Tennis Tips - Women's US Open 2026 Outright Tips

The last two major winners in the women’s draw have been first-time winners, and I think we’ll see another first-time Grand Slam winner this US Open in an All-American Final.

Champion

Jessica Pegula

Women's US Open

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$13

Made the US Open Final in 2024, and then backed it up with a Semi Final run last year, with Sabalenka the obstacle on both occasions, but it could be third time lucky for the American still looking to secure her first major.

Pegula has produced such a strong year on hard courts, with a 29-7 record, winning Dubai, reaching the Final at Cincinnati last week, and earlier in the year the Semi Final at the Australian Open.

In Pegula’s favour is the ease of her draw. She’ll likely face Cirstea in the Round of 16, followed by whoever emerges from the bottom half of Q2 – maybe Svitolina or Samsonova, with the 7-seed Muchova unlikely to do any damage playing her first tournament since surgery post-Wimbledon.

Runner Up

Coco Gauff

Women's US Open

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Enters Flushing Meadows off the back of winning in Cincinnati, and will look to replicate her 2023 effort of winning the US Open.

Gauff has some tricky opposition with talented youngsters Bejlek and Jovic the back-end of week one, but really should advance quite comfortably, while being in the Rybakina part of the draw works in her favour with the Kazakh entering under an injury cloud.

25-7 on hard courts this year for the American – think we’ll see her in an All-American Final.

Semi Finalists

Aryna Sabalenka

Women's US Open

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$4.33

Just hasn’t been Sabalenka’s year, failing to record a major win, and you can tell her form has taken its toll on the Belarussian based on her frosty handshake in her loss to 20-year-old Sara Bejlek in the lead-up.

It’s hard to write Sabalenka off though. She’s won the last two US Opens, made the Final in 2023, and the Semis in 2021 and 2022 – so clearly a tournament she thrives in.

The world number one does feature in a tricky quarter though, likely having to get through Krejcikova, Shnaider who beat her at Roland Garros, Kostyuk and Pegula, just to reach the Final.

Naomi Osaka

Women's US Open

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$11

Price has been crunched in off the back of being named in the same quarter as Rybakina, and Osaka does have a big opportunity.

Despite being in the Rybakina quarter, Q4 still remains highly competitive with the likes of Swiatek, Keys, Bencic, Mertens, Sakkari and Bouzkova.

If she gets on a roll she can do some serious damage, but I think the Semi Final is Osaka’s ceiling – the price way too short for mine, considering she’s a shorter price than Pegula.

Roughies

Liudmila Samsonova

Men's US Open

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$151

Quarter two is insanely weak, with Karolina Muchova playing her first tournament since the Wimbledon Final – the Czech requiring surgery off the back of an injury incurred in the Semi Final.

Elina Svitolina is the obvious choice to move into the Quarter Finals, but her record at Flushing Meadows is poor. Samsonova has reached the Round of 16 twice here, and her form leading in had been solid, losing in three sets to Gauff and Rybakina.

Sorana Cirstea

Women's US Open

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$226

Another in the second quarter, albeit in the Pegula side of Q2, but Sorana Cirstea has put together a strong farewell year.

The Romanian is 17-7 on hard court this season, including 10-6 against top-50 opposition.

She took it to Pegula in Cincinnati, losing the third set 7-5, and with how weak this quarter of the draw is, really should be shorter than this.

Sports Journalist

Dale Crotty

Few know the NBA like Dale, who has spent years backing winners for punters across a number of publications and podcasts. He also specialises in tennis and AFL.