WOMEN TO WATCH
Simona Halep Seed/rank: 1/1 Age: 26 Country: Romania
2018 record: 46-8, 3 singles titles Career: 18 singles titles; one Grand Slam (French Open 2018)
Notes: Won two hard-court titles this season. … Claimed her first Grand Slam title at the French Open in June. … Wins nearly half of all return games, WTA’s best rate . ... A year ago, exited in the first round against Maria Sharapova. This year, could face a Williams sister in the fourth round. … If she’s healthy, could make a deep run.
Caroline Wozniacki Seed/rank: 2/2 Age: 28 Country: Denmark
2018 record: 32-12, 2 singles titles Career: 29 singles titles; one Grand Slam (Australian Open 2018)
Notes: Third among active women with 21 career hard-court titles, trailing only the Williams sisters. … Converts 52.1 percent of break-point chances, No. 2 on tour in 2018 . ... Loves that she no longer has to hear questions about why she hasn’t won a major tournament. … Her counter-punching clearly can succeed in New York, where she’s twice reached the final.
Sloane Stephens Seed/rank: 3/3 Age: 25 Country: United States
2018 record: 27-13, 1 singles title Career: 6 singles titles; one Grand Slam (U.S. Open 2017)
Notes: First attempt to defend a Grand Slam title. … Last year’s triumph capped a comeback after foot surgery . ... Boomor-bust streak in Grand Slam tournaments continues: She has either reached the final (twice) or lost in the opening round (three times) at her past five majors.
Angelique Kerber Seed/rank: 4/4 Age: 30 Country: Germany
2018 record: 40-14, 2 singles titles Career: 12 singles titles; 3 Grand Slams (U.S. Open 2016, Australian Open 2016, Wimbledon 2018)
Notes: Reached at least the fourth round at 12 of 14 tournaments she entered this year, the best rate among top-10 players . ... Returned to the height of her powers with a Wimbledon title last month; one third of her career trophies came at majors.
Madison Keys Seed/rank: 14/14 Age: 23 Country: United States
2018 record: 21-11, no singles titles Career: 3 singles titles Notes: Winning 61.6 percent of service points this season, ranking third on tour . ... Run to French Open semifinals showed overall development of her game. No reason she couldn’t have another long stay in New York.
Serena Williams Seed/rank: 17/26 Age: 36 Country: United States
2018 record: 12-5, no titles
Career: 72 singles titles; 23 Grand Slams (U.S. Open 1999, 2002, 2008, 2012-14; Wimbledon 2002-03, 2009-10, 2012, 2015-16; Australian Open 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009-10, 2015, 2017; French Open (2002, 2013, 2015)
Notes: Trying to win her first U.S. Open title since claiming a third in a row in 2014. … Missed the tournament last year because she gave birth on Sept. 1.