The Most Unpredictable US Open Ever: Previewing The Women’s Draw

The numbers of the highest seeds

Let’s begin with some recent history. Here are the players who reached the final in the last nine Grand Slams played, and with which seed they appeared at the start:

2018 Australian Open: Wozniacki (2^nd seed) d. Halep (1^st)

2018 Roland Garros: Halep (1^st) d. Stephens (10^th)

2018 Wimbledon: Kerber (11^th) d. S. Williams (25^th, PR)

2018 US Open: Osaka (20^th) d. S. Williams (11^th)

2019 Australian Open: Osaka (4^th) d. Kvitova (8^th)

2019 Roland Garros: Barty (8^th) d. Vondrousova (unseeded)

2019 Wimbledon: Halep (7^th) d. S. Williams (11^th)

2019 US Open: Andreescu (15^th) d. S. Williams (8^th)

2020 Australian Open: Kenin (14^th) d. Muguruza (unseeded)

Next up is the performance of the top 16 seeds at the American Grand Slam. Given the situation, I’ve elected to avoid adding comments on the state of form of the protagonists, even though a significant datum emerges from the preparation tournament currently in progress. Of the aforementioned 16 seeds at the upcoming Grand Slam, 14 of them were also at the starting blocks of the current Premier 5 event (Muguruza and Martic were absent). Well, seven of them have lost their first match: Pliskova, Kenin, Kvitova, Keys, Rybakina, Vondrousova, Riske. This goes to show how aleatory every sort of evaluation ​​can be after months without official tennis competitions.

1. Karolina Pliskova

2019 US Open: 4^th round, defeated by Johanna Konta.

Best career result at Flushing Meadows: Final (2016)

2. Sofia Kenin

2019 US Open: 3^rd round, defeated by Madison Keys.

Best career result: 3^rd round (2017, 2018, 2019)

3. Serena Williams

2019 US Open: Final, defeated by Bianca Andreescu.

Best result: Win (1999, 2002, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2014)

4. Naomi Osaka

2019 US Open: 4^th round, defeated by Belinda Bencic.

Best career result: Win (2018)

5. Aryna Sabalenka

2019 US Open: 2^nd round, defeated by Yulia Putintseva.

Best career result: 4^th round (2018)

6. Petra Kvitova

2019 US Open: 2^nd round, defeated by Andrea Petkovic.

Best career result: QF (2015, 2017)

7. Madison Keys

2019 US Open: 4^th round, defeated by Elina Svitolina.

Best career result: Final (2017)

8. Petra Martic

2019 US Open: 4^th round, defeated by Serena Williams.

Best career result: 4^th round (2019)