How the top five shape up
Aryna Sabalenka Is 2025 just not the world No 1’s year? Finishing as runner-up in Melbourne and Paris and falling in the semi-finals at Wimbledon, Sabalenka has failed to get over the line at slams this season despite being a constant favourite. But with her powerful game and a devastating serve – especially on hard courts – she has the tools to make a deep run as the defending champion in New York. The Belarusian has racked up a total of 52 weeks as the world No 1, surpassing her compatriot Victoria Azarenka’s 51 for the 13th-most weeks atop the WTA rankings since they began in 1975. Perhaps, like Roger Federer in 2008, the 27-year-old can triumph in the final slam of the year after making two finals and a semi.
