Summertime fireworks: Looking ahead to the North American hard-court swing

It’s time to shift gears again.

The fleeting grass season is gone, say hello to the North American summer hard-court season -- six tournaments in seven weeks, culminating with the US Open, the season’s fourth and final Grand Slam.

It couldn’t come too soon for Jessica Pegula, who fell to Elisabetta Cocciaretto in the first round at Wimbledon.

“It’s really a bummer to lose,” World No. 4 Pegula said. “Bonus is I can go prep for the hard courts, which seems to be my favorite surface anyways, and see if I can just make some more magic this summer.”

It certainly was magical for Pegula last year -- she reached three straight finals in Toronto, Cincinnati and the US Open, winning her second straight title in Canada. She’ll be back in action next week in the United States capital.

Savor this 2025 hard-court lineup:

July 21-27: Mubadala Citi DC Open

WTA 500, Washington D.C.

Defending champion: Paula Badosa (however, Badosa is out of action for the next few weeks due to injury)

July 27-August 7: Omnium Banque Nationale presente par Rogers

WTA 1000, Montreal

Defending champion: Jessica Pegula

August 7-18: Cincinnati Open

WTA 1000, Cincinnati

Defending champion: Aryna Sabalenka

August 17-23: Tennis in the Land powered by Rocket

WTA 250, Cleveland

Defending champion: McCartney Kessler

August 18-23: Abierto GNP Seguros 2025

WTA 500, Monterrey

Defending champion: Linda Noskova

August 24-September 7: US Open

Grand Slam, New York

Defending champion: Aryna Sabalenka

Here are some leading storylines from what promises to be an exciting (and hot) summer:

Washington, D.C. kicks things off

Top 20 players Pegula, Emma Navarro and Elena Rybakina lead the field at the Mubadala Citi DC Open.

Not only will Grand Slam champions Emma Raducanu and Naomi Osaka be in the mix as well, but news came last week that 45-year-old Venus Williams -- a seven-time major champion -- has accepted a main-draw wildcard.

Can Sabalenka defend her US Open title?

No one has won more matches (17) in the season’s first three Slams -- but, thanks to a trio of Americans, the World No. 1 came up just short of taking the final step. She lost in the Australian Open final to Madison Keys, the French Open final to Coco Gauff and was taken out in the Wimbledon semifinals by Anisimova.

“It seems like in all of these three, three tough defeats on the Slams, for me it seems like I wasn’t trusting myself,” Sabalenka said. “Every time when I remind myself you have to trust, you can do literally anything on the court, every time I show my best tennis. I think maybe US Open left, I have to just trust myself and go for it.”

Back to the future?

From 2018 to 2021, Naomi Osaka and Emma Raducanu won three of four US Open titles. After that, Osaka left tennis to become a mother and Raducanu has struggled with serious injuries, although they have both eased back onto the first page of the PIF WTA Rankings.

Both players offered spirited third-round performances at Wimbledon before falling. Raducanu had leads on Sabalenka in both sets but couldn’t close, while Osaka was a three-set loser to eventual quarterfinalist Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

Both players have had solid seasons and are hovering inside the Top 50. Will one of them put together another memorable run?

Swiatek’s soaring confidence

“It feels like the emotions are bigger because on Roland Garros I know I can play well, and I know I can show it on every year,” Swiatek said after winning her first Wimbledon title. “Here, I wasn’t sure of that. I also needed to prove that to myself.”

Rest assured, Swiatek knows she can play well on these North American hardcourts. She was a semifinalist two years ago at the Canadian Open and Cincinnati, and make that round again last year in Cincy. Three years ago, at the age of 21, she won the US Open, beating three Top 10 players along the way.

Swiatek is hoping the newly aggressive attitude she put together for the fleeting grass season under coach Wim Fissette will translate to an even faster surface.

Who will emerge from the promising pack?

Some rising names to watch for:

• 21-year-old Solana Sierra became the first lucky loser to reach the Wimbledon Round of 16
• Alexandra Eala, only 20, was a surprise semifinalist in Miami, and won six matches (including qualifying) to make her first final in Eastbourne
• Lois Boisson, 22, made the final four at Roland Garros as a home-soil wild card
• 18-year-old Victoria Mboko started the season at No. 333 and is now inside the Top 100; she made the Roland Garros third round as a qualifier and reached the second round at Wimbledon as a lucky loser