John Isner and Annabel Croft have both leaned away from world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the race for the US Open women’s singles crown, instead naming former champion Coco Gauff as the player to beat.

Sabalenka has arrived in New York after a difficult stretch, with only one semi-final from her last six tournaments, that run coming at the Berlin Open. A year ago, though, she lifted the US Open trophy for a second straight time after defeating Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 7-6(3) in the final.

This time, the Belarusian begins against Camila Osorio, while Anna Kalinskaya and Iga Swiatek sit elsewhere in her quarter of the draw. Her recent results have also allowed Elena Rybakina to cut into the lead, with the gap now down to 434 points in the live WTA rankings.

Isner, speaking on a recent episode of the Nothing Major podcast, said Gauff should be viewed as the favourite even if the betting markets point elsewhere. He and co-host Steve Johnson both highlighted the American’s form, which includes a run to the semi-finals of the Canadian Open and then a title in Cincinnati two weeks later.

“I really think she is [the favourite],” said Isner about Gauff.

“I think Sabalenka is the betting favourite, but last year Coco went into the US Open with not a lot of confidence and a lot of serve issues. That stuff has seemingly been put to rest right now.

“Her first and second round matches last year in New York were the most tension-filled matches that you could possibly imagine.

“She is coming into this one with a lot more confidence, so for me it is Coco Gauff that is the favourite.”

Johnson echoed that view, stressing the depth of the field while still placing Gauff near the top of it.

“Back in the spring, when Aryna Sabalenka completed the ‘Sunshine Double’ by winning at Indian Wells and the Miami Open, she was just so dominant,” Croft told The Times.

But the former British No 1 said recent defeats had affected Sabalenka’s presence on court, arguing that the aura around her has diminished. Croft also pointed to Gauff’s improved forehand and serve, along with her straight-sets win over Jessica Pegula in the Cincinnati final, as reasons to favour the American in New York.

Just more than half a year ago, Coco Gauff was openly questioning whether the serve changes she had been making were helping at all. By the time she reached the Cincinnati Open final, the picture looked very different, with the American finding clarity and confidence at the right time before the US Open.

Gauff’s serve has been one of the most closely watched parts of her game, and the issue came into sharp focus during her Dubai Tennis Championships semi-final against Elina Svitolina in February. After dropping the first set, she double faulted at 2-2 [15-15] in the second and turned to biomechanics coach Gavin MacMillan with clear frustration: “I’ve been doing everything you’ve wanted for the last six months, and it’s gotten not better at all, bro.”

MacMillan had joined her team before the 2025 US Open with the specific aim of improving that area of her game. At the time, Gauff felt the work was not producing results. That changed in Cincinnati, where there was little reason to discuss the serve after she beat Jessica Pegula 6-2, 6-4 in the final and committed only one double fault across the match.

In comments to WTATennis.com, the two-time Grand Slam champion acknowledged how difficult that Dubai moment had been, while also stressing that the work is moving in the right direction.

“That was a tough moment for me, and I felt bad after I said it, but they’re understanding people [laughing]. They knew it was out a frustration, but that was a tough moment because I was like, ‘Bro, we’ve been working on it and it’s not getting better.’

“It was getting better, honestly, but it just didn’t feel like it in that moment. After the match, my coach said ‘No, you’re in the right track,’ especially JC [Faurel] because he’s been with me through the worst of my serve, and now he’s on the better half, better side of it.

“He says the double faults aren’t the same. Obviously they’re still double faults, but he’s like ‘You’re just improving.’ That gave me a good confidence that one day I will find it, and I feel now, I know that I can find it even if I throw two or something in a game. I know that I’m capable of finding Plan A again and at some point in the match.”

Twelve months ago, Gauff was in a far less comfortable place, losing in the first round at Wimbledon before making the decision to replace Matt Daly, who had joined her team in September 2024 and later guided her to the 2025 French Open title, with MacMillan. There was no immediate turnaround, as she then fell in the fourth round at the US Open.

This year feels different. Speaking after her Cincinnati victory in Ohio, she said: “I think last year, I was just frustrated with my game and I felt like I was declining. It’s not something any player wants to feel”

“You always want to feel like you’re getting better or, at the worst, just plateauing. So last year I was in a weird predicament. I made sudden decisions that most people probably wouldn’t do before a Slam, but I think it was worth it. I feel like it’s night and day where I am from last year to now.”

Novak Djokovic’s build-up to the US Open has become more uneasy after a difficult stretch that left questions about his condition before singles play begins.

The 24-time Grand Slam winner has played sparingly in recent months, a pattern he has chosen in order to focus his energy on the majors. In a rare adjustment, he entered the Cincinnati Open and returned there for the first time since winning the title in 2023.

That stay was brief. Djokovic lost in the round of 64 to Thiago Agustin Tirante, and after the match, the 39-year-old, who vomited mid-match and required medical attention, said he was dealing with “a lot of issues”.

“It’s just a condition that I have, health-wise, that has been bothering me for the past couple of years. A lot of issues, especially when it is humid and it is hot,” he explained.

“I did anticipate it, but there are all these things, like nerves and everything involved that make it worse, and that’s what happened.”

Djokovic then continued into the mixed doubles event with Aryna Sabalenka. The top seeds were beaten 4-1, 1-4, [2-10] by Henri Patten and Katerina Siniakova on Arthur Ashe on Tuesday.

His day did not end there. A practice match against Zizou Bergs later in the day was cut short after 40 minutes, with Djokovic trailing 3-0 when he called it off. There were no signs of injury, but he did appear fatigued after the earlier competitive outing.

Djokovic is scheduled to return to the practice courts at Flushing Meadows on Wednesday and is set to take on Alexander Zverev at 15:00 local time. He still has time to recover before the singles main draw begins on Sunday 30 August, with first-round matches spread across three days.

Seeded fourth, Djokovic can only face defending champion Carlos Alcaraz or top seed Alexander Zverev in the semi-final or final. Last year, he lost to Alcaraz in straight sets in the semi-final.