We’re two-thirds of the way into the tennis season and the year’s final Grand Slam tournament is fast approaching.
Since Jannik Sinner and Linda Noskova triumphed on the grass courts of Wimbledon, the sport has switched back to hard courts and a different cast of characters are making noise ahead of the US Open, where qualifying begins in just six days.
Iga Swiatek is back
After an underwhelming season during which she hadn’t reached a tournament final, Swiatek completely turned her fortunes around at last week’s Canadian Open in Toronto.
“It hasn’t been an easy season, probably the toughest one in my life,” she revealed after beating Elina Svitolina in the semifinals, from a break down in the third set. That marked just her second against a top-10 player in 2026 – versus five losses – and saw her avenge two defeats to Svitolina earlier in the season.
AO on SUBSTACK: Iga Swiatek reaches first final of 2026
Playing in her first final since September 2025, Swiatek overwhelmed world No.2 Elena Rybakina for her 12th WTA 1000 title, joining a select group of active players whose number of career titles (26) is greater than their age (25).
Swiatek has since powered into the fourth round in Cincinnati, where she is the defending champion. She’s bidding to become the first player since Evonne Goolagong in 1973 to win the Canada and Cincinnati titles back-to-back.
It was the ruthless nature of her wins in Canada which turned heads; of the 12 sets she won, none were closer than 6-3 and a third of those were either 6-0 or 6-1.
And it bodes well ahead of the US Open, where she triumphed in 2022.
Rybakina within striking distance of No.1
Speaking of Rybakina, her run to the Toronto final sees her snapping at the heels of long-time world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka.
In this week’s rankings, she sits just 354 points behind Sabalenka, who has held top spot for 95 consecutive weeks and more than 100 weeks in total since late 2023.
Rybakina, the AO 2026 champion, has more points to defend this week in Cincinnati than Sabalenka, who last year fell to Rybakina in the quarterfinals. Rybakina then lost in the semis to Swiatek.
Rybakina could debut at world No.1 by the end of this week if she sufficiently outperforms Sabalenka in the Midwest. Yet even if she doesn’t, Sabalenka’s No.1 ranking will come under threat at the US Open, where she is the reigning champion and defending 2000 points.
Should Rybakina improve on her fourth-round exit in New York last year, she will gain points and close the gap on her long-time rival.
Rafael Jodar rising like a rocket
In more rankings news, Jodar entered 2026 at world No.168 and in just eight months has vaulted to 11th.
It’s just one of several remarkable milestones for the Spanish teen, who in his debut season has already won his first ATP title (Marrakech), notched his first Masters semifinal (Montreal) and reached his first Grand Slam quarterfinal (Roland Garros).
Jodar has won 35 of his past 43 matches dating back to March; only Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev have won more tour-level matches this season.
Should he crack the top 10, which he is close to doing, he would set a record for the shortest period between his top-100 and top-10 debut.
The current record holder, Boris Becker, is cheering him on.
Men's field a land of opportunity
Jodar’s emergence is just one plotline unfolding in a period on the ATP tour where the top two players are compromised.
Carlos Alcaraz has not played a competitive match since April as he continues to rehabilitate a wrist injury, while Sinner has missed the entire North American hard court season with a knee injury.
Alcaraz and Sinner have won the past two US Opens, but since 1990 no man has triumphed in New York without playing either the Canada or Cincinnati Masters tournaments.
With Novak Djokovic succumbing to health problems in Cincinnati, Zverev failing to fire since Wimbledon and Montreal champion Ben Shelton falling in his opening match in Cincinnati, the field has never felt more open entering the year’s final major.
Djokovic & Sabalenka join forces at US Open
Before the singles events begin at Flushing Meadows, mixed doubles will take centre stage.
Djokovic and Sabalenka headline the main-draw entries, leading a star-studded field that also features Rybakina and Taylor Fritz, Swiatek and Casper Ruud, Alexandra Eala and Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Svitolina and Gael Monfils.
Mixed doubles qualifying begins Monday 24 August, before the main-draw action follows on 25-26 August.
Defending champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori return as a wildcard pairing hoping to win a third consecutive US Open mixed title.