US Open 2025: 5 women’s players to watch out for

As we have all seen over the past few years, women’s tennis is highly competitive. On any given day, even a top-ranked player could lose to a qualifier. Such is the unpredictability in women’s tennis that there have been three different winners at the three Grand Slams this year.

Ahead of the final Grand Slam of the year, there are many young and experienced players who could cause a massive upset, go deep in the tournament, and even end up winning the title.

Here, we take a look at five players in the women’s draw who have an affinity for hard courts and could go deep in the tournament.

Emma Raducanu

It was at the US Open in 2021 that Raducanu took centre stage by winning the title, but she couldn’t build on the momentum due to recurrent injuries and loss of form.

However, the 22-year-old seems to have moved on from recent disappointments and is looking better with increased game time. Due to a drop in rankings, she had the misfortune of playing in difficult draws, meeting top-ranked players in earlier rounds. Even though she hasn’t beaten them, she has stood her ground, fighting valiantly against some of the best players in the world.

Having won the holy grail in 2021, Raducanu has the know-how to traverse the tournament, and with improved form and fitness, the British No. 1 could prove to be a formidable opponent.

Alexandra Eala

The young Filipino is another one to watch at this year’s US Open, having achieved a career-high ranking of World No. 56 in June this year.

The left-handed player, who trains at the Rafael Nadal Academy, has had a breakthrough year thus far. Eala reached the semi-finals of the Miami Open, having defeated top-ranked players in Jelena Ostapenko, Madison Keys, Paula Badosa (walkover), and former World No. 1 Iga Swiatek. She also reached the final of the Eastbourne Open, but at Wimbledon she bowed out in the first round to last year’s champion Barbora Krejcíková, though not without troubling the multiple-time Grand Slam winner.

Being a left-handed player is a definite advantage, and the 20-year-old has great baseline play to go with her ability to cover the court well. Eala stays calm and composed and has proved that she can beat the best in the business. If she gets a little support from the draw, she could make it past the first week of the US Open.

Amanda Anisimova

Amanda Anisimova came through the ranks as a real talent and started her tennis career well, but she suffered from burnout due to the busy tennis schedule and decided to take a break in 2023.

Since her six-month break, she has come back rejuvenated and has been particularly on song this year, winning the Qatar Open, reaching the final of the HSBC Championships, the semi-final of the Charleston Open, and the final at Wimbledon.

Even though her form has been inconsistent, Anisimova is a giant-killer. Her record against World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is particularly impressive, and she has the all-round game and power to dominate rallies with her fierce groundstrokes.

If Anisimova can keep her composure and nerve, she could go deep in this tournament and may even win her first Grand Slam.

Jasmine Paolini

Jasmine Paolini had a dream season last year: she reached consecutive Grand Slam finals at Roland-Garros and Wimbledon and clinched an Olympic gold in Paris, reaching a career-high ranking of World No. 4.

Although the 29-year-old hasn’t been able to replicate last year’s success this time around, she hasn’t done too badly either. She has reached the semi-finals of the Miami Open, the Stuttgart Open, and the Bad Homburg Open. She also won her second Masters title at the Italian Open and was runner-up at the recently concluded Cincinnati Masters.

Paolini is an aggressive player with a relentless mentality. She is a pocket-sized powerhouse with a lot of intensity and energy. Having reached two Grand Slam finals last year, Paolini has the experience of playing on the big stage, which makes her one to watch at this year’s US Open.

Victoria Mboko

Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko took the tennis world by storm when she beat four Grand Slam winners to win the National Bank Open in Montreal recently. She defeated Sofia Kenin, Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina, and Naomi Osaka en route to the Masters 1000 title — her first WTA Tour crown.

Mboko has a mix of offence and defence in her playing style. She uses variations, combining her aggressive groundstrokes with drop shots and slices to unsettle her opponents. At only 18, she shows remarkable composure and already looks ready to compete on the big stage.

The teenager is set to make her US Open debut, and the tennis world will be watching with bated breath. It will be interesting to see whether her Canadian Open heroics were a flash in the pan or if she has the ability to perform consistently at the top level and go on to win major titles.