After a marathon match between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday within the last of the Western & Southern Open in Ohio, Djokovic stated he hoped to play Alcaraz once more on the U.S. Open “for the gang.”
The gang could get to see that rematch.
The lads’s and ladies’s singles attracts for the U.S. Open, which begins on Monday in New York, revealed the trail for Djokovic and Alcaraz to fulfill once more within the last, which might even be a rematch of final month’s Wimbledon last, an exhilarating five-setter that Alcaraz gained after practically 5 hours on the court docket.
“Each match we play towards one another goes the space,” Djokovic stated after the ultimate on Sunday, including that the match felt like a Grand Slam.
Djokovic returns to New York after lacking the U.S. Open final yr as a result of he was unvaccinated towards the coronavirus and journey restrictions wouldn’t enable him to enter the USA. Now, with an injured Rafael Nadal and a retired Roger Federer not in his approach, Djokovic will search his twenty fourth Grand Slam title and his third of the season after profitable in Australia and France earlier this yr.
Djokovic, who will play Alexandre Muller of France within the first spherical of the event, is not going to have a simple path to the ultimate. He may doubtlessly face the No. 7 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece within the quarterfinals, and within the semifinals, Djokovic may play Holger Rune of Denmark or Casper Ruud, the Norwegian who reached final yr’s U.S. Open last.
Alcaraz, who will face Dominik Koepfer of Germany within the first spherical, may additionally see some formidable opposition as he seems to be to defend his U.S. Open title. Alcaraz may play towards Jannik Sinner of Italy within the quarterfinals, adopted by one in all two Russians, both Andrey Rublev or Daniil Medvedev, the 2021 U.S. Open champion.
The ladies’s draw may additionally result in a number of rivalries and rematches. Iga Swiatek, the No. 1 girls’s participant on the planet, may find yourself within the last towards Aryna Sabalenka, this yr’s Australian Open champion.
In defending her U.S. Open title, Swiatek may face Coco Gauff within the quarterfinals. Earlier than this month, Swiatek had gained seven matches towards Gauff, however the 19-year-old American lastly discovered a option to defeat Swiatek this month within the semifinals of the Western & Southern Open. Gauff went on to win the event for her first WTA 1000 title.
On the opposite aspect of the draw, Sabalenka may play a quarterfinal match towards Ons Jabeur, the Tunisian No. 5 seed who reached the U.S. Open last final yr and misplaced within the Wimbledon last in July. Within the semis, Sabalenka may meet both Caroline Garcia of France or Jessica Pegula, the American No. 3 seed.
Whereas each attracts provide promising matchups, this yr’s event will miss some massive names: An harm has saved Nadal sidelined for the reason that Australian Open, with hopes to return subsequent yr. Naomi Osaka, a two-time U.S. Open champion, will miss the event after giving delivery to her daughter this summer season, and Emma Raducanu, the 2021 U.S. Open champion, is out as she recovers from three minor procedures.
Simona Halep, a two-time Grand Slam singles champion, was withdrawn from the event due to a provisional suspension she acquired final yr after she examined optimistic for a performance-enhancing drug in the course of the 2022 U.S. Open.
This yr’s U.S. Open can even miss trick pictures from Nick Kyrgios, who withdrew from the event due to a wrist harm.
However regardless of the notable absences, the event will open with some sturdy first-round matches: Tsitsipas, who misplaced to Djokovic on this yr’s Australian Open last, will begin off towards Milos Raonic, a Wimbledon finalist in 2016. Venus Williams, the 43-year-old seven-time Grand Slam champion, will play Greet Minnen of Belgium after Paula Badosa withdrew from the event with an harm. And Sloane Stephens, the 2017 U.S. Open champion, will play within the first spherical towards Beatriz Haddad Maia, a Brazilian participant who has had an honest season, reaching the French Open semifinals this yr and the spherical of 16 at Wimbledon.