes to step inside the court to take the ball early, using flat, penetrating groundstrokes to suffocate opponents.
3. Elina Svitolina (Ukraine)
The best female player in the world yet to reach a Grand Slam final, Ukrainian Elina Svitolina has endured years of crippling Grand Slam heartbreak. The four-time Grand Slam semi-finalist has really been knocking on the door these last few years, reaching the quarters or semis in six of her last ten Grand Slam appearances. She just can’t seem to keep the aggression up in those nerve-jangling clashes. Still, she reached the semifinals in Melbourne earlier this year and will be hoping to improve on her lone US Open semifinal appearance back in 2019. I think she could take some confidence from the chaotic nature of the women’s game right now (it’s not as if Sabalenka and Swiatek are dominating the tour). This could be her chance to ninja her way into a Grand Slam final.
2. Marta Kostyuk (Ukraine)
The 2nd Ukrainian on this list, Marta Kostyuk has improved immeasurably this season. The athletic, uber-talented Kostyuk has focused on uncluttering her mind, collaborating with Dr. Riccardo Ceccarelli to conserve her brain energy and prevent burnout in long matches. That paid dividends in a wonderful clay-court campaign that saw her win titles in Rouen and Madrid. She then harnessed her newfound mental toughness to pick up back-to-back Grand Slam semifinal runs in Paris and London. I think her proactive style and willingness to take the ball on the rise should stand her in good stead going into the year’s final slam.
1. Victoria Mboko (Canada)
Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko is still nursing a left-knee injury sustained at Queens (she was forced to skip Wimbledon due to it). But let’s be clear: Mboko has been one of the most impressive hardcourt players in the world over the last 12 months. She has reached four hardcourt finals since August last year, claiming last year’s WTA 1000 title in Montreal before reaching another WTA 1000 final in Qatar this year. The strong-serving Canadian has tremendous power off both wings (particularly with that double-handed backhand). I just hope she is physically ready for Flushing Meadows. If she is, I see no reason why she couldn’t cause major damage to the pre-tournament favourites.
