Angelique Kerber is thrilled at the prospect of usurping Serena Williams to become world number one - but says she is trying her best not to think about it.
No fewer than three new players - Kerber, Garbine Muguruza and Agnieszka Radwanska - could be top by the end of the US Open, with Williams on the brink of beating Steffi Graf's WTA record of 186 consecutive weeks at the summit.
Kerber would already be there had she not lost to Karolina Pliskova in the final at Cincinnati last week but she has a realistic chance in New York.
There are several possible routes for the German but whatever happens, Williams must at least reach the last four, and if Kerber makes the quarters, Williams must get to the final.
If they were to both meet in the final, it would be a one-match shoot-out, with the winner also taking the number one ranking.
Asked about the prospect of becoming world number one, Kerber could hardly contain her excitement.
"I love the question. I love it," Kerber said. "I mean, to have the chance, of course that means a lot, but you have to play like a whole year to get the chance.
"And you have to play really good tennis and to continue your good tennis so to have the chance, it's great, but whether it happens, we will see."
Kerber has not always responded well to pressure, however, with her greatest success this year - winning the Australian Open - coming as the underdog, when little had previously been expected.
At the WTA finals in October she needed to take only a set off the already-eliminated Lucie Safarova to move out of the group but crumbled, losing 6-4 6-3.
Kerber has learned from the episode and admits coveting the number one spot too much could be similarly self-defeating.
"I will not put too much pressure on it, if the day will come when I will reach number one, it would be amazing," Kerber said.
"But I learned a lot of things the last year, especially with the Singapore thing, with my match there.
"I had to win one set and I was completely too much pressure on myself. I learned from this and learned from a lot of losses, the ups and downs. That's why I will not be thinking too much."
French Open champion and world number three Muguruza is also in the hunt. If the Spaniard manages to clinch her second major title of the year, the number one ranking will also be hers.
"I feel the discussion is much louder a little bit, but because also there is more movement," Muguruza said.
"Before maybe the other years we had big distance like compared to number two or three or four, but this year things are changing a little bit.
"There are a couple of players that if they do really well and whatever the situations are, they can reach number one.
"So that creates a little bit of juicy comments. I feel it a little bit, but I guess it's normal."
Williams, who opens up against Ekaterina Makarova on Monday, arrived at Flushing Meadows with familiar question marks surrounding fitness and form but the threat posed by her challengers is also growing.
Kerber and Muguruza have both outgunned the 34-year-old in major finals this year but the German insists the landscape has not changed yet.
"It's still Serena and the rest of the field," Kerber said smiling.
"No, we will see. There are a lot of good players right now. Let's see how Serena will play here. Let's see how the others will play."
Source: PA
