Back-to-back champion Sabalenka tops 2026 US Open entry list
The 2026 US Open main-draw entry list has been released, with 99 of the Top 102 players on the PIF WTA Rankings (as of the week commencing July 20, 2026) entered into the last Grand Slam of the season.
World No. 1 and two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka, who lifted her fourth major trophy at Flushing Meadows last year, will be bidding to become the first woman to win three consecutive US Open crowns since Serena Williams in 2014-16. Sabalenka is one of five former champions directly entered this year, along with Coco Gauff (2024), Iga Swiatek (2022), Naomi Osaka (2018, 2020) and Emma Raducanu (2021).
Five further Grand Slam winners will be bidding for their first US Open title, including the three reigning champions of 2026's majors to date: Elena Rybakina (Wimbledon 2022, Australian Open 2026), Mirra Andreeva (Roland Garros 2026), Linda Noskova (Wimbledon 2026), Barbora Krejcikova (Roland Garros 2021, Wimbledon 2024) and Jelena Ostapenko (Roland Garros 2017).
Five former US Open runners-up will be aiming to go one step further to claim their first major title this year: Jessica Pegula (2024), Amanda Anisimova (2026), Madison Keys (2017), Leylah Fernandez (2021) and Karolina Pliskova (2016). Three more players round out the cohort of Grand Slam finalists -- Karolina Muchova (Roland Garros 2023, Wimbledon 2026), Jasmine Paolini (Roland Garros 2024, Wimbledon 2024) and Maja Chwalinska (Roland Garros 2026).
Four further main-draw direct entrants have a US Open semifinal on their resume -- Elina Svitolina (2019), Belinda Bencic (2019), Emma Navarro (2024) and Maria Sakkari (2021).
Marta Kostyuk, Iva Jovic, Sorana Cirstea, Diana Shnaider, Ekaterina Alexandrova and Anna Kalinskaya round out the Top 20 entrants for 2026.
The last direct entrant is No. 102-ranked Anastasia Zakharova. Three players ranked in the Top 102 have not entered -- No. 12 Victoria Mboko, No. 34 Hailey Baptiste and No. 99 Varvara Gracheva. Mboko has not competed since sustaining an MCL injury at Queen's in June. Baptiste and Gracheva are both sidelined due to ACL injuries.
Five players have entered the main draw using special rankings (awarded after a hiatus of six months or more due to injury, illness or pregnancy): No. 116 Mananchaya Sawangkaew (SR No. 100), No. 159 Jil Teichmann (SR No. 89), No. 233 Aoi Ito (SR No. 87), No. 294 Lois Boisson (SR No. 37) and No. 458 Irina-Camelia Begu (SR No. 82).
The next 12 alternates to the main draw in case of withdrawals are as follows:
1. Ella Seidel
2. Elsa Jacquemot
3. Anna Blinkova
4. Darja Vidmanova
5. Nadia Podoroska (using a SR of No. 106)
6. Julia Grabher
7. Sofia Kenin
8. Darja Semenistaja
9. Moyuka Uchijima
10. Polina Kudermetova
11. Leolia Jeanjean
12. Francesca Jones
Eight wild cards have yet to be announced, and the 128-strong main-draw field will be rounded out by 16 qualifiers.
Click here to view the full main-draw entry list.
