New York – Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic will face potential difficulties as they begin their search for another U.S. open title.
Meanwhile, Venus Williams returned to the event at the age of 45, against No. 11 seed Karolina Muchova, a French Open finalist over the past two years, who reached the New York semi-finals in New York.
It was one of the early highlights after Thursday’s raffle for men’s and women’s singles matches.
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These start on Sunday, and start earlier than in the past, with a recent pair of U.S. Open champions being able to test sooner.
The second seed Alcaraz vs. Reilly Opelka. Opelka, the top 20 injured player, is 6-foot-11 and runs in the fourth round in New York in 2021.
Alcaraz won his only open title the following year and continued to add four Grand Slam titles.
Djokovic has 24 of the men's records, including four of the U.S. Open. Seventh seed, he will face 19-year-old left-handed learner Tien, who frustrated Daniil Medvedev in the fourth round of this year's Australian Open.
Now, Djokovic is rarely seen in the 38-year-old Grand Slam and ranked seventh in the rankings and may have to beat 2024 US Open runner-up Taylor Fritz, fourth seed, in the quarterfinals, then in the semi-finals, then in the finals, then in the finals, Jannik Sinner, then in the finals.
Williams, who was won by the American Tennis Association, where she won two of seven Grand Slam singles titles, will be the oldest player to compete in singles at Flushing Meadows since 1981.
But the people she faces show the ability to improve her game in the biggest matches. Muchova competed in the semi-finals in New York later that summer and last year in the 2023 French Open final.
The third-seeded Coco Gauff won her first major title at the 2023 U.S. Open, first facing the Australian Ajla Tomljanovic, who beat Williams' sister Serena in the 2022 final.
On the men's side, the potential quarterfinals are Sinner vs. No. 5 Jack Draper, and third place is Alex de Minaur for Alexander Zverev. The lower half may be Alcaraz vs. 6 Ben Shelton, while Fritz vs. Djokovic.
Women's dormitory could be defending champion and No. 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka against No. 7 Jasmine Paolini, and No. 4 Jessica Pegula beat Mirra Andreeva in the first half. The opponent can see Swiatek's Romp Competition in Wimbledon finals, with second-place IGA Swiatek ranked 8th against Amanda Anisimova, while Gauff vs. 6 No. 6 Madison Keys is the Australian Open champion.