Swiatek No. 1; Raducanu defends; Serena's goodbye at US Open

NEW YORK (AP) — Some of the women to watch at the U.S. Open, which begins Monday in Flushing Meadows:

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IGA SWIATEK

Seeded: 1

Ranked: 1

Country: Poland

Age: 21

2022 Record: 50-7

2022 Titles: 6

Career Titles: 9

Grand Slam Titles: 2 — French Open (2: 2020, 2022)

Last 5 U.S. Opens: 2021-Lost in 4th Round, 2020-Lost in 3rd Round, 2019-Lost in 2nd Round, 2018-Did Not Play, 2017-Did Not Play

Aces: A 37-match winning streak ended with a loss to Alize Cornet in Wimbledon's third round in July. ... Before that, had won her previous six tournaments. ... Has not won more than two matches at any of her three tournament appearances since the end of that run. ... Only player from Poland to win a Grand Slam singles championship.

The Draw: Could play 2017 U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens in second round; Swiatek beat her at Cincinnati on Aug. 17.

She Said It: "I want to kind of really be fearless again." — Swiatek, after her dip in form following her long winning streak.

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ONS JABEUR

Seeded: 5

Ranked: 5

Country: Tunisia

Age: 28

2022 Record: 38-13

2022 Titles: 2

Career Titles: 3

Grand Slam Titles: None — Best: Runner-Up, Wimbledon (2022)

Last 5 U.S. Opens: 2021-3rd, 2020-3rd, 2019-3rd, 2018-1st, 2017-2nd

Aces: Never made it past the third round in six appearances at Flushing Meadows, but has the game to go beyond that, a mix of power and changing speeds and spins. ... Coming off a run to her first major final at Wimbledon, rebounding from a first-round exit at the French Open. ... Played doubles with Serena Williams at a grass-court tuneup in Eastbourne in June, then practiced with Williams in Arthur Ashe Stadium this week. ... First Arab woman to win a WTA title.

The Draw: Could play No. 10 seed Daria Kasatkina in fourth round.

She Said It: "It's a great first experience for me. I'm looking forward for my next final. I'm sure I will learn a lot from this one." — Jabeur, after losing to Elena Rybakina in the Wimbledon final.

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EMMA RADUCANU

Seeded: 11

Ranked: 11

Country: Britain

Age: 19

2022 Record: 13-15

2022 Titles: Zero

Career Titles: 1

Grand Slam Titles: 1 — U.S. Open (2021)

Last 5 U.S. Opens: 2021-Won Championship, 2020-DNP, 2019-DNP, 2018-DNP, 2017-DNP

Aces: Came into last year's U.S. Open ranked only 150th and needed to win three matches in qualifying rounds just to get into the main draw. It was only her second Grand Slam tournament but she won a total of 10 matches, all in straight sets, to become the first qualifier to win a major championship. ... She was 18 at the time and beat another unseeded teen, 73rd-ranked Leylah Fernandez of Canada, in the final at Flushing Meadows. ... Has gone through a series of coaches since her U.S. Open triumph and has lost in the second round at each of the three majors played since.

The Draw: Plays Cornet in first round; could face two-time U.S. Open champion Naomi Osaka in third.

She Said It: "I'm rewatching my matches from the U.S. Open, and there are certain moments where I was given a lot of gifts or maybe they got a bit tight." — Raducanu, on her opponents during last year's run to the title in New York.

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COCO GAUFF

Seeded: 12

Ranked: 12

Country: United States

Age: 18

2022 Record: 30-16

2022 Titles: Zero

Career Titles: 2

Grand Slam Titles: None — Best: RU, French Open (2022)

Last 5 U.S. Opens: 2021-2nd, 2020-1st, 2019-3rd, 2018-DNP, 2017-DNP

Aces: Reached her first Grand Slam singles final at the French Open in June; also was the doubles runner-up there, alongside Jessica Pegula. ... In August, Gauff became second-youngest player to reach No. 1 in the WTA doubles rankings. ... Coming off what she called a minor ankle sprain at hard-court tuneup in Cincinnati. ... Still just 18, but grabbing attention on tour since she was 15, will be making her 13th appearance at a Grand Slam tournament. ... Yet to reach the second week at the U.S. Open, but did so in five of the nine times she participated in other majors.

The Draw: Could play 2017 U.S. Open runner-up Madison Keys in third round, two-time major champion Simona Halep in fourth.

She Said It: "I guess my goal now is to try to be No. 1 at both at the same time. That might take some time, but that would be pretty cool, too." — Gauff, about elevating her ranking in singles to equal where she is in doubles.

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NAOMI OSAKA

Seeded: N/A

Ranked: 44

Country: Japan

Age: 24

2022 Record: 13-8

2022 Titles: Zero

Career Titles: 7

Grand Slam Titles: 4 — U.S. Open (2: 2018, 2020), Australian Open (2: 2019, 2021)

Last 5 U.S. Opens: 2021-3rd, 2020-W, 2019-4th, 2018-W, 2017-3rd

Aces: Career record at the U.S. Open of 22-4 gives her a winning percentage of .846 there, her highest at any of the four Grand Slam tournaments. ... After her third-round loss to the eventual runner-up at Flushing Meadows a year ago, took the rest of the season off for a mental health break, her second of 2021. ... Her big serve and strong groundstrokes make her a title contender at any hard-court event anywhere in the world.

The Draw: Plays No. 19 seed Danielle Collins, the Australian Open runner-up in January, in first round.

She Said It: "I feel like I would have lied, like, a day ago or so and said that I was really relaxed. But actually, when I practiced today, I felt very anxious. I think it's 'cause I really want to do well, 'cause I feel I haven't been doing well lately. I feel like I'm the type of player that no one really wants to play." — Osaka, on Saturday.

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SERENA WILLIAMS

Seeded: N/A

Ranked: 410th

Country: United States

Age: 40

2022 Record: 1-3

2022 Titles: Zero

Career Titles: 73

Grand Slam Titles: 23 — U.S. Open (6: 1999, 2002, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2014), Australian Open (7: 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2017), French Open (3: 2002, 2013, 2015), Wimbledon (7: 2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015, 2016)

Last 5 U.S. Opens: 2021-DNP, 2020-SF, 2019-RU, 2018-RU, 2017-DNP

Aces: Has said she is "evolving" toward the end of her playing career, and indicated this will be her last U.S. Open — and it sounds as if it will be the last tournament appearance anywhere. ... Said she wants to have a second child (Olympia, her daughter with husband Alexis Ohanian, turns 5 on Sept. 1) and pursue her business interests. ... Has been practicing in Arthur Ashe Stadium during the week before the start of competition; crossed paths with her older sister, 42-year-old Venus Williams, there on Thursday. Venus is a seven-time major champion, including twice at the U.S. Open.

The Draw: Plays Danka Kovinic in first round Monday; could face No. 2 Anett Kontaveit in second round; could face No. 27 Martina Trevisan, who was a 2022 French Open semifinalist, in third round.

She Said It: "I can't do this forever." -- Williams, on playing professional tennis.

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AP Sports Writer Brian Mahoney contributed.

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