Aryna Sabalenka appears to be back to her blistering best at just the right time to lead a charge for the US Open title.
A dominant revival of form saw Sabalenka cruise to victory at the Cincinnati Open without dropping a set.
During this imposing run, she claimed her first straight-sets win over fierce rival Iga Swiatek and despatched in-form Jessica Pegula in the final to lay down a marker before heading to New York.
Sabalenka came agonizingly close to clinching the US Open title last year but came unstuck by the resilience of Coco Gauff who captured the hearts of Americans with her win.
However, with the Cincinnati title under her belt, she will be oozing with confidence when she gets underway at Flushing Meadows.
What can Aryna Sabalenka achieve at the US Open?
By claiming her maiden US Open title this year, Aryna Sabalenka can achieve a feat that only three women have done in this century.
By soaring to glory last year, Gauff became the first American teenager to win in New York since Serena Williams in 1999, but she also became the third woman in the 21st century to win the Cincinnati Open and US Open title in the same year.
- Kim Clijsters (BEL), 2010
- Serena Williams (USA), 2014
- Coco Gauff (USA), 2023
Gauff was in red-hot form on US soil at the back end of last year, but her recent string of disappointing results has left a cloud of doubt over her upcoming title defense.
Is Sabalenka the favorite for the US Open?
Despite being a relatively rare feat, Sabalenka doing the Cincinnati-US Open double seems to be the most likely outcome over the next few weeks.
The 26-year-old was forced out of Wimbledon due to a shoulder injury but, after a few sub-par performances in Washington and Toronto, she is back.
A ruthless performance in Cincinnati has put her in good stead to wipe the floor with the field at Flushing Meadows.
The two-time reigning Australian Open champion appears ready to conquer new ground.
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