The draw for the final Grand Slam of the year has been completed, with US Open hopefuls on the men's and women's side learning their potential paths to the Flushing Meadows final.
Contrary to the likes of Wimbledon and the French Open, where a ceremony enables tennis aficionados to watch the draw live, there was no such presentation for the US Open, where the full draw was released at 5pm BST.
Novak Djokovic and Coco Gauff arrive in New York as the defending champions, but neither has triumphed in a Grand Slam singles event this year, while Iga Swiatek and Jannik Sinner - on the back of a highly-publicised doping controversy - boast the number one seed label.
Here, Sports Mole takes a look at some of the key battles set to take place at this year's US Open, including the fate of the Brits, the top seeds and some of the other notable contenders.
Emma Raducanu to open against former Grand Slam champion
© Reuters
Three years ago, a baby-faced teenager by the name of Emma Raducanu ended a 44-year wait for another women's singles Grand Slam champion from Great Britain, although her career has not exactly gone from strength to strength since.
Nevertheless, the injury-plagued 21-year-old has posted some praiseworthy results since recovering from her surgery hell, most notably reaching the last 16 at Wimbledon, although she enters the US Open having not played a top-level match in three weeks.
A stern test is first up for Raducanu, who meets Sofia Kenin - the 2020 Australian Open champion - in her maiden affair, although the American has also failed to kick on since that purple patch four years ago, where she also reached the French Open final.
Raducanu - who could face Jessica Pegula in round two - is one of three British women to have earned direct entry into the main draw, and the world number 71 is on a blockbuster collision course with current national number one Katie Boulter.
© Imago
The 31st seed will take on a qualifier in her first-round battle, and should she also win that match and a second-round contest with Petra Martic or Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, she could find herself facing Raducanu in the third round.
However, Harriet Dart - who failed to make it through qualifying last year - has been kept apart from her two compatriots and faces French wild card Chloe Paquet, who makes her US Open main-draw debut at the age of 30.
Owing to Cameron Norrie's withdrawal, Jack Draper and Dan Evans were the only two British men to go straight into the main draw, and the former faces Zhang Zhizhen of China in his first-round match before a possible third-round showdown with Carlos Alcaraz.
Evans is on the same side of the draw and has a tough assignment against 23rd seen Karen Khachanov, although the 34-year-old has beaten the Russian in each of their previous four ATP Tour battles.
Novak Djokovic to meet Jannik Sinner in US Open final?
© Reuters
While Djokovic touches down in the USA without a major title to his name this year, he is proudly sporting an Olympic gold medal around his neck and will begin his bid for Grand Slam crown number 25 against a qualifier.
Further down the line, the 37-year-old could reunite with Ben Shelton in round four after seeing off the American in last year's semi-finals, before a possible last-four battle with Alexander Zverev and showpiece contest with Sinner.
The Italian's US Open build-up has been disrupted by doping revelations after it was revealed that he tested positive for the anabolic steroid Clostebol in March, although he did not face a suspension on account of the positive test stemming from his physio using a spray containing the banned substance to treat a cut on his finger.
Sinner meets the American Mackenzie McDonald first up, but he may have to go through Daniil Medvedev in the quarter-finals and Alcaraz in the semis to meet Djokovic with the trophy on the line.
Like Djokovic, Alcaraz will also kick off his US Open campaign against a qualifier, as will women's top seed Iga Swiatek, who won her first and only Grand Slam hard-court title to date at the 2022 event.
© Reuters
The four-time French Open winner could find herself crossing paths with Aryna Sabalenka in yet another mouthwatering final, as the Belarusian also prepares to begin her bid for stardom against a qualifier.
Should Sabalenka steamroll her way to the latter part of the competition as expected, her rematch with 2023 winner Gauff could come in the semi-finals, prior to which she is on course to reunite with Qinwen Zheng - whom she beat in this year's Australian Open final - in the last eight.
For defending champion Gauff, the home favourite will face Varvara Gracheva in the first round and has been handed a challenging path to the final - all of Elina Svitolina, Emma Navarro and Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova could stand in her way.
Elsewhere, Elena Rybakina will take on a qualifier in the first round, and on that same side of the draw, Jelena Ostapenko and Naomi Osaka collide in one of the most eye-catching first-round ties.
The 2024 US Open will also mark Dominic Thiem's last major, and the 2020 champion faces a challenging opening assignment against Shelton.
Ben Knapton
