Top seed Jannik Sinner faces a challenging path to the U.S. Open final, while Aryna Sabalenka is also set for a tough test, according to the draw released on Thursday.
Sinner, who recently won his fifth title of the season in Cincinnati, will have to navigate a difficult draw. The Italian’s doping case, which has been a major topic leading up to the tournament, ended without a ban after it was determined he bore no fault or negligence for two positive tests in March.
Sinner is projected to meet 14th seed Tommy Paul in the fourth round, 2021 champion Daniil Medvedev (5) in the quarter-finals, Carlos Alcaraz (3) in the semis, and defending champion Novak Djokovic (2) in the final.
Djokovic, who hasn’t played since winning gold at the Paris Olympics, is expected to face a qualifier in the first round, Andrey Rublev in the quarter-finals, and fourth seed Alexander Zverev in the semis.
French Open and Wimbledon champion Alcaraz, who had an early exit in his only U.S. Open warm-up, will also start against a qualifier and could face Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz in the quarter-finals.
On the men’s side, a notable first-round matchup features Ben Shelton, who reached the semis last year, against 2020 champion Dominic Thiem, who is retiring at the end of the season.
In the women’s draw, top seed Iga Swiatek, a five-time Grand Slam champion, will begin against a qualifier and might face Canadian Open winner Jessica Pegula in the quarter-finals.
Second seed Sabalenka, aiming to improve on her runner-up finish last year, enters the tournament fresh after a mid-season break to focus on her health. She comes in strong after winning the Cincinnati tune-up event. Her path could include a third-round match against Ekaterina Alexandrova (29), a fourth-round meeting with Madison Keys (14), a quarter-final against Zheng Qinwen (7), a semi-final against defending champion Coco Gauff (3), and potentially Swiatek in the final.
Gauff, who last year became the first American to win the U.S. Open singles title since 2017, will start her title defense against France’s Varvara Gracheva.
Among the high-profile first-round women’s matches, four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka will face 10th seed Jelena Ostapenko in her first New York appearance since becoming a mother. Wimbledon and French Open runner-up Jasmine Paolini will face 2019 U.S. Open champion Bianca Andreescu for the third consecutive Grand Slam.
The U.S. Open will take place from August 26 to September 8.
