Iga Swiatek’s US Open run has come to an end.

The defending champion and world No. 1 lost in three sets in the Round of 16 Sunday to Jelena Ostapenko, who remains undefeated against Swiatek in her career. The loss means that Swiatek’s stay atop the WTA world rankings will end next week. Current No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka will overtake the top spot for the first time.

“I don’t know why I played that bad,” Swiatek said. “I’m not happy with my performances on hard courts this year. But overall, I did a pretty good job at maintaining my level. I’m happy I’m going to have time to practice because I miss that.

“I feel like I’m progressing as a player, but I have more skills. This season was tough and intense.”

Swiatek’s 75 consecutive weeks atop the world rankings in her first stint ranks third in history. Only Steffi Graf (186 weeks) and Martina Hingis (80 weeks) were atop the rankings for longer.

According to OptaJack, during that time Swiatek also holds the record for WTA titles (nine), finals (12), matches won (97), winning ratio (85.5 percent) and top-10 defeats (17).

“I wouldn’t say [I feel] relief,” Swiatek said, when asked about relinquishing the top spot in the rankings. “There are plenty of things that I know I should have done differently. Maybe I’m not mature enough yet to do that. I’m really working hard to not think about this stuff a lot.

“Sometimes when you force yourself not to think about stuff, the result is the opposite. I’m really happy that I have smart people around me and they are telling me how to do it, and they are guiding me. But it’s on me to actually make it happen.”

Still, the 22-year-old Polish star said that the next time she tops the rankings, she will do some things differently.

“Because yeah, it was a little bit stressful,” Swiatek said. “And it shouldn’t be. I mean, tennis is stressful overall, but I should embrace it a little bit more. And I’ll do it differently next time.”

Caroline Wozniacki is back playing tennis – and she’s back to winning.

In just her third event since coming out of retirement, Wozniacki downed world No. 11 Petra Kvitova at the US Open. It’s her first top-20 win as a mom, and her first win over a top-20 opponent since beating Kvitova in 2018.

“This couldn’t be better,” Wozniacki said after the match. “It’s a dream come true. If you had asked me three years ago, I would have said I’ll never be back here, playing on this court. To be back and to beat the world No. 11 feels very, very special.”

She’s now into the third round at Flushing Meadows, a place where she’s found success throughout her career. She finished as the runner-up at the US Open in 2009, when she lost to Kim Clijsters, and again in 2014, when she lost to good friend Serena Williams.

Her 122 major match wins in her career is the fourth-most among active women, behind Venus Williams, Victoria Azarenka and Kvitova, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

Wozniacki plans to hang out with her kids Thursday before preparing to face Jennifer Brady in the third round Friday.

“I love New York. I love this court. I love everything about this city and playing here,” Wozniacki said. “Absolutely, as soon as I came here over a week ago, I already — instantly — felt so comfortable on these courts and knew that I could play some great tennis and I would be dangerous in the draw.”

She also noted that she was “thrilled” to once again have the opportunity to play in Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“I didn’t think I was ever going to play on one of those courts again in the US Open, especially a night session,” she said. “It just feels pretty incredible to be out there and winning a match like that.”

Coco Gauff cracked jokes Monday night following her tense win in the first round of the US Open at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

When asked how she would describe the match, Gauff responded with one word: “Slow.” Then she broke into a smile.

No. 6 seed Gauff and qualifier Laura Siegemund butted heads over the pace of play throughout the entirety of the nearly three-hour match. Tempers boiled over in the third set, when Gauff approached the umpire to express her frustrations over Siegemund dawdling both on and off the serve.

“She’s never ready when I’m serving,” Gauff protested. “She went over to talk like four times. You gave her a time violation once. How is this fair? … I’m going a normal speed. Ask any ref here. … I’ve been quiet the whole match. … Now it’s ridiculous. I don’t care what she’s doing on her serve, but [on] my serve, she has to be ready.”

While Gauff wound up dropping that game, Siegemund later was docked a point for delaying the game by going to her towel – a penalty that she then protested. Still, the penalty helped widen Gauff’s lead in the third set, and the 19-year-old would go on to win the third set and take the match, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4.

Afterward, Gauff explained her frustrations, noting that while Siegemund had been going over time “since the first set,” Gauff remained patient despite the umpire not taking action. Eventually, though, it reached to the point where the crowd started to chime in and yell “time” whenever Siegemund ran over.

While Gauff said she doesn’t “like confrontation all that much,” in the third set the situation became too much to ignore. If she could do the match over again, she “would’ve said something earlier,” but she doesn’t regret talking to the ref the way that she did.

“I wasn’t sure if I was in the right or not until it, like, happened multiple times,” Gauff said, referring to Siegemund’s delay tactics between points. “Then I was like, OK, I know I’m in the right. … For me, I try my best not to let my emotions take over myself. I wanted to express my frustration but also being censored. … I was trying to best communicate how I was feeling to the referee. … I’d still say everything I said in that moment again.”

This could be Coco Gauff’s moment – finally.

Ever since defeating Venus Williams in the opening round of 2019 Wimbledon, Gauff has been touted as the United States’ next big thing. Now, after winning the Washington Open, her first WTA 500 singles title, she enters the U.S. Open with plenty of momentum.

Can the 19-year-old capture her first Grand Slam championship? Just Women’s Sports breaks down what the path could look like, taking the top possible seed for each matchup.

Laura Siegemund

Siegemund punched her ticket to the main draw with a qualifying win on Friday. She defeated Oceane Dodin, 1-6, 6-0, 6-3. Siegemund advanced to the Warsaw Open final in July, but lost to Iga Swiatek.

Mirra Andreeva

Gauff will likely challenge Andreeva, ranked the No. 63 player in the world. Andreeva plays Olivia Gadecki in her opening match. In her last action, Andreeva, who is unseeded, was defeated by Sloane Stephens, 3-6, 3-6, in the Round of 16 of Tennis in the Land.

Danielle Collins

Gauff could end up against Collins, another American, in the third round. The world’s No. 34-ranked player, Collins is also unseeded for the U.S. Open. She recently won her first WTA doubles title, alongside Desirae Krawczyk, at the Charleston Open. Collins was defeated in the first round of the French Open by Jessica Pegula.

Petra Kvitova

Kvitova, the two-time Wimbledown champion, could provide Gauff a stiff test in the fourth round. In April, she won the Miami Open, defeating Elena Rybakina in straight sets, the 30th title of her career. The victory earned Kvitkova a top-10 ranking for the first time since September 2021, and she enters the U.S. Open ranked No. 11 in the world.

Iga Swiatek

This could be the turning point of Gauff’s tournament. In this round, she would be likely to play Swiatek, the world’s top-ranked player and the defending U.S. Open champion. Swiatek is also a three-time French Open winner (2020, 2022, 2023).

This would be a rematch of the Cincinnati Open semifinal earlier this month, when Gauff beat Swiatek for the first time after seven previous defeats. Gauff had lost all 14 sets she’d played against Swiatek entering the most recent match.

Elena Rybakina

Rybakina has had a strong 2023 season, with titles at the Indian Wells Open and the Italian Open. This would be her first matchup against Gauff. Ranked No. 4 in the world, Rybakina did not compete in the Cincinnati Open because of some nagging injuries she attributed to poor scheduling.

Aryna Sabalenka

Sabalenka, the world’s No. 2 player, enters the U.S. Open with high expectations. She kicked off the year with an Australian Open singles title, and with a victory over Gauff, would solidify herself as the top player on the tour. Gauff will look to atone for her loss to Sabalenka earlier this year at Indian Wells.

When Jessica Pegula won the Canadian Open over Liudmila Samsonova on Sunday night, she also had to overcome a recent foe: “Cotton-Eye Joe.”

In Saturday’s semifinal win against world No. 1 Iga Swiatek, Pegula played through the song, which broke out mid-point in a set she eventually lost. She overcame the lost set to win the match, 6-2, 6-7(4), 6-4, and then beat Samsonova in straight sets to take the title in Montreal.

She would hear “Cotton-Eye Joe” once again after that win, thanks to a bit of humor from whoever controls the in-stadium speakers.

“I lost a lot of points consecutively after ‘Cotton-Eye Joe’ came on [in the semifinals], so I’m glad I got over the ‘Cotton-Eye Joe’ jinx or whatever you want to call it,” Pegula said after her title win. “It was almost my downfall yesterday, but not anymore.”

The victory ended an impressive run for Pegula, who also toppled Coco Gauff in the quarterfinals. She became the first American to win the event since Serena Williams in 2013.

“I feel like I did enough to where I could just play freely,” she said. “It was a good day. … Winning a week like this week makes it all worth it and makes you want to keep going for more. I’ll be right back at it tomorrow in Cincinnati.”

Afterward, Pegula took to Instagram, where she dedicated her win to her dog Dex, who passed away earlier this summer.

“From two weeks ago crying on my couch for days wondering how the hell I was going to start this swing — to this week — this one’s for you Dex, thanks for looking out for me down here,” she wrote.

Marketa Vondrousova became the first unseeded player to win the Wimbledon women’s singles title, defeating world No. 6 Ons Jabeur in straight sets Saturday.

The 24-year-old from Czech Republic entered the 2023 tournament ranked No. 42 in the world, but she looked dominant in the final matches of her run to the Grand Slam title. She defeated Jabeur, 6-4, 6-4, in the championship, after beating Elina Svitolina, 6-3, 6-3, in the semifinal round.

“I don’t know what is happening… After everything I have been through, it is amazing I can stand here and hold this,” she said after her win, referring to the Wimbledon trophy. “Tennis is crazy. The comebacks aren’t easy you don’t know what to expect, I was hoping I could get back to this level and now this is happening.”

As a junior, Vondrousova claimed the world No. 1 ranking. And after her transition to the senior tour, she reached the French Open final as a 19-year-old in 2019. But injuries disrupted her ascent, and she did not reach another Grand Slam final until this year’s Wimbledon. She has not made it past the fourth round at the US Open or at the Australian Open.

“I‘ve been through it,” she said after her semifinal win against Svitolina. “Once I was very young, so I think it was just too much for me back then.”

Before her win against Jabeur, she made a bet with her coach: If she won the title, he would get a tattoo to commemorate the occasion, she said.

“I think we are going to go tomorrow,” she said Saturday. “I think I am going to have some beer. It was an exhausting few weeks.”

Despite the tiring run through the tournament, she has plenty to celebrate, and not just on the court. Her first wedding anniversary is tomorrow.

“I enjoyed the two weeks so much,” she said. “I am so grateful and proud of myself.”

Naomi Osaka is officially a mom.

The tennis star welcomed a baby girl with boyfriend Cordae in Los Angeles, People magazine reported. Osaka and her daughter are both “doing well,” a source told the magazine.

Osaka announced her pregnancy in January, ahead of the Australian Open.

“The past few years have been interesting to say the least, but I find that it’s the most challenging times in life that may be the most fun. These few months away from the sport has really given me a new love and appreciation for the game I’ve dedicated my life to,” she wrote.

“I realize that life is so short and I don’t take any moments for granted, every day is a new blessing and adventure. I know that I have so much to look forward to in the future, one thing I’m looking forward to is for my kid to watch one of my matches and tell someone, ‘that’s my mom,’ haha,” Osaka continued.

She revealed in June that she was expecting a baby girl with a princess-themed baby shower.

Earlier this year, Osaka shared that she hadn’t had many cravings “out of the ordinary” throughout her pregnancy, and that her and Cordae had been discussing “something more unique than traditional” when it came to a name.

“I would say for me, I just want to be the best version of myself. Obviously, I’ve never been a mother before so I’m taking it day-by-day and just trying to be someone that my son or daughter will be proud of,” she told People.

The four-time Grand Slam champion hit back at critics in May, calling out the double standard that exists for women athletes who have kids. Elina Svitolina, who gave birth last October, is currently on a run at Wimbledon – recently knocking off No. 1 Iga Swiatek to reach the semifinal. Meanwhile, Caroline Wozniacki just announced her return to tennis after having two children.

“Btw to the people that are suddenly concerned about my career- There are plenty of male athletes with kids that are significantly less accomplished, you might wanna worry about them instead. Thanks for the concern, might wanna redirect it to someone that needs it though,” Osaka tweeted.

Osaka plans to make her competitive return at the 2024 Australian Open.

Over a year since retiring from tennis, Ash Barty has given birth to a son.

The former World No. 1 announced the news Tuesday in an Instagram post.

“Our beautiful boy,” she wrote. “Welcome to the world, Hayden!”

Barty married Australian golfer Garry Kissick last July, and the three-time Grand Slam champion announced her pregnancy in January of this year. At the time, she touted 2023 as “the best year yet.”

The World No. 1 for 121 weeks, Barty announced her retirement last year after winning the Australian Open. She was the first Australian woman in 44 years to win her home major in singles, joining Chris O’Neil in 1978.

Former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki is making her return to professional tennis three years after retiring, she announced Thursday.

In a first-person essay for Vogue, the 32-year-old said she began hitting again following the birth of her second child in October, and she realized how much she missed playing. Her father and longtime coach Piotr Wozniacki told her as she was practicing that she looked like she was “enjoying it more,” she said.

“That was exactly how I felt: I was relaxed and having fun, and somehow that let me see everything more clearly,” Wozniacki said.

She aims to return ahead of the US Open, where she’s been a finalist twice. She plans to play in the Canadian Open in Montreal in August “just to get back into the groove” and then to take the court in Flushing Meadows later that month.

“After that, I’ll have a couple of months to prepare for Australia, and we’ll take it from there,” she said. “The Paris Olympics are definitely a goal too.

“Am I nervous? Not really. I’m coming back to something I love. Yes, I’ll be nervous before a match; I’m okay with that. I’m great with that. Can I win the US Open? I think so. Can I win the Australian Open? I think so. That’s why I’m doing this. And I guess we’ll see what happens.”

The 2018 Australian Open winner retired after the 2020 edition of the same tournament. At the time of her retirement, Wozniacki said that she had achieved “almost everything I’d ever set out to do.”

Since then, Wozniacki has given birth to a daughter and a son. When she returns, she’ll join an elite and growing group of mothers competing on the WTA Tour, including Victoria Azarenka, Elina Svitolina and Taylor Townsend. Fellow former No. 1 players Angelique Kerber and Naomi Osaka both are expected to return from maternity leave next year.

Wozniacki told Serena Williams about her plans a few weeks ago, she said, and Williams expressed her support. Williams, who retired after the 2022 US Open, is currently pregnant with her second child.

“I think that Serena doesn’t get nearly enough credit for getting to so many Grand Slam finals after having Olympia,” Wozniacki said. “Her retirement will always be bittersweet, both for me and for so many other players, because she’s meant so much to women’s tennis. She paved the way for so many of us—she showed us that anything is possible.”

Admittedly, Wozniacki doesn’t know how long she’ll be able to play at her highest level. In 2018, Wozniacki announced her diagnosis with rheumatoid arthritis. While at the time she said it didn’t play into her retirement, she tells Vogue about the pain she experienced as a result of the disease.

The time off has been good, however, and she notes that everything is “so far, so good.”

“The long break seems to have done wonders in terms of recovery, and mentally, I’m fresh,” she said. “I’m not putting as much pressure on myself, but at the same time I know when I’m out there, I’m going to be fighting.”

Martina Navratilova is cancer-free, the tennis Hall of Famer announced Monday via social media.

After a full day of tests at Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, she received a clean bill of health, she posted on her Twitter.

“I got the all clear! Thank you to all the doctors, nurses, proton and radiation magicians etc. — what a relief,” she wrote.

Back in January, the 18-time Grand Slam singles champion revealed that she had been diagnosed with both throat and breast cancer, and she began treatment that month. Following treatment, she returned to her television work with the Tennis Channel at the Miami Open in March.

Navratilova said then that she initially noticed an enlarged lymph node in her neck during the WTA Finals in Texas in November. A biopsy then revealed that she had early stage throat cancer. Further testing uncovered early stage breast cancer.

Previously, Navratilova had been diagnosed with a noninvasive form of breast cancer in 2010 and had a lumpectomy.