<p class="title">Serena Williams, riding an emotional roller coaster as she adapts to juggling tennis and motherhood, seeks to end 2018 on a high with a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title at the US Open.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The US great counts six US Open victories among her 23 Slams and with one more would match Australian Margaret Court's record for most major singles titles.</p>.<p class="bodytext">She could also join Court, Evonne Goolagong and Kim Clijsters as the only mothers to win Grand Slam singles titles, but since an impressive run to the Wimbledon final -- where she fell to Angelique Kerber -- Serena has endured a lackluster buildup to the hardcourt showpiece in Flushing Meadows.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I'm still at the very beginning, this is a long comeback," she defiantly told reporters after a second-round loss to Petra Kvitova -- winner of five titles this year -- in Cincinnati.</p>.<p class="bodytext">World no.1 Simona Halep arrives at Flushing Meadows buoyed not only by her first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros but by an impressive hard court campaign that included a victory in Montreal followed by a runner-up finish in Cincinnati.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Romanian has reached six finals this year, displaying a new maturity on the court.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Now she's understanding what the problems are, when she gets a little bit emotional how many points in a row she's losing because of that," Halep's coach Darren Cahill said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Halep herself says that with her French Open victory, "Inside myself, something changed.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I'm more relaxed. I feel thankful for everything I achieved. After French Open, I really started to believe that I'm a real No. 1."</p>.<p class="bodytext">World number two Caroline Wozniacki arrives in New York amid injury uncertainty, having withdrawn from Washington with a right leg injury and then retired with a left knee injury from her second-round match in Cincy .</p>.<p class="bodytext">Sloane Stephens, the world number three, will be in unfamiliar territory as she defends her first major title. A third final in the last five Grand Slams appears to be within her reach, but she too could face an early hurdle with former world number one Victoria Azarenka a possible third-round foe.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Kerber will be aiming to expunge the memory of a first-round exit last year.</p>
<p class="title">Serena Williams, riding an emotional roller coaster as she adapts to juggling tennis and motherhood, seeks to end 2018 on a high with a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title at the US Open.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The US great counts six US Open victories among her 23 Slams and with one more would match Australian Margaret Court's record for most major singles titles.</p>.<p class="bodytext">She could also join Court, Evonne Goolagong and Kim Clijsters as the only mothers to win Grand Slam singles titles, but since an impressive run to the Wimbledon final -- where she fell to Angelique Kerber -- Serena has endured a lackluster buildup to the hardcourt showpiece in Flushing Meadows.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I'm still at the very beginning, this is a long comeback," she defiantly told reporters after a second-round loss to Petra Kvitova -- winner of five titles this year -- in Cincinnati.</p>.<p class="bodytext">World no.1 Simona Halep arrives at Flushing Meadows buoyed not only by her first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros but by an impressive hard court campaign that included a victory in Montreal followed by a runner-up finish in Cincinnati.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Romanian has reached six finals this year, displaying a new maturity on the court.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Now she's understanding what the problems are, when she gets a little bit emotional how many points in a row she's losing because of that," Halep's coach Darren Cahill said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Halep herself says that with her French Open victory, "Inside myself, something changed.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I'm more relaxed. I feel thankful for everything I achieved. After French Open, I really started to believe that I'm a real No. 1."</p>.<p class="bodytext">World number two Caroline Wozniacki arrives in New York amid injury uncertainty, having withdrawn from Washington with a right leg injury and then retired with a left knee injury from her second-round match in Cincy .</p>.<p class="bodytext">Sloane Stephens, the world number three, will be in unfamiliar territory as she defends her first major title. A third final in the last five Grand Slams appears to be within her reach, but she too could face an early hurdle with former world number one Victoria Azarenka a possible third-round foe.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Kerber will be aiming to expunge the memory of a first-round exit last year.</p>