{"id":2110778,"date":"2026-08-25T13:00:51","date_gmt":"2026-08-25T10:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2110778"},"modified":"2026-08-25T13:00:51","modified_gmt":"2026-08-25T10:00:51","slug":"aryna-sabalenka-vulnerable-at-us-open-i-would-go-with-iga-swiatek","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2110778","title":{"rendered":"Aryna Sabalenka &#8216;vulnerable&#8217; at US Open &#8211; &#8216;I would go with Iga Swiatek&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"ps-article-content rounded-lg lg:mt-5 lg:border lg:border-card lg:bg-card lg:shadow-primary\">\n<header>\n<h1 class=\"py-4 text-xl font-normal text-title sm:text-2xl\">Aryna Sabalenka \u2018vulnerable\u2019 at US Open \u2013 \u2018I would go with Iga Swiatek\u2019<\/h1>\n<div class=\"my-2 flex items-center justify-between\">\n<div class=\"flex items-center\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/author\/shahidaj\" class=\"text-sm font-normal !text-author\"><br \/>\n                            Shahida Jacobs                        <\/a><br \/>\n                        <time class=\"ml-3 text-sm font-normal text-info md:ml-4\" datetime=\"25 Aug 2026 2:00 PM\" data-ps-date=\"25 Aug 2026 2:00 PM\" data-ps-datetime=\"1787662851\"><br \/>\n                            25 Aug 2026 2:00 PM                        <\/time>\n                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"hidden justify-end space-x-4 text-xl sm:flex sm:!opacity-100\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tennis365.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 hidden dark:block h-6\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/content\/themes\/tennis365-sportsui\/img\/png\/preferred_source_badge_dark.png\" alt=\"Add as a preferred source on Google\" width=\"76\" height=\"24\"><br \/>\n                            <img 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<\/div>\n<div class=\"sm:hidden flex items-center space-x-5\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tennis365.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 hidden dark:block h-6\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/content\/themes\/tennis365-sportsui\/img\/png\/preferred_source_badge_dark.png\" alt=\"Add as a preferred source on Google\" width=\"76\" height=\"24\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 dark:hidden h-6\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/content\/themes\/tennis365-sportsui\/img\/png\/preferred_source_badge_light.png\" alt=\"Add as a preferred source on Google\" width=\"76\" height=\"24\"><br \/>\n                        <\/a><br \/>\n                        <button id=\"t365-article-share-btn-hidden\" class=\"mr-2 hidden h-6 w-6 appearance-none border-none !text-share-icon outline-none hover:!text-share-icon-active sm:hidden\" data-title=\"Aryna Sabalenka \u2018vulnerable\u2019 at US Open \u2013 \u2018I would go with Iga Swiatek\u2019\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/button>\n                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"-mx-3 sm:-mx-5 border-b border-page\"><\/div>\n<section>\n<div class=\"-mx-3 sm:-mx-5\">\n<figure class=\"aspect-h-9 aspect-w-16 relative\">\n                                        <img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1320\" height=\"742\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"w-full h-full object-cover object-center !my-0\" src=\"https:\/\/d2me2qg8dfiw8u.cloudfront.net\/content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Sabalenka-Gauff-Swiatek-physical-1320x742.jpg\" alt=\"Pictured: Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, and Iga Swiatek.\">                <\/figure><figcaption class=\"flex items-center space-x-3 border-b border-mobile-caption px-3 lg:border-caption\">\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-1.5 break-words !text-xs !text-content\">\n                                WTA Tour stars  Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, and Iga Swiatek.                            <\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<div class=\"ciam-article-t365\"><!-- Article Start --><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/aryna-sabalenka\">Aryna Sabalenka<\/a> is the world No 1 and two-time defending champion at the US Open, but not too many pundits are backing her to win this year\u2019s title with the likes of Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff getting the nod instead.<\/p>\n<p>The four-time Grand Slam champion is 19-1 at Flushing Meadows in the last three years as she won back-to-back trophies in 2024 and 2025 and finished runner-up to Gauff at the 2023 edition.<\/p>\n<p>Having appeared in three major finals in 2025, many expected Sabalenka to dominate again this year, especially after <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/aryna-sabalenka-reveals-one-regret-australian-open-final-loss-elena-rybakina\">she finished runner-up to Elena Rybakina<\/a> at the Australian Open.<\/p>\n<p>She also had an outstanding Sunshine Double in March as she won both the Indian Wells Open and Miami Open, but her form has dropped off since then, losing in the quarter-final at the French Open and fourth round at Wimbledon.<\/p>\n<p>Sabalenka has failed to turn things around during the start of the North American hard-court swing as she also made round of 16 exits at the Canadian Open and Cincinnati Open.<\/p>\n<h2>US Open News<\/h2>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/coco-gauff-jessica-pegula-join-aryna-sabalenka-elena-rybakina-wta-rankings-no-1-battle\">Aryna Sabalenka v Elena Rybakina v Jessica Pegula v Coco Gauff: Battle for No 1 spot in WTA Rankings<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/greg-rusedski-alex-eala-something-nobody-else-does\">Greg Rusedski reveals what Alex Eala does better than her WTA rivals<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>During an ESPN media conference call, commentator and former world No 4 Mary Joe Fernandez said: \u201cFor the women, Sabalenka is going for a three-peat. She hasn\u2019t reached a final since winning Indian Wells and Miami back-to-back. She struggled a bit winning the big points. She\u2019s lost a couple of big leads in some events. So, she\u2019s vulnerable,\u201d she told ESPN.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI thought Coco Gauff played exceptional tennis in Cincinnati. She played well in Canada, as well. To me she\u2019s the one that\u2019s playing the best tennis. You have [Jessica] Pegula, [Elena] Rybakina if she\u2019s healthy, who reached the finals in Canada. [Alex] Eala was outstanding in Washington. She beat a lot of top players there.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Gauff reached the semi-final in Toronto before winning the Cincinnati title while Pegula was a runner-up at the Washington DC Open and in Cincy.<\/p>\n<p>World No 2 Rybakina finished runner-up to Iga Swiatek in Canada and reached the quarter-final in Ohio before retiring with a leg injury, while <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/everything-alex-eala-said-after-winning-washington-dc-open\">Eala won the Citi DC Open<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>But Swiatek is certainly one of the form players on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/wta-tour\">WTA Tour<\/a> after <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/iga-swiatek-ranking-points-prize-money-after-toronto-final-elena-rybakina\">her title run in Toronto<\/a> and semi-final appearance in Cincinnati.<\/p>\n<p>1989 French Open doubles champion Patrick McEnroe stated: \u201cI would go with Iga Swiatek on the women\u2019s. I think she is [my] favourite. I like the way she\u2019s playing. She is playing with a little bit more margin, not quite as offensive, which I think is actually very good for her. That\u2019s sort of why I\u2019m picking her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t think she\u2019s the [overall] favourite. It would probably be Sabalenka. I think Mary Joe is spot on about Coco, in Cincinnati looked great the last couple matches.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m not going to say it\u2019s wide open on the women\u2019s side, but there\u2019s probably six to eight players that could win it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!-- Article End --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Aryna Sabalenka \u2018vulnerable\u2019 at US Open \u2013 \u2018I would go with Iga Swiatek\u2019 Shahida Jacobs 25 Aug 2026 2:00 PM WTA Tour stars Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, and Iga Swiatek. Aryna Sabalenka is the world No 1 and two-time defending champion at the US Open, but not too many pundits are backing her to win [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,249],"class_list":["post-2110778","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-tennis365-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2110778","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2110778"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2110778\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2110778"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2110778"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2110778"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}