The first round of the US Open is yet to be wrapped up, and this might be one of the toughest Grand Slams to win this year. Players like Coco Gauff are coming into New York in strong form, while Elena Rybakina remains one of the tournament’s biggest threats despite questions over her fitness. We also have Aryna Sabalenka, who is the defending champion. While most would pick one of these 3 as favorites, Martina Navratilova has a 6-time Grand Slam winner as her pick.
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“I think Iga Swiatek is in great form right now,” said the 18-time Grand Slam singles champion.
Martina Navratilova has picked Iga Swiatek to win the 2026 US Open, and there is plenty behind that call. Swiatek enters New York as the No. 8 seed, looking to add another major title after winning the US Open in 2022.
Swiatek has also found some of her best form at the right time, winning the Canadian Open earlier this month after beating Elena Rybakina 6-2, 6-3 in the final. That was her first title of 2026, ending an 11-month title drought, and giving her a much-needed boost heading into the final Grand Slam of the season.
Her Canadian Open run was not a one-off either, as Swiatek continued to produce the same quality in Cincinnati.
She opened with a straight-sets win over Emiliana Arango before beating Maria Sakkari. Her run ended against Jessica Pegula in the semifinals, but she still left Cincinnati with another deep run. That recent stretch has given Navratilova a clear reason to believe the Polish player can handle another demanding fortnight in New York.
With the women’s field so open this year, the Pole has a genuine chance to take another shot at the trophy. On paper, though, Swiatek’s route to the final could be tricky.
She will begin against Wang Xiyu and could be followed by Simona Waltert and then Marie Bouzkova, against whom she owns a 3-0 record. Madison Keys could await in the fourth round, but Swiatek has also dominated that matchup with a 6-2 record.
Elena Rybakina is projected as her quarterfinal opponent, with a rematch of Toronto. A potential semifinal against Coco Gauff could pose a problem. While Swiatek leads their head-to-head 11-5, Gauff has won their past four meetings in straight sets.
If she survives that section, Aryna Sabalenka could be waiting on the other side for another final against Swiatek. The Pole leads Sabalenka 8-5 in their head-to-head, but Sabalenka arrives as the 2-time defending champion and remains one of the tournament’s biggest threats.
That is why Swiatek’s path cannot be described as easy, even with her having the upper hand on paper against almost all of her opponents. Still, another US Open title would give Swiatek her 7th Grand Slam and add another major chapter to her book. She would become the first Polish woman to win the US Open singles title multiple times. It would also extend her run of winning at least one Grand Slam every year since 2022.