CARLOS Alcaraz will begin the defense of his US Open title against an opponent who made an impressive run at Wimbledon while the Spanish star was sidelined by injury.
According to an Associated Press (AP) report, Thursday’s (Friday, Aug. 28, 2026, PH time) draw for the men’s and women’s singles competitions also produced several intriguing opening-round matchups, including a Williams sisters showdown that could have happened had Serena Williams opted to compete in singles.
Venus Williams, who received a wild card into the tournament at age 46, was initially joined by an open wild-card spot that could have gone to her younger sister.
But when Serena, the six-time US Open champion, decided to play only doubles following her return to tennis after a four-year absence, the U.S. Tennis Association awarded the final wild card to 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin.
The draw then paired Venus and Kenin against each other in the opening round.
Main-draw action at the season’s final Grand Slam tournament begins Sunday (Monday in PH).
Alcaraz, the No. 2 seed, will face Roman Safiullin in his first singles match since April. The two-time US Open champion missed the French Open and Wimbledon because of a right wrist injury.
Alcaraz returned to action in mixed doubles alongside Serena Williams and appeared rusty. He could face a stern test from Safiullin, who reached the fourth round at Wimbledon after upsetting Andrey Rublev and Joao Fonseca before losing to 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic in four sets.
Safiullin also stunned Alcaraz, then ranked No. 2, at the 2023 Paris Masters. Alcaraz, however, avenged the defeat at the Paris Olympics the following year in their only other meeting.
Alexander Zverev, the French Open champion who became the top seed in New York after Jannik Sinner withdrew because of a knee injury, opens against Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego.
On the women’s side, two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka begins her campaign against Camila Osorio. The top-ranked Sabalenka, who has struggled during the North American hard-court swing, could face Wimbledon champion and sixth seed Linda Noskova in the quarterfinals.
Other possible women’s quarterfinal matchups include No. 2 Elena Rybakina against No. 8 Iga Swiatek, No. 4 Coco Gauff against No. 5 Mirra Andreeva, and No. 3 Jessica Pegula against No. 7 Karolina Muchova.
Pegula, who opens against Elena-Gabriela Ruse, could face the winner between Williams and Kenin in the second round.
Potential men’s quarterfinals include Zverev against No. 6 Alex de Minaur and No. 3 Felix Auger-Aliassime against No. 5 Flavio Cobolli in the top half. The bottom half could feature Alcaraz against No. 8 Ben Shelton and Djokovic against No. 7 Daniil Medvedev.
No. 10 Arthur Fils, fresh from winning the Cincinnati Open title, opens against two-time Grand Slam finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Meanwhile, 2016 US Open champion Stan Wawrinka, playing in his final Grand Slam tournament before retirement after receiving a wild card, faces 2021 Wimbledon runner-up Matteo Berrettini.
Berrettini won their meeting at Wimbledon in four sets, with all four sets decided by tiebreakers. The winner could face Djokovic in the second round.
No. 23 seed Rublev opens against 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic, while No. 13 Lorenzo Musetti, a quarterfinalist in New York last year, faces Britain’s Arthur Fery.
Some first-round matchups remained undetermined as qualifying was pushed into Friday after rain postponed several matches. Potential women’s contenders, including No. 11 Marta Kostyuk and No. 17 Alex Eala, were among those still waiting to learn their opening-round opponents, the AP reported. / LBG
