Five women to watch
SERENA WILLIAMS
Age: 32 Career earnings: $56,897,689 Career titles: 62 singles, 22 doubles
Why to watch her: Win, and Serena three-peats in New York to join Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert with 18 Grand Slam singles titles. Lose, and a disappointing season becomes a catastrophe.
SIMONA HALEP
Age: 22 Career earnings: $5,347,092 Career titles: 8
Why to watch her: The No. 2 from Romania had her best result last year when she reached the fourth round, and Halep returns brimming with confidence and experience. After finishing runner-up at the French Open, she could add another first in New York with her first Slam victory.
MARIA SHARAPOVA
Age: 27 Career earnings: $30,707,705 Career titles: 32 singles, 3 doubles
Why to watch her: The reigning French Open champion missed last year’s tournament to rest her ailing shoulder and is back on track. Until recently, the 2006 U.S. Open winner had her best results on hardcourts, but she counts one trip to the semifinals (2012) here since then.
EUGENIE BOUCHARD
Age: 20 Career earnings: $3,142,903 Career titles: 1
Why to watch her: The Canadian has been the most consistent player in Grand Slams this season, with semifinals at the Australian and French Opens, plus a first final at Wimbledon. She has struggled at times at smaller events but always seems locked in for the biggest stages.
PETRA KVITOVA
Age: 24 Career earnings: $15,337,016 Career titles: 12
Why to watch her: The lefthanded Czech was untouchable in the latter rounds at Wimbledon, where she won her second major title in four years. She dislikes heat and humidity and again stumbles into New York with a losing record (1-2) on summer hardcourts but is due for a run.