Aryna Sabalenka +240 (bet $100 to win $240)

Reigning champion Coco Gauff has struggled in the last few weeks, losing in the second round and first round, respectively, of the two tournaments she competed in.

While the 20-year-old American has the tools necessary for a deep run, U.S. Open favorite Aryna Sabalenka also happens to be in the bottom half of the draw.

Sabalenka, who fell to Gauff in the 2023 U.S. Open final—the only hard-court Grand Slam she’s lost in her last four tries—is currently operating in a league of her own.

The 27-year-old enters the tournament fresh off a dominant Cincinnati Open campaign, where she did not surrender a set.

Unlike the bottom half of the draw, the top is not a two-person battle.

Iga Swiatek is the favorite to emerge, though it would not be wise to rule out the rest of the draw, which features players such as No. 4 seed Elena Rybakina, 17-year-old phenom Mirra Andreeva, and two-time U.S. Open champion Naomi Osaka.

Despite the challenges in Swiatek’s path, the world No. 1 has shown time and time again that in the biggest moments, she’s not going to back down from a challenge.

In the end, it’s likely that the former U.S. Open champion will advance to the final and face Sabalenka.

Prediction: Sabalenka over Swiatek in three sets.