Jannik Sinner to start US Open against Vit Kopriva, Aryna Sabalenka faces tricky test

NEW YORK – Defending champion Jannik Sinner, who has been recovering from illness, received a more favourable route to the US Open final than Carlos Alcaraz while Aryna Sabalenka will be tested in her bid to retain her title after the draw was made on Aug 21.

Top seed Sinner's health has come into focus since he withdrew from the Cincinnati final on Aug 18 while trailing Alcaraz 5-0. He later withdrew from the since-completed mixed doubles event in New York.

Coach Darren Cahill has played down concerns, saying the world No. 1 is recovering from a virus, and they are confident he will be ready ahead of his US Open defence.

“I spoke briefly with him. He was feeling a little better,” Cahill told ESPN.

“He will rest, that’s the plan. We are confident he will be fine.”

Sinner, who increased his Grand Slam tally to four with Australian Open and Wimbledon titles in 2025, will open against Czech Vit Kopriva and could face fifth seed Jack Draper in the quarter-finals, third seed Alexander Zverev in the semis, and Alcaraz in the final.

Reigning French Open champion Alcaraz, in a stacked bottom half of the draw, will begin against American Reilly Opelka and his road to the final could include a quarter-final clash with Ben Shelton and 2024 runner-up Taylor Fritz in the semi-finals.

Four-time champion Novak Djokovic, seeded seventh, will start against Learner Tien and could face Frances Tiafoe in the fourth round and fourth seed Fritz in the quarters before a blockbuster semi-final against Alcaraz.

In the women’s draw, top seed Sabalenka opens against Rebeka Masarova and could meet Cincinnati finalist Jasmine Paolini in the quarters, Jessica Pegula in the semis and Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek in the final.

Second seed Swiatek, fresh from her Cincinnati win, starts against Colombia’s Emiliana Arango and may face Amanda Anisimova in a quarter-final rematch of their one-sided Wimbledon final.

French Open champion Coco Gauff, the third seed, could face sixth seed and fellow American Madison Keys, who won this year's Australian Open, in the quarter-finals before a possible date with Swiatek.

Twice champion Venus Williams, who received a wild card into the main draw and will be playing in her first Grand Slam since losing in the first round of the 2023 US Open, will face No. 11 seed and twice semi-finalist Karolina Muchova.

Among some other first-round matchups, twice winner Naomi Osaka, the 23rd seed, will face Belgian Greet Minnen, while Victoria Mboko, the 18-year-old Canadian who two weeks ago triumphed in Montreal for her first WTA Tour title, will open against two-time Grand Slam winner Barbora Krejcikova.

The singles tournaments at the year's final Grand Slam, where the men's and women's singles winners will earn US$5 million (S$6.4 million) each, begin on Aug 24.
REUTERS