Aussie tennis star Ash Barty is on track to regain her world number one title, despite an early exit from the US Open.
The French Open champion has little competition to hold off, after a blistering season put her at a significant lead in overall points .
Barty called the prospect of ending up as number one “incredible” at a New York press event last week, especially considering she wasn’t sure she would have the numbers.
“I haven’t really sat down and done the maths or anything like that,” she said.
“But I have had my schedule planned for the last part of the year for the last few months, so that certainly won’t change.”
In June Barty became Australia’s first women’s world number one in 43 years - the last, her mentor, Evonne Goolagong Cawley.
If she manages the feat, she’ll make history again, as the first Australian to finish the season in top spot.
Experts are tipping that the only other player that has a shot at besting Barty is Czech Republic’s Karolina Pliskova.
However, she would have to bridge the massive 376-point lead between her and Barty - with limited events left for the year.
Barty’s prospects at the top spot improved significantly after Japanese contender Naomi Osaka's fourth-round US Open loss to Belinda Bencic.
While out of the singles’ competition, there’s still a possible US Open victory for Barty.
The Australian and doubles partner Victoria Azarenka are set to progress to the quarter-finals of the US Open after dominating the American team of Coco Gauff and Caty McNally in just 47-minutes of game time.
15-year-old Gauff and Osaka made international headlines earlier this week after an incredible display of post-match sportswomanship.
After taking the match, Osaka invited the teen to share the post-match interview with her.
“I just want to say, you guys raised an amazing player," Osaka said, searching the crowd for Gauff's parents.
"I remember I used to see you guys training in the same place as us, and, for me, the fact that both of us made it, and we're both still working as hard as we can, it's incredible."
She added: "I think you guys are amazing, and Coco, I think you're amazing."
Osaka will slip to number three in the world after the US Open.
