US Open draw: Emma Raducanu to face Sofia Kenin, Katie Boulter to play qualifier, Jack Draper vs. Zhang Zhizhen

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

Elsewhere in the men’s draw, world number one Jannik Sinner, French Open and Wimbledon champion Alcaraz and former US Open winner Daniil Medvedev are all in the same half.

Australian Open champion Sinner could meet last year’s runner-up Medvedev in the quarter-finals before facing Alcaraz for a place in the final.

Alcaraz and Sinner were touted as the new rivalry to watch on the ATP Tour and played out an epic five-hour quarter-final in New York in 2022, when Alcaraz won the title.

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

Olympic champion Djokovic also faces a tough draw, with recent Montreal Open champion Alexei Popyrin potentially waiting for him in the third round, followed by local hopefuls Frances Tiafoe or Ben Shelton.

In the women’s tournament, top seed Iga Swiatek will open against a qualifier, as will in-form favourite Aryna Sabalenka.

Second-seeded Sabalenka could potentially set up a rematch of last year’s final against Gauff in the semi-finals, but the 20-year-old American found herself in the same half as Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova and compatriot Emma Navarro, who beat her at SW19 earlier this year.

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

American Pegula has never made it past the quarter-finals at a major tournament but is on track, having won the Canadian Open title earlier in August, and opens against compatriot Shelby Rogers.