NEW YORK, New York - The 2018 US Open kicks off on Monday with a blockbuster order of play that features defending champion Sloane Stephens, World No.1 Simona Halep, and both Serena and Venus Williams kicking off their fortnight.
WTA Insider sets the table for the upcoming fortnight by going into the numbers:
7: US Open champions in the draw.
Sloane Stephens: 2017
Angelique Kerber: 2016
Serena Williams: 1999, 2002, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2014
Samantha Stosur: 2011
Maria Sharapova: 2006
Svetlana Kuznetsova: 2004
Venus Williams: 2000, 2001
14: Active Slam champions in the draw. In addition to the 7 US Open champions listed above:
Victoria Azarenka: Australian Open (2012, 2013)
Petra Kvitova: Wimbledon (2011, 2014)
Garbiñe Muguruza: Roland Garros (2016), Wimbledon (2017)
Simona Halep: Roland Garros (2018)
Caroline Wozniacki: Australian Open (2018)
Jelena Ostapenko: Roland Garros (2017)
Francesca Schiavone: Roland Garros (2010)
22: Successful title defenses at the US Open. Sloane Stephens will be looking to make it 23.
6: Defending Slam champions who lost in the opening round of their title defense.
Steffi Graf (1994 Wimbledon)
Jennifer Capriati (2003 Australian Open)
Anastasia Myskina (2005 Roland Garros)
Svetlana Kuznetsova (2005 US Open)
Angelique Kerber (2017 US Open)
Jelena Ostapenko (2018 Roland Garros)
0: Players older than 39-year-old Patty Schnyder to ever qualify for the main draw of a Slam. Schnyder (39 years, 269 days old) will be the oldest player to compete at the US Open since Kimiko Date in 2014 (43 yrs, 344 days).
2: Players older than Patty Schnyder to ever play the main draw at the US Open (Renee Richads and Kimiko Date).
6: Players who are undefeated in the first round of the US Open. Maria Sharapova and Patty Schnyder face off in the first round on Tuesday.
Venus Williams (19-0)
Serena Williams (17-0)
Patty Schnyder (14-0)
Agnieszka Radwanska (12-0)
Maria Sharapova (11-0)
Victoria Azarenka (10-0)
2012: The last time a woman won both Wimbledon and the US Open in the same year. It was Serena Williams, who was seeded No.4 at the US Open. Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber is seeded No.4 this year.
80: Slam main draw appearances for Venus Williams when she takes the court at the US Open, an Open Era record.
2: Players who have made the quarterfinals or better of the last two majors: Angelique Kerber (Roland Garros quarterfinals, Wimbledon champion) and Daria Kasatkina (Roland Garros quarterfinals, Wimbledon quarterfinals).
1: Player who has made the quarterfinals or better at all three Slams this season: Angelique Kerber.
44: Weeks Simona Halep will have held the No.1 ranking after the US Open concludes. Halep has secured the top spot through the US Open.
0: Times in the Open Era that the top seed at the US Open lost in the first round. It has happened on five occasions across all Slams.
4: Times since 1997 that the top seed went on to win the US Open: Serena Williams (2002, 2013, 2014) and Justine Henin (2007). Halep will try and join that club. Incidentally, she is the last reigning No.1 to win a major (2018 Roland Garros).
12: Times in the Open Era that four different women won the four majors in a season. Unless Caroline Wozniacki, Simona Halep, or Angelique Kerber double-up in New York, this will be the 13th time.
80: Years since there have been 8 different Slam champions spanning two seasons (1937-1938). If anyone other than Serena, Ostapenko, Muguruza, Stephens, Wozniacki, Halep, or Kerber win the US Open, 2017-2018 will match that mark.
2: Players who will be seeded for the 1st time at a Slam. New Haven champion Aryna Sabalenka, 20, will be seeded No.26, and San Jose finalist Maria Sakkari, 23, will be seeded No.32.
22: Players aged 30 or older in the main draw: Bondarenko (32), Buzarnescu (30), Flipkens (32), Hsieh (32), Kanepi (33), Kerber (30), Kuznetsova (33), Larsson (30), Makarova (30), Maria (31), Niculescu (30), Parmentier (32), Petkovic (30), Safarova (31), Schnyder (39), Sharapova (31), Siegemund (30), Stosur (34), Strycova (32), Serena (36), Venus (38) and Zvonareva (33)
10: Teenagers in the main draw: Anisimova (16), Blinkova (19), Dolehide (19), Kalinskaya (19), Kenin (19), Lapko (19), Liu (18), Osuigwe (16), Vondrousova (19) and Yastremska (18).
