The favourites

Karolina Pliskova: Last year’s beaten finalist probably had different visions of how she would become the new world No1. She was on holiday in Monaco when it happened and only found out about her new status after checking to see if Simona Halep had won her Wimbledon quarter-final against Johanna Konta. Halep’s defeat confirmed Pliskova’s ascent – five days after losing in the second round at SW19. The circumstances weren’t ideal, feeding the theory that Pliskova is merely a lucky beneficiary of Serena Williams’s absence, but despite lukewarm recent form, the big-serving 25-year-old has a good chance of winning her first grand slam title.

Simona Halep: The Romanian would have become the new world No1 if she had won the title in Cincinnati. But in keeping with her recent offerings at the business end of tournaments, Halep lost the final 6-1, 6-0 to Garbiñe Muguruza. For women’s tennis, perhaps that was for the best: the WTA could do without the top spot being shared around players without any grand slam titles. Halep has to keep believing, though. To the 25-year-old’s credit she has responded well to her French Open final defeat and has been consistent since that disappointment. Her outstanding defensive qualities, waspish groundstrokes and ability to hustle her opponents make her a strong contender – but can the world No2 rise to the occasion in the biggest matches?

Garbiñe Muguruza: The Spaniard’s final match before Wimbledon saw her lose 6-1, 6-0 to the unheralded Barbora Strycova at Eastbourne. A little over two weeks later she claimed her first title at SW19 with a devastating 7-5, 6-0 victory over Venus Williams in a final that showcased Muguruza’s ability to raise her game when it really matters, a bit like Stan Wawrinka. After that victory the world No3 admitted that she sometimes struggles to find motivation for the smaller events, causing her ranking to fluctuate and making her level hard to read. Yet there is widespread agreement that she possesses the weapons to dominate her rivals and the 2016 French Open champion sent out an intimidating message with that focused demolition of Halep in Cincinnati. If everything clicks in New York, she will be very difficult to stop.

Elina Svitolina: Plenty of good judges believe it is only a matter of time before the Ukrainian wins her first grand slam title. She has won five titles this year, triumphing in Montreal thanks to a resounding victory over Caroline Wozniacki, and the world No4 is in fine shape going into the US Open. The caveat is that so far she has come up short in the majors, with two quarter-finals at the French Open the best Svitolina has to show for her efforts. She has never been past the third round at Flushing Meadows and lost in the fourth round at Wimbledon last month. Her first target simply has to be to reach the second week. Only then can she start to dream.

Venus Williams: Despite failing to impress in Montreal and Cincinnati, the legendary American has been in two grand slam finals this year and owns a record deserving of immense respect. Though she ultimately ran out of steam against Muguruza at Wimbledon, the 37-year-old possesses the class and knowhow to prosper. Six years ago she was diagnosed with Sjogren’s syndrome, an autoimmune disease that causes fatigue, and her dip was understandable. But the two-times US Open champion has found a way to cope with her condition. After a spell of solid consistency, she is challenging for glory again.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Johanna Konta will be aiming to reach the last 16 for the third year running. Photograph: John Minchillo/AP

Three to watch

Johanna Konta: The British No1 set the pulse racing by reaching her first Wimbledon semi-final last month, although her hopes of winning a maiden grand slam title were dashed by the grasscourt expertise of Williams on Centre Court. Konta, who is world No7, famously likes to adopt a measured approach in both victory and defeat, and is unlikely to let that disappointment cloud her thoughts in New York, where she has made the last 16 in each of the past two years.

Jelena Ostapenko: The explosive Ostapenko was an unknown quantity before the French Open but her all-or-nothing approach gained her plenty of admirers in Paris, where she stunned the world by becoming Latvia’s first ever grand slam champion. The world No12 backed up that staggering triumph by reaching the last eight at Wimbledon and her huge game will make her a threat in any setting.

Maria Sharapova Nothing has been straightforward for the Russian since she made her comeback from a 15-month doping ban in Stuttgart in April. The road to redemption has been littered with obstacles: the French Open declined to offer her a wild card, injury forced her to withdraw from Wimbledon qualifying and she has played one match since May, beating Jennifer Brady in Stanford. But despite her lack of match practice the US Open has decided to grant the 2006 champion a wild card. Expect her to create her fair share of headlines, even if she makes an early exit.

Keep an eye on...

As ever the task of picking an obvious winner is far from straightforward. Angelique Kerber is the defending champion, but the former world No1 has floundered all year. Wozniacki reached the final in 2009 and 2014 and the world No5 would be a popular champion, but the 27-year-old has never won a grand slam. Perhaps the stage is set for an American youngster? Sloane Stephens has her vim back after recovering from foot surgery and Madison Keys has long been fancied to produce something special. For all the complaints about the unpredictability of the women’s game, there is intrigue wherever you look. It promises to be a fascinating tournament.