LAST year’s US Open threw up plenty of surprises for the women’s singles, with American young gun Coco Gauff riding a wave of support to claim her first Grand Slam title in a come-from-behind victory. Can she go back-to-back or will another top star stand up and lift the trophy aloft?

Top eight seeds

Gauff is seeded third in the tournament, slipping back a spot after Aryna Sabalenka won the Cincinnati Open in incredible fashion. The confidence the Belarusian will take from that is huge, having defeated Top 10 players, Iga Swiatek, Jessica Pegula and Liudmila Samsonova along the way, as well as Elina Svitolina and Elisabetta Cocciaretto.

The world number two has a very winnable draw with American Madison Keys her scheduled fourth round opponent, while seventh seed Qinwen Zheng has fallen in her quarter. The pair also faced off in a quarter final last year. Gauff has a potential stiff fourth round opponent in Navarro, while eighth seed and Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova is on the lookout for her second successive Grand Slam title.

World number one Swiatek will look to add to her 2022 title at Flushing Meadows, with Pegula in her quarter. In the second quarter of the draw, two-time Grand Slam champion Elena Rybakina and fifth seed Jasmine Paolini lurk, though last year’s quarter finalist Jelena Ostapenko.

Who are the dark horses?

Each year there are always a few surprise packets that go deep in the tournament, and the fourth section of the draw looms as a fascinating watch. Ostapenko plays former number one and US Open champion Naomi Osaka, with 2023 French Open finalist Karolina Muchova. It is the start of a potential run that would require her to beat seven Grand Slam finalists in order to lift the trophy.

Along with Ostapenko, known US Open talent Leylah Fernandez lurks in there hoping to repeat her incredible run to the final from a few years back, as does in-form Czech teenager Linda Noskova coming off her first WTA Tour title in Monterrey. A massive first-round match between past US Open winner Bianca Andreescu is huge, with the winner to take on Karolina Pliskova.

A fascinating watch could be 26th seed Spaniard Paula Badosa who is getting back to top form and has a winnable draw through to the third round before Krejcikova gets in her way, while Navarro is always going to be a threat on home soil. Last year’s quarter finalist Jaqueline Cristian has a stiff first round match up against 12th seed Daria Kasatkina.

Record Aussies in US Open draw?

An incredible amount of Australians feature in the US Open women’s singles with eight players making it and only two were automatic entries and one wildcard, making it five qualifiers to earn a main draw spot. Last year was a nightmare for the green and gold with Ajla Tomljanovic and Daria Saville the only ones to win first round matches, while Storm Hunter, Olivia Gadecki and Kimberly Birrell lost in their opening contests.

Looking at 2024 and the Aussies have three more chances thanks to record five qualifiers, though they still face an uphill battle. Priscilla Hon copped the toughest battle of the lot up against second seed Sabalenka, while fellow qualifier Destanee Aiava is not much better taking on fourth seed Rybakina. Birrell (24th seed Donna Vekic) and wildcard Taylah Preston (25th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova) are the other Aussies facing seeds.

Daria Saville takes on Japanese qualifier Ena Shibahara up first before a date with Swiatek, while Arina Rodionova clashes with China’s Xinyu Wang. Teenage star Maya Joint has German Laura Siegemund up first, while Tomljanovic will take on American qualifier Ann Li.

PREDICTION

Sabalenka is perfectly poised to go one better than last year and attempt to win her first US Open title, and third Grand Slam trophy. She has reached the last four of every Grand Slam, and will have the chance to face Gauff in the semi-finals if the young American makes it. Swiatek is always a threat as is Rybakina, but it is difficult to look past the threat of Sabalenka on hardcourts.

Tip: Aryna Sabalenka to defeat Iga Swiatek in the final.