US Open draw: Emma Raducanu takes on Sofia Kenin, Katie Boulter plays qualifying match, Jack Draper plays Zhang Zhizhen

Novak Djokovic begins his title defence – and his quest for a record 25 Grand Slam titles – against a qualifier, while women’s champion Coco Gauff opens the tournament against France’s Varvara Gracheva.

The men’s team also includes world number one Jannik Sinner, French Open and Wimbledon champion Alcaraz and former US Open winner Daniil Medvedev all in the same half.

Australian Open champion Sinner could face last year’s runner-up Medvedev in the quarter-finals and then Alcaraz for a place in the final.

Alcaraz and Sinner are seen as the new rivals to watch on the ATP Tour. In 2022, they played a five-hour quarterfinal in New York, in which Alcaraz won the title.

Italian politician Sinner was cleared of all wrongdoing earlier this week after testing positive for a banned substance twice in March.

Olympic champion Djokovic also faces a tough draw, with recent Montreal Open champion Alexei Popyrin potentially waiting in the third round, followed by home contenders Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton.

In the women’s event, top-seeded Iga Swiatek will play against a qualifying player, and favorite Aryna Sabalenka will also face one of the candidates.

Second-seeded Sabalenka could get revenge on Gauff in the semi-finals, just as she did in last year’s final. However, the 20-year-old American is in the same half as Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova and her compatriot Emma Navarro, who defeated her earlier this year at SW19.

If Raducanu beats Kenin, she will face an even tougher task in the second round: sixth-seeded and title contender Jessica Pegula.

American Pegula has never reached the quarterfinals of a major tournament, but is in good shape. He won the Canadian Open earlier in August and will play his compatriot Shelby Rogers in the opening match.