The US Open is set to begin on Monday at Flushing Meadows, with defending champions Novak Djokovic and Coco Gauff leading a star-studded lineup for the final Grand Slam of the year. Djokovic, aiming to capture his 25th Grand Slam title, will headline the evening session at Arthur Ashe Stadium, where he will face Moldovan qualifier Radu Albot. Despite not competing since winning the Olympic gold medal in Paris three weeks ago, the Serbian world No. 2 is favoured to become the first player to successfully defend his New York title since Roger Federer in 2008. Djokovic expressed his usual determination, saying his goal is always to reach the finals and contend for the trophy.
Coco Gauff will be featured in the day's closing match on Ashe, looking to rebound from a string of disappointing results. She will face France's Varvara Gracheva, following a match where former champion Dominic Thiem, who is retiring at the end of the season, will compete against American 13th seed Ben Shelton. Shelton, who reached the semifinals last year, is one of 17 players in the men's draw aiming to be the first American man to win a Grand Slam since Andy Roddick's 2003 US Open victory.
In the women's draw, second seed Aryna Sabalenka, the Australian Open champion and a pre-tournament favorite, will begin her campaign under the lights of Louis Armstrong Stadium against Australia's Priscilla Hon. Sabalenka, who finished as runner-up last year, arrives in New York buoyed by her recent Cincinnati triumph and aims to become the first woman since Angelique Kerber in 2016 to win both hardcourt majors in the same year.
Monday’s action also includes former finalist Alexander Zverev, sixth seed Andrey Rublev, three-time runner-up Victoria Azarenka, and Americans Taylor Fritz, Madison Keys, and Frances Tiafoe. As the tournament kicks off, these players will be looking to make a significant impact in the year's final Grand Slam event.
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