Emma Raducanu gets nightmare US Open draw as Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz learn fate

Emma Raducanu will need to be at her very best if she is to make it through the opening rounds of the US Open.

Emma Raducanu will face an uphill battle if she is to reach the latter stages of the US Open this month.

The Brit is set to Sofia Kenin in the opening round of the competition, and a victory is likely to see her face off against Jessica Pegula.

The American hope will be keen to right the wrongs of her runners-up finish at the Cincinnati Masters earlier this month, in what could spell bad news for Raducanu at Flushing Meadows. A victory could set Raducanu up for a clash with fellow Brit Katie Boulter in the third round and then Iga Swiatek in the quarters.

Fresh from his Olympic gold medal in Paris, Novak Djokovic will be keen to continue his good form to claim his 25th Grand Slam singles title. Landing the spoils in the competition would see him claim the record for the most in history from Margaret Court, having recently drawn level with the tennis great.

A win would see him set up a clash with either Jan-Lennard Struff or Laslo Djere in the second round, with Alexei Popyrin likely to be his third-round opponent if both players can avoid any early upsets.

With Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz both drawn on the opposite side of the draw to the Serb, a quarter-final clash with Grigor Dimitrov or Andrey Rublev will be Djokovic’s toughest clash before reaching the final four. He could face Alexander Zverev or Holger Rune in the semi-finals.

Alcaraz will be bidding to make amends for his silver-placed finish at Roland Garros in the Olympics, with a clash with a qualifier awaiting him in the first round. He could face British star Jack Draper in the third round, with the victor likely to go on to face Alejandro Tabilo or Sebastian Korda and then Alex de Minaur or Hubert Hurkacz in the quarters.