We have made it. The fourth and final women’s singles Grand Slam final will take place on Saturday afternoon inside Arthur Ashe Stadium. The 2023 US Open has provided its patrons with terrific tennis over the past few weeks. On Saturday, a champion will be crowned as No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka squares off against No. 6 seed Coco Gauff. Sabalenka is on the hunt for her second slam title of the year. Gauff is looking to capture her maiden slam title. We at LWOT have worked together to produce a roundtable of predictions for the women’s US Open final. Read on to see the analysis and prediction from Jack Edward, Jordan Reynolds, Nurein Ahmed, Shane Black, and Yesh Ginsburg.<\/p>\n
Can Aryna Sabalenka beat the new and improved Coco Gauff? My first instinct is to fear the worst for the Belarusian. Gauff\u2019s made real steps forward in her game, showing aggressive intent on the serve and sharpening up the variety and consistency of her forehand. It will be more difficult for Sabalenka to pressure Gauff on serve than before and she will have to put a few extra balls in the court to win points than she might be used to.<\/p>\n
Consider this too, however. Sabalenka has played four big finals this year. In three out of four of them (though even Indian Wells had its moments), she has brought some of her absolute best to the court. In those three finals, the conditions were lightning fast and her serve followed suit. With one hurdle left, in these conditions, I can see Sabalenka\u2019s game breaking through Gauff\u2019s defences. Sabalenka\u2019s incredible comeback against Madison Keys in the semifinal was the drama we have been waiting for in the women\u2019s draw. In truth I think both players need to raise their games despite their semifinal wins. Aside from an exciting end to the match, Gauff benefited from an underwhelming display by Karol\u00edna Muchova. Sabalenka\u2019s fighting spirit was amazing, but she cannot afford to start like she did against Keys in the final. If Sabalenka finds her level from her first five matches she can beat Gauff and the home crowd. Will she do it? My instinct is yes. Her extra firepower could be the slight difference on the biggest stage. Sabalenka came through a rollercoaster in Thursday\u2019s semifinal. Not many people believed she stood a chance of salvaging the situation being just a game away from defeat. But that is what the 2023 season has been all about \u2013 Aryna Sabalenka dominating the rest of the field and problem-solving her way out of the mire.<\/p>\n Coco Gauff is the in-form player of this year\u2019s US swing, winning the most matches of any player and it was almost inevitable she would get here. I think this narrative that Gauff\u2019s abject lack of experience on the big stage will count against her is a bit overstated. But we cannot overlook the fact that Gauff has stumbled quite a few times than Sabalenka at this tournament, which is why I\u2019m leaning towards the second seed here. She\u2019s got her game together and has been very efficient when chances have presented themselves. The danger for Gauff is that expectations have gone through the roof, can she maintain her poise and concentration and fight off the nerves? I doubt.
\nPrediction: Sabalenka in 3<\/em><\/p>\nJordan:<\/em><\/h5>\n
\nPrediction: Sabalenka in 3<\/em><\/p>\nNurein:<\/em><\/h5>\n
\nPrediction: Sabalenka in 3<\/em><\/p>\n