Andy Roddick reveals ‘significant’ US Open favourite between Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff
Andy Roddick has predicted that Aryna Sabalenka will win the women’s title at the 2024 US Open as he labelled the Belarusian star “a significant favourite.”
The former world No 1 also thinks Coco Gauff and her coach Brad Gilbert will be “realists” about the American’s chances of defending her title.
Gauff entered the tournament on a run of four losses in seven matches during a difficult spell of form. The 20-year-old American has won one title since claiming her maiden major in New York a year ago.
The world No 3 dropped only six games in wins against Varvara Gracheva and Tatjana Maria in her opening two matches at Flushing Meadows.
Sabalenka arrived at the US Open after winning the Cincinnati WTA 1000 title without losing a set and earned convincing wins over Priscilla Hon and Lucia Bronzetti in her first two rounds at Flushing Meadows. The 26-year-old Belarusian is the two-time reigning Australian Open champion.
Gauff and Sabalenka are projected to meet in the US Open semi-finals, and the winner of that potential matchup could face world No 1 and five-time major winner Iga Swiatek in the final.
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Roddick has singled out Sabalenka as the player to beat on hard courts and argued the fact she did not play the Paris Olympics will be an advantage.
“I think Aryna Sabalenka is the favourite on this surface. I picked her at Wimbledon, and then as soon as I talked about it, she pulled out three hours later,” the American told Betway.
“I don’t think it was coincidental that the two who really played well in Cincinnati – Sabalenka and [Jannik] Sinner – were the two who didn’t play the Olympics and had that extra week of focus and preparation. I think she’s a significant favourite.”
The 2003 US Open winner cast doubt over Gauff’s prospects given her form, but also stressed the American star is the best in the world at winning when not at her best.
“I haven’t talked to Brad Gilbert – Coco Gauff’s coach – in a month now, but I’ve got to think they’re realists,” Roddick continued.
“They’re searching for something, but they don’t have to win the tournament on the first Monday. Let’s find some form, let’s grind out a couple of matches and let’s see if that turns into the second week.
“The great players, which I consider Coco to be, are judged against shadows a lot of the time. I don’t know how she’s going to feel going back to a place where she’s had such success.
“There’s no doubt that she’s searching for her best level, and maybe has been for a couple of months, but, Coco is probably the best in the world at not having her best stuff and still finding a way.
“It’s just going to be a matter of whether she can survive the first week. I think she’s going to have to play almost two different tournaments – win the first week and then reassess.”
Roddick also gave his thoughts on the hopes of world No 6 Jessica Pegula: “Jess Pegula has had a rough, unpredictable year.
“I was talking with her a bunch earlier in the year, when she was making some big career decisions, and I just feel like her year has been like when you’re driving down a road and you have to go over a bunch of speed bumps.
“There’s still forward momentum, but you keep getting interrupted and you’re certainly not hitting top speed.
“I think she hit top speed post-Olympics. She’s right there now. She has this thing where she hasn’t been past the quarters of a Slam, even though her career credentials outside of that are completely outsized, compared to other people who have, but I love what I’ve seen from her.
“If you give her a quick hard-court where she can hit that flat ball and get it through the middle of the court, she’ll be dangerous for sure.”
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