This image is a derivative of Donna Vekić by Rob Keating (CC BY-SA 2.0)

In recent years the WTA tour has been a roller coaster ride of unpredictability, mixed in with intense competitiveness.

Since Serena Williams won Wimbledon in 2015, ten different women have won the last 16 major tournaments.

The WTA has continued to showcase it’s depth and diversity with no less than 30 different players winning singles titles in 2019, while the WTA #1 mantle has changed hands no less than 13 times over the last three years.

The quality which presently abounds the women's tour is at an all-time high, with the world’s Top 50 currently populated by a mixture of phenomenal young talent, peppered with established veterans such as Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka, who are making concentrated bids to reassert themselves at the top.

The 2019 US Open promises another chapter of mayhem and intrigue with the field as wide open and up for grabs as it’s ever been.

While the likes of 23-time Champion, Serena Williams, Australia’s Ash Barty and now five-time major finalist, Simona Halep, feature prominently in the betting markets, recent slam history is illustrating that winners can come from anywhere.

PREDICTIONS: SEE THE US OPEN SCHEDULE

With that in mind, let's look at 10 outsiders who hold a legitimate chance of claiming the season’s final major.

Bianca Andreescu

Similar to her Canadian male counterpart, Felix Auger Aliassime, 19-year-old Bianca Andreescu has emerged as something of a revelation in 2019.

This time last year Andreescu was ranked #208 in the world, and failed to get through the first round of qualifying for last year's US Open. Twelve months later and she has two massive WTA titles to her name, having won in Indian Wells earlier in the year and most recently in Toronto, where she defeated none other than Serena in the final. 

Andreescu has nudged her way into the world’s Top 30 and will be targeting the US Open as her definitive breakout performance.

KEY STAT: Return points won. 

It usually takes years for a player to become so comfortable on defence, yet Andreescu has won 47.4% of available points on the racquet of her opponent in 2019. That puts her #3 in the world behind accomplished defenders such as Simona Halep and Marketa Vondrousova. 

WTA RANK: #15

STATS INSIDER HARD COURT RANK: #3

Aryna Sabalenka

Just 21 and already a fixture in the WTA Top 20, the young Belarusian is desperate to break through at a big tournament such as the US Open.

Although Aryna Sabalenka already has three career titles to her name, she’s yet to win a trophy in 2019, surprisingly contesting just four quarter-finals all year.

And while 2019 hasn’t catapulted her into the next level so many were forecasting, she’s in season-best form right now, having recently contested the San Jose final, while making the Round of 16 in Cincinnati, where she blew a first set lead to Maria Sakkari.

Sabalenka did make the Round of 16 at the US Open last year and will be expecting at least a repeat performance this time round.

KEY STAT: Double-fault rate. 

Sabalenka has made such great strides on tour, but at 8.6% she leads the entire WTA in terms of how frequently she double faults. If she can eradicate this problamatic part of her game, she’ll find herself competing for bigger prizes.

WTA RANK: #13

Yulia Putintseva

STATS INSIDER HARD COURT RANK: #19

UPDATE: Defeated by Yulia Putintseva in Round 2. 

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PREDICTIONS: SEE THE US OPEN SCHEDULE

Sofia Kenin

Despite her size and age, Sofia Kenin is one of the tour’s most aggressive players, and seemingly in a rather big rather hurry to be regarded among the game’s best.

The 20-year old American has had a breakout 2019, entering the season outside the Top 50, but winning two titles and achieving a career-high WTA ranking of #22.

Yet it was Kenin’s unexpected performance at this year’s French Open which caught everybody’s attention, pushing eventual champion Ash Barty as far as anyone could, taking her to three sets in the Round of 16.

Kenin will be encouraged by that Grand Slam performance and will be hoping to parlay that momentum into New York, in front of her adoring fans.

KEY STAT: Ace Rate Against. 

Kenin will be hoping to avoid some of the tour’s bigger hitters, as she’s proven to be quite vulnerable against the ace. In fact, at 8.3% she leads the entire tour. 

WTA RANK: #20

STATS INSIDER HARD COURT RANK: #6

UPDATE: Defeated by Madison Keys in Round 3.

Dayana Yastremska

Like Andreescu, Dayana Yastremska has been one of the tour’s most refreshingly surprising stories of 2019.

This time last year, the 19-year old Ukranian struggled to even make the US Open and was promptly bundled out in the first round.

Since then, she’s compiled a 34-17 win-loss record on tour, won herself three titles and is now ranked #32 in the world.

Her aggressive game should suit the hot, hard courts of Flushing Meadows, and while she’s yet to advance beyond a Round of 16 at a major tournament, this would seem like an ideal opportunity for the young star.

KEY STAT: Ace Rate. 

At 5.2% the world number #32 is actually ranked #11 insofar as how frequently she's able to dial-up an ace. Unfortunately, it's a case of feast or famine with Yastremska, as she ranks #3 on tour for double-fault percentage at 7.9%

WTA RANK: #32

STATS INSIDER HARD COURT RANK: #18

UPDATE: Defeated by Elina Svitolina in Round 3.

Marketa Vondrousova

The young, crazily-talented Czech is different to so many of her accomplished peers in that her game is a lot more nuanced and much more defensively orientated.

At just 20 years old, Marketa Vondrousova is incredible composed, evidenced by a shock run to the French Open final where she was ultimately overrun by Ash Barty.

While Vondrousova's performance at Roland Garros was one of the most surprising results of 2019, it’s easy to forget that the hard courts are her stated preference, and where she boasts an excellent 33-19 record.

Like Sabalenka, Vondrousova made a surprise run to the round of 16 at last year’s US Open and will be expecting to go at least a round or two better this time around.

KEY STAT: Break Percentage. 

Nobody is ever safe serving against the incredibly mature Vondrousova. In fact, the young Czech breaks opponents serve 46.3% of the games she defends, ranking her #1 on tour.  

WTA RANK: #17

STATS INSIDER HARD COURT RANK: #22

UPDATE: Vondrousova pulled out of the US Open due to a wrist Injury

Belinda Bencic

Belinda Bencic’s 2019 career revitalisation has been one of the most positive stories on tour this year after numerous injuries threatened to derail quite a promising journey.

In a short time, Bencic has been able to make up for lost ground, already back to #12 in the world and having contested three finals in the last ten months,

However, since returning form injury, Bencic is yet to make her mark at Grand Slam level, boasting just an 11-7 record and having not advanced beyond the Round of 16.

This year’s US Open will be the young Swiss’ chance to truly announce her return to the big stage.

KEY STAT: Second serve defence. 

You’d better get your first serve in against Bencic, because if you don’t, she’s sure to pounce on whatever you’ve got up your sleeve second time round. Bencic is winning 58.3% of the opportunities she has against opponent’s second serves, raking her fifth on tour.

WTA RANK: #12

STATS INSIDER HARD COURT RANK: #10

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PREDICTIONS: SEE THE US OPEN SCHEDULE

Iga Swiatek

Having just turned 18 in May, the young Pole will be the youngest member of the WTA Top 50 contesting the 2019 US Open.

The tennis world appears to be at her feet, having translated her utter dominance of junior competition into a pronounced ability to compete at senior level, compiling an incredible 31-15 win-loss record on the WTA in 2019.

Swiatek made the French Open Round of 16 at just her second main draw slam appearance and will be hoping for a similar fairytale run over the coming weeks.

KEY STAT: Minutes per set. 

Swiatek is young and works fast. Her sets take an average of 39.3 minutes to get through which places her 9^th on tour. Serena Williams is #1 in this metric at 35.8 minutes per set.

WTA RANK: #48

STATS INSIDER HARD COURT RANK: #33

UPDATE: Defeated by Anastasija Sevastova in Round 2.

Marie Bouzkova

The 21-year old recently used the big stage scene of Toronto as her break out WTA party, shocking world #4 Simona Halep in the SF, having already slain Grand Slam winners Sloane Stephens and Jelena Ostapenko in the process.

The shock continued when she took the opening set from Serena in the final, and though she ultimately wasn’t able to hoist the trophy, it announced to the world how serious she is about a Grand Slam breakout.

While Marie Bouzkova is yet to win a singe match at a major tournament, her performance in Toronto will give her the confidence to not only rectify that anomaly but perhaps advance a round or three further.

KEY STAT: 2-6. 

That’s Bouzkova’s rather modest record against Top 50 opposition, and an area she simply must improve upon if she’s to take her game to another level. 

WTA RANK: #54

STATS INSIDER HARD COURT RANK: #43

UPDATE: Defeated by Ajla Tomljanović in Round 1. 

Maria Sakkari

It’s easy to forget that the young Greek, Maria Sakkarri, is just 23 years old, considering how many events she contests, and how much of a familiar face she now is on tour.

While she has just one title to her name - and a modest career-high ranking of #29 - she’s a player who has routinely shown her ability to mix it with the very best, with no less than five top-ten scalps in 2019, recently taking Ash Barty to three sets in their Round of 16 encounters in Cincinnati.

While Sakkari has never advanced beyond the third round at Grand Slam level, her play against the big guns should have her feeling confident that a deep run is well within her.

KEY STAT: First serve in percentage. 

At just 57.6%, Sakkari finds herself having to produce a heck of a lot of second serves. In fact, her first serve percentage is so low there are only three other women on tour getting less out of their serve. 

WTA RANK: #29

STATS INSIDER HARD COURT RANK: #47

UPDATE: Defeated by Ash Barty in Round 3. 

Donna Vekic

Like Sakkari, 23-year-old Croatian Donna Vekic is someone who has been around the fringes of the WTA, producing respectable results, but who has yet to produce a signature breakout performance.

While Vekic does have two WTA titles to her name, and a career-high ranking of #22, she’s made little ground at major level, boasting just an 18-24 record, and having never advanced beyond the Round of 16.

Vekic is, however, in good form this hard court season, having made the semi-finals in San Jose, before a brave Round of 16 run in Cincinnati against Venus Williams.

A deep run at Flushing Meadows wouldn’t surprise.

KEY STAT: 10-37. 

It’s an ugly one, but that’s Vekic's record against Top 20 opposition throughout her career. 

WTA RANK: #23

STATS INSIDER HARD COURT RANK: #23

As with every ATP, WTA and major tournament, Stats Insider will be covering every match during the US Open, from daily updated custom World Rankings, to US Open winner projections, pre-match predictions and now, our brand new live in-play probabilities.

Keep an eye on our Tennis hub for all the 2019 US Open action!