The men's singles draw for the 2024 US Open has set the stage for an exciting tournament, with top contenders Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, and Daniil Medvedev all placed at the top of the draw. Notably, the current Australian Open champion Sinner and the 2021 US Open winner Medvedev are in the same quadrant, promising a potential high-stakes showdown.
Sinner, who recently clinched the Cincinnati Open title, comes off a dramatic five-set victory over Medvedev in the Australian Open final. However, Medvedev managed to exact revenge in a thrilling Wimbledon quarterfinal. Their rivalry, which has already seen them face off 12 times on tour, could continue in the US Open quarterfinals, where they have never met before. Sinner's path to this potential encounter begins with American Mackenzie McDonald, while Medvedev kicks off against Dusan Lajovic.
Potential Matchups and Challenges on the Road to the Finals
In addition to Sinner and Medvedev, the first quadrant includes Stefanos Tsitsipas, who faces a challenging opponent in the first round against Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis. Tsitsipas is determined to overcome his historical struggles at the US Open, where he has yet to advance beyond the third round in six previous attempts. American Tommy Paul, the 14th seed, is also in this section, starting his campaign against Italian Lorenzo Sonego.
Carlos Alcaraz, the 2022 US Open champion, enters this year's tournament on a rare streak of two consecutive losses, having been defeated by Gael Monfils in Cincinnati and Novak Djokovic in the Paris Olympics final. Alcaraz will look to regain form against a qualifier in the first round, with Denis Shapovalov and Botic van De Zandschulp as potential second-round opponents. A third-round clash with Jack Draper is also a possibility.
The third quadrant of the draw is led by Alexander Zverev and Casper Ruud, both of whom have been close to glory at the US Open in the past. Zverev, a finalist in 2020, starts against Emil Ruusuvuori, while Ruud, a finalist in 2022, faces a qualifier. Top 10 American Taylor Fritz, who is also in this quadrant, begins against Camilo Ugo Carabelli. Brandon Nakashima will compete against 15th seed Holger Rune, and Reilly Opelka will continue his comeback facing 18th seed Lorenzo Musetti.
In the bottom half, second seed Novak Djokovic is positioned for a potential rematch with Ben Shelton in the fourth round, assuming Shelton navigates an opening match against retired Dominic Thiem and a possible third-round clash with Frances Tiafoe. Djokovic's potential opponent in the third round is Alexei Popyrin, who recently won the Montreal Masters 1000 and could pose a significant challenge.
Sixth seed Andrey Rublev begins against Thiago Seyboth Wild, with a potential fourth-round meeting against ninth seed Grigor Dimitrov. The main singles draw of the 2024 US Open starts on Monday, with two days of first-round matches setting the tone for what promises to be an exciting fortnight of tennis.
