Image source: Getty Images
2026 US Open
30 August – 13 September
USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Queens, New York
Aryna Sabalenka heads into the 2026 US Open as the world No. 1, one of the favourites for the women's singles title and the two-time defending champion. Having lifted the trophy in both 2024 and 2025, the Belarusian is bidding to become the first woman since Serena Williams to win three consecutive US Open singles titles.
Sabalenka's credentials on hard courts are formidable, and New York has become her Grand Slam stronghold. Yet her 2026 season has been less dominant than her recent US Open record suggests. She lost the Australian Open final, went out in the French Open quarter-finals and failed to reach the last eight at Wimbledon.
The 28-year-old is now looking to reset on the surface where she has traditionally been at her most dangerous. “We're kind of back to the basics, and I really hope it's going to work out well on the hard court again.”
Her lack of success at Wimbledon may, ironically, have helped her preparation. Sabalenka believes deep runs on grass can leave players physically drained heading into the North American hard-court swing. “If you go far in the grass court, you feel really fatigued and you're not able to pull out any good tennis.”
She has already suffered a setback in her US Open build-up, losing to Ekaterina Alexandrova in the fourth round of the Canadian Open in Toronto. But with time to regroup before New York, Sabalenka remains a formidable favourite.
There is another intriguing storyline to her US Open campaign. Sabalenka will team up with Novak Djokovic in the revamped mixed doubles championship, which takes place before the singles main draw. The star pairing is among the headline teams in the 16-team event.
“I’m pretty excited. I think it’s going to be fun. Playing with Novak is always fun… We're chasing the title, that's our goal, I believe.”
The mixed doubles adventure will add another dimension to an already fascinating fortnight, but Sabalenka's primary target remains the singles crown. If she rediscovers her best hard-court tennis, history could beckon in New York.
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