5 WTA players to watch at 2022 US Open including Serena Williams, Emma Raducanu
WTA
The 2022 US Open is right around the corner as the fourth Grand Slam of the season will start on August 29th, 2022, in New York.
Many WTA stars already traveled to Flushing Meadows and started preparing for the last Grand Slam of the season. The US Open is a great opportunity for players to break through, as Emma Raducanu showed last year.
Although in the women's draw, there are usually many surprises, the favorites of this year's tournament are clear. Iga Swiatek dominated the majority of the season, and players like Ons Jabeur, Elena Rybakina, and Coco Gauff played their first Grand Slam final this year, and it wouldn't be a surprise if they added another one.
The list of favorites could include any player in the Top 10 of the WTA Rankings. Paula Badosa, Maria Sakkari, Aryna Sabalenka, Simona Halep, and Jessica Pegula are all certainly capable of winning a Grand Slam tournament, but there are also a few names that can cause a surprise in the Flushing Meadows this year.
5. Beatriz Haddad Maia
The 26-year-old player from Brazil has an interesting past as she was suspended due to doping, but in 2022, she's showing her qualities and has already broken into the Top 15 of the WTA Rankings.
Beatriz Haddad Maia started the year by winning a Challenger title but she later also added her first two WTA titles when she triumphed in Nottingham and Birmingham.
Although she never got past the second round at a Grand Slam tournament, this year, the Brazilian won 43 out of 60 matches she played, and she can definitely have a deep run at the 2022 US Open.
4. Caroline Garcia
Many fans already forgot about the 28-year-old French player, as she stated at one of the press conferences in Cincinnati. However, former World No. 4, Caroline Garcia won three titles this year and returned to the Top 20 of the WTA Rankings for the first time since 2019.
She triumphed on every surface this year. It started in Bad Homburg on grass, then she won in Warsaw on clay, and eventually in Cincinnati on the hard courts. Especially her last triumph proved that she's back and that she can win big titles.
3. Daria Kasatkina
After three years, Daria Kasatkina entered the Top 10 of the WTA Rankings again, and she showed some solid tennis this year. The Russian played in the semi-finals in Rome and Roland Garros and also won the title in San Jose.
Although she lost already in the first round in Toronto and Cincinnati, Bianca Andreescu and Amanda Anisimova would be challenging players for anyone, and the 25-year-old Russian showed many times that she can forget losses very quickly.
2. Emma Raducanu
The 19-year-old British player isn't considered to be one of the favorites at the 2022 US Open despite being the defending champion.
Emma Raducanu lost more matches than she won this year, and after she lifted her first Grand Slam title this year, the expectations were set too high for her this season.
However, as she stated many times, she's playing freely and is ready for a 'reset' after the 2022 US Open. And that may be the reason why Raducanu can surprise everyone at the fourth Grand Slam of the season.
Moreover, she defeated Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka in Cincinnati and showed that she didn't forget how to play tennis.
1. Serena Williams
127 players in the 2022 US Open draw have won a total of 31 Grand Slam titles combined. And then there's one woman who won 23 Grand Slam titles, and she's about to enter the last tournament in her career, attempting to win the 24th Grand Slam trophy and change the history of tennis forever.
Serena Williams played only four matches this season and lost three of them, and that's the main reason why she's not considered to be a favorite in Flushing Meadows this year.
However, if there's someone who can surprise everyone and win her 24th Grand Slam title in her farewell, it's Serena Williams.
