British stars Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper will both play qualifiers in their opening matches at this year’s US Open.
Draper will be looking to build on the success he enjoyed at Flushing Meadows last year. But he could meet defending champion Jannik Sinner in the quarter-finals if both win through.
Raducanu could be on course for a third-round clash with former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina.
Back at the top of the British rankings, Raducanu is playing probably some of her best tennis since her remarkable US Open triumph in 2021 – although that bar is lower after a turbulent few years due to injury.
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Highlights of the mixed doubles semi-final between Jack Draper/Jessica Pegula and Iga Swiatek/Casper Ruud
Her informal coaching arrangement with Mark Petchey appeared to be working, with the 22-year-old enjoying a run to the semi-finals of the Washington Open, but she has now brought in Rafael Nadal’s former coach Francis Roig ahead of the Grand Slam in New York.
Spanish coach Roig worked alongside Nadal and with Nadal’s uncle Toni for the majority of his career, where he won 22 Grand Slam titles.
Draper warmed up for the singles tournament reaching the mixed doubles semi-finals, with him and Jessica Pegula beating Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz along the way.
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Highlights of the US Open mixed doubles match between Jack Draper/Jessica Pegula and Emma Raducanu/Carlos Alcaraz
World No 5 Draper is hoping to be a force this year. In 2024 he reached the semi-finals at Flushing Meadows before losing to eventual champion Sinner.
Ahead of the tournament he had to withdraw from events in Toronto and Cincinnati due to a forearm injury, but has now recovered ahead of this US Open return.
Novak Djokovic is in the same half of the draw as Alcaraz. The Serb, the winner of 24 Grand Slam titles, will face Learner Tien, a 19-year-old left-hander who upset Daniil Medvedev en route to the fourth round of this year’s Australian Open.
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Carlos Alcaraz hits a winner around the net in his mixed doubles match with Emma Raducanu against Jack Draper and Jessica Pegula
Alcaraz, the No 2 seed, will start against Reilly Opelka, a former top-20 player before injuries who is 6ft 11in with a powerful serve that he rode to the fourth round in New York in 2021.
Sinner starts off with Vit Kopriva before facing either Alexei Popyrin or Emil Ruusuvuori if he wins, then will likely take on Denis Shapovalov, followed by Tommy Paul.
Venus Williams is returning to Flushing Meadows for her first Grand Slam singles appearance since the 2023 US Open. Having entered the tournament as a wild card, Williams will face No 11 seed Karolina Muchova in the first round.
No 3 seed Coco Gauff, who won her first major title in the 2023 US Open, will first face Ajla Tomljanovic, the Australian who beat Williams’ younger sister Serena in her final match in 2022.
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