Defending champion Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz have been placed on opposite sides of the U.S. Open bracket in the draw, setting the stage for a potential showdown in the final. This would mark another significant meeting between the two players after their encounters at Wimbledon and the Paris Olympics.
Carlos Alcaraz, seeded No. 3, may have to navigate a semifinal against top-seeded Jannik Sinner, who recently faced a doping case. Sinner tested positive for an anabolic steroid in March but was later cleared due to unintentional ingestion during a massage.
On the women's side, Coco Gauff, the No. 3 seed and reigning U.S. Open champion, will face Varvara Gracheva in her opening match. Gauff could potentially meet No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals, a rematch of the 2023 final.
The U.S. Open is scheduled to commence on Monday and conclude on September 8th. Djokovic, the men's record holder with 24 Grand Slam singles titles, will be looking to add to his tally after a series of setbacks in recent tournaments.
Notable first-round matchups include Naomi Osaka facing Jelena Ostapenko and Bianca Andreescu taking on Jasmine Paolini. Emma Raducanu, the defending U.S. Open champion, will open her campaign against Sofia Kenin.
In the men's draw, intriguing matchups include Ben Shelton against Dominic Thiem and Lorenzo Musetti facing Reilly Opelka. Potential quarterfinal clashes feature Sinner against Daniil Medvedev, Djokovic against Andrey Rublev, Alcaraz against Hubert Hurkacz, and Alexander Zverev against Casper Ruud.
On the women's side, projected quarterfinals include Iga Swiatek against Jessica Pegula, Sabalenka against Zheng Qinwen, Gauff against Barbora Krejcikova, and Elena Rybakina against Jasmine Paolini.
With a mix of established champions and rising stars, the stage is set for an exciting U.S. Open filled with compelling matchups and potential upsets.
