Aryna Sabalenka arrives at the US Open, which starts on Sunday, seeking to defend her title and steady a run of poor form after a stunning start to the season. The 28-year-old Belarusian completed a rare Indian Wells-Miami "Sunshine Double" in the spring and built a 3,000-point lead atop the world rankings, but has since gone 17-7, including a French Open quarter-final exit and a fourth-round Wimbledon loss, raising questions about her mental composure in lower-pressure matches.

Sabalenka now leads Elena Rybakina by just 434 points and must win again at Flushing Meadows to protect her 99-week reign as world number one, with Rybakina able to overtake her without even playing a match, though an ankle injury clouds her own campaign. Recent defeats to Sara Bejlek in Cincinnati and Ekaterina Alexandrova in Toronto, plus repeated collapses after winning first sets during the clay swing, have fuelled doubts, but Sabalenka insists she is working on her mental game and remains confident of a hard-court revival. Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff, the latter fresh from winning in Cincinnati, are also among the leading contenders.