Coco Gauff to Battle for World #1 Ranking at US Open

The WTA #1 ranking will be on the line at the 2025 US Open, and Coco Gauff is one of two women who could dethrone Aryna Sabalenka from top spot.

Gauff recently lost the #2 ranking to Iga Swiatek. The Pole won her first-ever title in Cincinnati to move above Gauff and confirm her status as the second seed in New York. But both women will eye a much bigger prize than second in the final Grand Slam of the season.

This year’s US Open will offer the highest prize money in Grand Slam history. The singles champion will take home an astronomical $5 million. Moreover, Gauff and Swiatek have a realistic chance of unseating Sabalenka at the top, and here’s how.

Case for Coco Gauff to become the new world #1

Gauff is currently third in the WTA rankings with 7874 points. She will lose 230 points as a result of reaching the fourth round of last year’s US Open. Gauff has never held the #1 spot in singles, and to do so for the first time after the US Open, she will need to win the title and hope Sabalenka loses before the quarterfinal. Since Gauff will be ahead of Swiatek in the live rankings once the tournament commences, the American can reclaim the number two ranking if she matches Swiatek’s result before the final.

Case for Iga Swiatek to return to world #1

Swiatek has 7933 points but is set to drop 430 points for reaching the quarterfinals at Flushing Meadows last year. If she is to return to the rankings penthouse, Swiatek must win the title, and her task also depends on Sabalenka’s progress in the tournament. She will need the Belarusian to lose before the last eight. Swiatek spent 125 weeks as the WTA #1 between 2022 and 2024, but recently stated that rankings are not her priority right now.

What Aryna Sabalenka needs to remain #1

It wasn’t so long ago that Sabalenka was on the verge of breaking Serena Williams’ WTA points record. But her semifinal loss to Amanda Anisimova at Wimbledon ended her hopes at least temporarily. Sabalenka, who is the defending champion in New York, will drop 2000 points once the tournament starts, putting her points tally at 9225.

Sabalenka has one more chance to finish the season with at least one Grand Slam win, something she’s done in each of the last two years. But failure to do so won’t harm her ranking. She only needs to make the quarterfinals at the very least to hold onto her spot after the tournament.