The US Open has provided plenty of shocks over recent years in the women's singles and more of the same could be expected at Flushing Meadows in 2025.
The stage is set for another wide-open women’s singles championship at Flushing Meadows with several emerging players set to challenge the established stars.
Four of the last eight winners were not among the top-10 seeds and two of those — Sloane Stephens and Emma Raducanu — were not seeded at all.
Although she didn’t have to qualify this time, Raducanu missed out on being seeded too. Another deep run cannot be ruled out for the improving Briton but she will face stiff competition for shock value from a couple of other rising stars.
Meanwhile, all eyes will be on world No.2 Iga Swiatek and teenage sensation Victoria Mboko — two players at opposite ends of their careers but both brimming with momentum.
US Open tips
Iga Swiatek to win US Open @ 3/1
Swiatek arrives at Flushing Meadows fresh from a dominant title run in Cincinnati, where she didn’t drop a set and leapfrogged Coco Gauff in the US Open seedings.
The Pole lifted the Wimbledon crown earlier this summer and looks primed to add a second US Open title to the one she won in 2022.
World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka will have a bit to say about that, but she comes in a bit undercooked after only one preparation tournament that concluded with a straight sets defeat to Elena Rybakina.
Swiatek outplayed the Kazakhstani star 7-5 6-3 in the subsequent semi-final, showing how much her hard-court game has matured in 2025.
Her topspin-heavy forehand now packs more pace, and she’s added aggression to her return strategy — key traits for success in New York’s humid summer conditions.
The 24-year-old has also shown she can handle pressure on the biggest stages, and with her recent form, it’s hard to look past her as the top pick to go all the way.
Victoria Mboko each-way @ 20/1
Mboko, meanwhile, stunned the tennis world with her breakthrough win at the Canadian Open this month.
She defeated four Grand Slam champions along the way to the title in Montreal, including two-time US Open champion Naomi Osaka in the final.
The 18-year-old Canadian has surged up the rankings and will be seeded for the first time at a Slam in New York.
If Swiatek falters, Mboko could be the story of the tournament. The Canadian teenager has compiled a 53-9 record this season across all levels and enters the US Open in the form of her life.
Mboko’s fearless style and ability to absorb pace make her a dangerous floater in the draw.
With no expectations and plenty of crowd support, Mboko is a genuine threat to reach the sharp end of the tournament now that her wrist injury from Montreal appears to be under control following intensive rehab.
Ella Seidel each way @ SP
German qualifier Ella Seidel became one of the big stories at the Cincinnati Open and she could make her mark at Flushing Meadows, too, if she makes it into the main draw.
The 20-year-old showed a tremendous temperament and plenty of fight when rallying from a double break down to upset eighth-seeded Emma Navarro last week.
That victory over last year’s US Open semi-finalist was her first win against a top-20 opponent, but she is still ranked outside the top-100.
However, Seidel looks ready to make the sort of huge leap forward that current stars like Mboko and Raducanu did at roughly the same stage of their careers.
