Carlos Alcaraz, the defending champion, faces a challenging first-round match against Roman Safiullin at the US Open, marking his return to singles after a four-month injury layoff. Alcaraz has not competed in singles since sustaining a right wrist injury at the Barcelona Open in April, which led to him missing the French Open and Wimbledon.
His recent competitive appearance was in mixed doubles on Tuesday alongside Serena Williams, where they lost in the quarter-finals. Safiullin, ranked world No 98, has risen over 100 places this year and previously defeated Alcaraz at the Paris Masters in 2023.
The men's draw at Flushing Meadows is considered open due to Alcaraz's lack of match play and the absence of world No 1 Jannik Sinner, who withdrew with a knee injury. As the second seed, Alcaraz's section includes eighth seed Ben Shelton and 10th seed Arthur Fils, winners of the Canadian Open and Cincinnati Open respectively.
Four-time champion Novak Djokovic, seeded fourth in Alcaraz���s half, will begin his tournament against Mariano Navone. Alexander Zverev, the French Open champion, is the top seed for the first time at a Grand Slam and will play Lorenzo Sonego.
In the women's draw, defending champion Aryna Sabalenka will start against Camila Osorio as she aims to retain her No 1 ranking. Other contenders include second seed Elena Rybakina, who retired from a recent quarter-final due to injury, and Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff, who won titles in Toronto and Cincinnati respectively.