The US Open kicked off on Sunday evening, marking the final Grand Slam tournament of the season. The draw, held on Thursday, already promised intriguing matches from the very first round. Let’s see who will be facing the First & Red ambassadors at the start of the tournament and what their prospects are of advancing through the draw.
Alexander Bublik's condition before the start of the US Open is a mystery to everyone except the player himself. Having rested during the American series of tournaments, in the first round he'll have to play against the winner of the 2014 US Open, Marin Cilic. The Croatian player turned heads at Wimbledon, knocking out the British favourite Jack Draper, showing the world that despite his venerable age by tennis standards (Cilic will be 37 in September), he still has some fire in him. Also note that Alexander and Marin were drawn into Sinner's part of the grid, and in the fourth round we're really hoping to see Bublik take on the world's number one player after already defeating him this year in Halle.
Ninth seed Karen Khachanov may have ended up in the part of the draw against Djokovic or Draper as early as in the fourth round. But in reality, everything turned out to be potentially much better: De Minaur may be a stable top-10 player, but he definitely needs to be dealt with. Already showing excellent form and leaving the Canadian Masters a finalist, Karen will have to move from match to match, in the first round coming up aginst the young American Basavareddy. Karen also has some old friends in his quarter: Alexander Zverev and Andrey Rublev. Khachanov, who reached the semifinals in New York in 2022 and the quarterfinals at Wimbledon this year, clearly expects to compete for at least the second week at the Slam, and at most to show his best results ever at a major. Karen is once again in a well-deserved place in the top ten, and his performance at the US Open will largely determine his prospects for the remaining season in terms of qualifying for the Finals.
In the women's draw, Aryna Sabalenka certainly won't have it easy. Rybakina, Tauson, Veronika Kudermetova, Raducanu, and Mertens all ended up in the world's top-ranked player's section. What we really want to see from Aryna is this: the harder the match-up, the better she plays. The world's number one player has gotten close to other majors this year but hasn't clinched any, so she definitely won't be lacking motivation. In New York, Sabalenka will also have to defend the title she won a year ago. Sabalenka began her title defense on Sunday with a confident straight-sets victory over Rebecca Masarova (7-5, 6-1) on Arthur Ashe Stadium, the biggest tennis arena in the world.
Diana Shnaider will arrive in New York in high spirits after capturing the Monterrey title. The victory in Mexico should give her a strong boost following a series of tough losses earlier in the season. The run also carried special importance for her new coach Sascha Bajin, serving as excellent preparation for the US Open. In the first round in New York, Shnaider will face Laura Siegemund, who made headlines at Wimbledon by reaching the quarterfinals and who is also a two-time US Open champion in doubles and mixed doubles alongside Vera Zvonareva (2020) and Mate Pavic (2016). Shnaider’s quarter is crowded with compatriots and also features Iga Świątek, who together with her Wimbledon crown has found immense confidence and is clearly looking to repeat her New York success from three years ago.
