Aryna Sabalenka made it to 14 wins in a row at the US Open after defeating Camila Osorio 6-2, 6-4 in the first round. This was a valuable result for the Belarusian as she came into the tournament after suffering Round of 16 exits in both Toronto and Cincinnati. The Grand Slam holds huge importance for Sabalenka, as an early exit here would most likely see her lose the World No. 1 spot. While the competition can indeed get very stressful, she admitted being ready to face every obstacle standing in her way. Watch What’s Trending Now! “I’m trying to focus on myself,” she said during her on-court interview . “I’m enjoying my time in New York. I’m ready to go out here and do anything it takes to get the wins. I’m ready for the fight. Basically, that’s it.” ADVERTISEMENT The likes of Elena Rybakina, Jessica Pegula, and Coco Gauff are all in the race to dethrone Sabalenka at the US Open. Being the two-time defending champion, the pressure is definitely on the World No. 1. Only a deep run in the tournament would help her remain at the top. Rybakina is the prime candidate to dethrone Sabalenka. She is just 434 points behind the latter’s tally of 8,575 points. The Kazakh will automatically take the top spot if she reaches the semifinals. She is defending fourth-round points in the tournament, so she won’t suffer any loss if she manages to reach the same stage. ADVERTISEMENT Unlike her, Sabalenka is the defending champion and will lose points unless she wins the tournament for a third year running. The current situation favors Rybakina the most, as she can clinch the No. 1 spot despite not having a great US Open campaign. Imago August 25, 2026, New York City, New York, USA: ARYNA SABALENKA during the match mixed doubles round 1/16 final US Open with N. Djokovic Serbia against H. Patten Great Britain and K. Siniakova Czech Republic. New York, USA. New York City USA – ZUMAc278 20260825_zsp_c278_010 Copyright: xMarcinxCholewinskix On the other hand, Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff’s cases are the same. They currently have a points tally of 7,265 and 6,704 points, respectively. They will have to win the US Open if they want to claim the top spot. Both of them are among the most in-form players on the WTA circuit and are coming fresh off a final at the Cincinnati Masters . But winning the tournament is certainly not going to be an easy task for either of them. ADVERTISEMENT Pegula has begun her campaign on a strong note, defeating Elena-Gabriela Ruse 6-3, 6-2 in the first round. Gauff is scheduled to begin her campaign later on Tuesday, and she will be taking on Zeynep Sonmez. She did win the tournament in 2023 and will take home the No. 1 spot if she manages to do it again. The stakes are high for all these players. ADVERTISEMENT But a player like Sabalenka can’t be underestimated, especially at the US Open, a tournament she has been winning for the past two years. Doing so for the third consecutive time will see her script history, as there aren’t many players who have achieved such a monumental feat in the Open Era. Aryna Sabalenka aims to equal Serena Williams and Chris Evert at the US Open If Sabalenka does go on to win the US Open for the third year running, then she will become just the third player to do so in the Open Era. Chris Evert and Serena Williams are the only players who have achieved the feat so far. But that all can change if Sabalenka elevates her game in the coming matches. ADVERTISEMENT But there are serious doubts around the Belarusian’s chances as her form hasn’t been great for the last few months. Sabalenka hasn’t won a title since the Miami Open, and her best performance since then has been a quarterfinal appearance at the French Open, where she won four matches. ADVERTISEMENT Sabalenka hasn’t even been able to reach a final since the Miami Open. Her US swing hasn’t been anything impressive either so far. She exited the National Bank Open in the Round of 16 after suffering a 7-6, 4-6, 6-4 defeat to Ekaterina Alexandrova. This was followed by an exit from the same stage at the Cincinnati Masters. This time, Sabalenka was handed a 7-6, 6-4 defeat by Sara Bejlek. So, the World No. 1 will have to improve her form significantly if she wants to have a shot at the US Open title. It remains to be seen if she will be able to defy the odds stacked against her.
Curated by Taleb Kabbara · Source: www.essentiallysports.com