Top seed Jannik Sinner, whose recent doping case has overshadowed his preparation for the US Open, faces a challenging path to the final in New York. Sinner, who recently secured his fifth title of the season in Cincinnati, will contend with 14th seed Tommy Paul in the fourth round, potentially meeting Daniil Medvedev in the quarterfinals, Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals, and defending champion Novak Djokovic in the final. The Italian's doping case was resolved with no fault found, allowing him to focus on his upcoming matches.
Novak Djokovic, who has not competed since winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics, will start his campaign against a qualifier. Djokovic is expected to encounter Andrey Rublev in the quarterfinals and fourth seed Alexander Zverev in the semifinals. Meanwhile, Carlos Alcaraz, the reigning French Open and Wimbledon champion, will also begin against a qualifier and may face Hubert Hurkacz in the quarterfinals, following a less-than-ideal performance in his US Open warm-up.
On the women's side, top seed Iga Swiatek, who reached the fourth round last year, will open against a qualifier. She could face Canadian Open champion and Cincinnati runner-up Jessica Pegula in the quarterfinals. Second seed Aryna Sabalenka, returning from a mid-year break, will be tested throughout the tournament, with potential matchups including Ekaterina Alexandrova in the third round, Madison Keys in the fourth round, Zheng Qinwen in the quarters, and defending champion Coco Gauff in the semifinals.
Among notable first-round matchups, Ben Shelton will face 2020 US Open champion Dominic Thiem, who is retiring at the end of the year. In the women's draw, Naomi Osaka, making her first appearance in New York since becoming a mother, will play against 10th seed Jelena Ostapenko. Additionally, Jasmine Paolini will take on Bianca Andreescu, marking their third consecutive Grand Slam meeting. The US Open runs from August 26 to September 8.
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