Aryna Sabalenka’s pursuit of history will dominate the women’s singles conversation at the 2026 US Open, but the draw has ensured that the world No. 1 will have little room for error. The two-time defending champion is chasing a third consecutive title at Flushing Meadows, a feat that would put her alongside Serena Williams as the only woman in the Open Era to win three successive US Open singles crowns.
The women’s singles draw was unveiled on Thursday, setting up a tournament filled with potential blockbuster clashes. Sabalenka begins against Colombia’s Camila Osorio, while second seed Elena Rybakina, third seed Jessica Pegula and fourth seed Coco Gauff occupy the other three sections of the draw.
The US Open singles main draw begins on August 30, with the women’s final scheduled for September 12. Sabalenka arrives in New York with the strongest recent record at the tournament. She lifted her maiden US Open trophy in 2024 by defeating Pegula 7-5, 7-5 before successfully defending the title last year against Amanda Anisimova.
The Belarusian’s route to a third straight crown, however, is far from straightforward. After Osorio, Sabalenka could encounter a difficult sequence featuring players such as Barbora Krejcikova and Diana Shnaider before a potential quarterfinal against Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova. Shnaider is particularly intriguing after defeating Sabalenka in the French Open quarterfinals earlier this season.
Sabalenka has also had a season in which consistency at the biggest tournaments has been harder to maintain than during her dominant run in New York. She therefore enters the US Open with both the advantage of experience and the pressure of expectation.
Pegula, the third seed, begins against Romania’s Elena-Gabriela Ruse and anchors a section that could produce a high-quality quarterfinal against seventh seed Karolina Muchova. The American remains one of the most consistent players in the women’s game without a Grand Slam title to show for it.
She reached the US Open final in 2024, where Sabalenka ended her run, and will once again have the advantage of playing in front of a home crowd. The second quarter also contains former US Open semifinalist Elina Svitolina, Emma Navarro and 2021 US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez, making it one of the more unpredictable sections.
At the bottom of the draw, Rybakina and Gauff are projected to meet in the semifinals. Rybakina, the No. 2 seed and reigning Australian Open champion, begins against American wild card Thea Frodin. The Kazakh is also one of the players capable of taking the No. 1 ranking away from Sabalenka.
According to the WTA, Rybakina can guarantee herself the top ranking by reaching the semifinals. Gauff, meanwhile, will open against Türkiye’s Zeynep Sonmez. The fourth seed is returning to the scene of her breakthrough Grand Slam triumph in 2023 and will have a potentially difficult quarterfinal route involving fifth seed Mirra Andreeva.
Andreeva, the 2026 Roland Garros champion, starts against Indonesia’s Janice Tjen. A potential Gauff-Andreeva quarterfinal would bring together two of the most prominent young stars on the women’s tour.
Iga Swiatek, the 2022 champion and eighth seed, begins against China’s Wang Xiyu and sits in Rybakina’s quarter. The Pole enters with momentum after winning the Toronto title, according to the US Open, although her recent Grand Slam record has not matched the standards she established during her previous peak.
A potential quarterfinal against Madison Keys would be another major test. The draw also features Amanda Anisimova, last year’s runner-up, and several American players who will be hoping to use home conditions to their advantage.
Contrary to speculation surrounding a possible singles comeback, Serena Williams has not received a women’s singles main-draw wild card. The 44-year-old six-time US Open champion will nevertheless be back on court in New York. Serena has received a women’s doubles wild card alongside elder sister Venus Williams, marking their first appearance together at a Grand Slam since the 2022 US Open.
The sisters have previously won the women’s doubles title at Flushing Meadows in 1999 and 2009. Venus, meanwhile, has received a singles wild card and will face fellow American Sofia Kenin in the opening round.
The winner could meet Pegula in the second round. Serena’s return to competitive action has already added another layer to this year’s tournament. She recently partnered Carlos Alcaraz in mixed doubles and reached the quarterfinals, making her presence in New York one of the major stories even without a singles campaign.
The 2026 women’s draw feels less like a tournament Sabalenka is expected to win and more like a tournament she has to survive. Her two consecutive titles make her the obvious benchmark, but Rybakina has the ranking opportunity, Gauff has the home crowd and past champion status, while Pegula continues to search for the Grand Slam breakthrough that has eluded her.
With seven different women’s singles Grand Slam champions emerging since the start of 2025, the competitive landscape is unusually open. Sabalenka has history within reach. The rest of the field has 13 days to ensure she does not make it.
