Coco Gauff, ranked world number four, won her first title of the 2026 season at the Cincinnati Open by defeating Jessica Pegula in the final on August 20, boosting her confidence ahead of the U.S. Open [1, 2, 3]. The 22-year-old American is seeking her third Grand Slam crown but her second at the U.S. Open, where she won her maiden major title in 2023 [1, 2, 3]. Gauff acknowledged her past struggles with double faults this season but credited her improved serve to work with biomechanics specialist Gavin MacMillan. "I think I’m just going big, honestly. I feel like I’m really confident on my serve now," she said, adding that she trusts the process of steady improvement [1].
Iga Swiatek, 25, is chasing her seventh Grand Slam title at the U.S. Open after snapping an 11-month drought by winning the Toronto WTA 1000 tournament on August 13 [4, 5]. The Polish star's strong form continues despite a semi-finals exit at Cincinnati 2026, which ended her 10-match winning streak there and caused her ranking to slip to number eight [4, 5]. Swiatek remains a consistent Grand Slam contender, having won at least one major each season since 2022. She said, "We made some steps forward in this intensive part of the season" [4].
Experts like Lindsay Davenport and Mary Joe Fernandez consider Gauff one of the top favorites at this U.S. Open, noting her recent form. Davenport said, "It would appear that Coco Gauff is playing the best tennis going into the U.S. Open," while Fernandez predicted a final rematch between Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka [3]. Betting odds from Kalshi place Sabalenka as the favorite with a 23% chance to win, followed by Gauff at 16% and Swiatek at 15% [3].
The U.S. Open women’s final is scheduled for September 12 at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York. Gauff and Swiatek both arrived in the city on August 27, poised to challenge for the title with strong momentum from their recent results [1, 4, 2, 5, 3].
