British No. 1 Andy Murray will square Australian Nick Kyrgios in the first round of this year’s US Open.
The draw for the tournament which begins on Monday, August 31 was conducted four days earlier, with 2013 champion Rafael Nadal pitted against Croatian teenager Borna Coric.
Spaniard, Nadal, could get in the path of top seed Novak Djokovic, who is bidding for a third Grand Slam title this year, in a potential blockbuster quarter-final.
The Serb, who has won six of their last seven matchup, begins his campaign against Brazil’s Joao Souza.
Djokovic arrives in New York on the back of defeats to third seed Andy Murray at the Masters Series tournament in Montreal, and Roger Federer, in the Masters event in Cincinnati, yet remains favourite for this year’s title.
Japan’s Kei Nishikori is in the same quarter as No. 7 seed Spaniard David Ferrer and could face Djokovic in a rematch of last year’s semi-final, which he won to advance to his first Grand Slam tournament final.
Ninth seed and defending champion Marin Cilic is in the same half of the draw as Djokovic and will look to capitalise on the seemingly grace of having to face a qualifier in the opening round.
Federer on his own part has been drawn in the same quarter as No. 6 Tomas Berdych – semifinalist in 2012 and 2014 quarterfinalist. The Swiss 17-time Grand Slam winner plays world No. 33 Leonardo Mayer in the first round.
Feeder could face his countryman Stanislas Wawrinka or Murray in the semi-final.
The opening tie between 2012 winner Murray and Kyrgios comes with great expectations, but the Scot will be looking to continue his fine form against the Aussie, whom he has twice won in straight sets in a Major this year (Australian Open and Roland Garros).
Kyrgios enters the fourth slam of the year as one of the most talked-about tennis star in recent weeks, unfortunately for the very odd reasons, which has seen him receive a series of sanctions from the ATP after his on-court incident with Stan Wawrinka in Montreal.
Kyrgios, 20, was heard via an on-court microphone saying Wawrinka’s girlfriend had been “banged’’ by Aussie compatriot Thanasi Kokkinakis.
If games goes according to seeding, Murray could face Wawrinka in the last 8 and Federer in the semi-final.
Defending women’s singles champion Serena Williams is aiming to become just the fourth person ever to complete a calendar Grand Slam and starts against Russian Vitalia Diatchenko.
Williams is on a 28-match winning run at a Grand Slam and needs seven more wins to make history.
The American already holds all four major titles, including last year’s US Open and will be looking forward to completing her fourth successive triumph at Flushing Meadows.
Countrywomen, Sloane Stephens, Madison Keys, her older sibling, Venus, and Russian Maria Sharapova are threat to Serena’s prospect of reaching the final, which could pit her against No. 2 seed Simona Halep.
A Serena success in New York will see the 34-year-old equal Steffi Graf’s total of 22 Grand Slam singles titles – the most in the Open era – trailing just Margaret Court’s record of 24 on the all-time list.
“There’s always another record and another person to pass or catch up to,” she is quoted as saying by the official website of the US Open. “I never thought I’d be in a position to talk about passing Steffi Graf or even mentioning Margaret Court. I just grew up trying to do the best I could and have worked hard for everything.”
