WTA Legend Tracy Austin thinks the field at the US Open is wide open this year - but the in-form Garbiñe Muguruza is coping well with the weight of expectation and could impress in New York.

"It's really tough - I honestly think there are about ten ladies that could take the title," the two-time winner told NESN in a telephone interview. "If you were going to push me, I might go with Garbiñe Muguruza. She seems to be in a very good place after winning her second major in her career at Wimbledon, and then she just finished up winning in Cincinnati last week, which is a huge hard court lead-up tournament for the US Open. She seems much more comfortable with the expectation."

Like Chris Evert, Austin also tips home favorite Madison Keys to do well at Flushing Meadows.

"I'm going to go with American Madison Keys, just coming back from her second wrist surgery, had it just after the French Open this year, but she has so much power, so many weapons," she said. "She just won Stanford, went deep in Cincinnati a couple of weeks ago. She's my outside pick."

Austin, a mother of three, also talked about Serena Williams's absence from the tour - and predicted that the 23-time Grand Slam champion would return from maternity leave just as good as ever, ready to break Margaret Court's record of 24 Slam titles.

"If anybody can do it, it's Serena Williams," said Austin. "I think she can come back and win 24 and 25, and break the record. That's what she's after."