The US Open singles draw has been made, with Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper to start their tournaments against qualifiers in New York.
But Raducanu could face a tricky third-round opponent in the shape of former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, if she gets past another seeded opponent in Veronika Kudermetova in round two, while fifth seed Draper has landed in the same quarter as defending men’s champion Jannik Sinner.
It’s a tougher opening draw for Katie Boulter and Sonay Kartal, who begin against seeded opponents in Marta Kostyuk and Beatriz Haddad-Maia respectively. Cameron Norrie also faces a tricky test against American Sebastian Korda while Jacob Fearnley begins against the experienced Roberto Bautista Agut.
On the women’s side, defending champion Aryna Sabalenka begins against Rebeka Masarova but has avoided landing on the same side of the draw as Coco Gauff or Madison Keys. They join Iga Swiatek in the bottom half, and the second seed could face a Wimbledon final rematch with eighth seed Amanda Anisimova in New York.
On the men’s side, Novak Djokovic will play American Learner Tien in the first round and has landed in the same quarter as fourth seed Taylor Fritz, as well as the same half as Carlos Alcaraz, who begins against Reilly Opelka. World No 1 Sinner plays Vit Kopriva in his first-round match.
Elsewhere, former champion Venus Williams, who is back at the US Open as a 45-year-old wildcard, will play 11th seed and two-time US Open semi-finalist Karolina Muchova on her return to Flushing Meadows. Follow the draw with our live blog below:
US Open draw live
- Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka are men's and women's defending champions
- Jack Draper and Emma Raducanu drawn against qualifiers for first round
- Katie Boutler and Sonay Kartal faces seeds
- Novak Djokovic in same half of draw as Carlos Alcaraz
The danger for Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper in US Open draw
18:57 , Jamie BraidwoodEmma Raducanu and Jack Draper will both play qualifiers in the first round of the US Open - then it will get tougher.
Raducanu potentially faces ninth seed Elena Rybakina in the third round, while Jack Draper, who arrives as fifth seed, may need to play defending champion Jannik Sinner in the quarter-finals, a round earlier than last year when the World No 1 triumphed in their semi-final in New York.
The danger for Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper in US Open draw
Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper face qualifiers in US Open first round
18:05 , Mike JonesEmma Raducanu and Jack Draper will both face qualifiers in the opening round of the US Open.
The pair are the leading British hopes for success in New York, with Draper bidding to follow up last year’s breakthrough run to the semi-finals.
Seeded fifth, the draw initially appears to have been kind to the 23-year-old, although he could face defending champion Jannik Sinner a round earlier than last year in the last eight.
Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper face qualifiers in US Open first round
Serena Williams feels ‘light physically and mentally’ after losing 31 pounds
18:00 , Caitlin HornikRetired tennis champion Serena Williams has opened up about her 31-pound weight loss, aided by the use of a popular medication.
In a new interview, Williams revealed she used a GLP-1 — medications like Ozempic and Wegovy that impact satiety — to help her achieve her goals.
“I feel great,” she told the People. “I feel really good and healthy. I feel light physically and light mentally.”
Serena Williams shares 31-pound weight loss with help of medication
US Open main draw highlights
17:54 , Mike JonesThe US Open singles draw has been made, with Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper to start their tournaments against qualifiers in New York.
But Raducanu could face a tricky third-round opponent in the shape of former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, if she gets past another seeded opponent in Veronika Kudermetova in round two, while fifth seed Draper has landed in the same quarter as defending men’s champion Jannik Sinner.
It’s a tougher opening draw for Katie Boulter and Sonay Kartal, who begin against seeded opponents in Marta Kostyuk and Beatriz Haddad-Maia respectively. Cameron Norrie also faces a tricky test against American Sebastian Korda while Jacob Fearnley begins against the experienced Roberto Bautista Agut.
On the women’s side, defending champion Aryna Sabalenka begins against Rebeka Masarova but has avoided landing on the same side of the draw as Coco Gauff or Madison Keys. They join Iga Swiatek in the bottom half, and the second seed could face a Wimbledon final rematch with eighth seed Amanda Anisimova in New York.
On the men’s side, Novak Djokovic will play American Learner Tien in the first round and has landed in the same quarter as fourth seed Taylor Fritz, as well as the same half as Carlos Alcaraz, who begins against Reilly Opelka. World No 1 Sinner plays Vit Kopriva in his first-round match.
Elsewhere, former champion Venus Williams, who is back at the US Open as a 45-year-old wildcard, will play 11th seed and two-time US Open semi-finalist Karolina Muchova on her return to Flushing Meadows.
Draw opens up for Swiatek
17:47 , Mike JonesIga Swiatek hopes to dethrone Aryna Sabalenka and the draw has opened up nicely for her.
She faces Colombia’s Emiliana Arango in the first round and will avoid a seeded player until the third round where she could face Anna Kalinskaya.
Kalinskaya has only ever reached the third round once though meaning Swiatek’s first ‘tricky’ match would likely come in the fourth round against 13th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova.
These are all hypotheticals of course but things like to be set up well for the No.2 seed and Cincinnati Open champion.
Gauff learns opponent
17:41 , Mike JonesThe French Open champion, Coco Gauff, is set to face Australian Ajla Tomljanovic in the first round.
Tomljanovic has reached the quarter-finals of this grand slam before so is no slouch and Gauff will need to find her A-game at her home grand slam.
Other names of note
17:37 , Mike JonesTeenager Victora Mboko, fresh off her win at the Canadian Open, came into the draw seeded 22nd.
She faces Barbora Krejcikova in the first round with the Czech a two-time grand slam winner having triumphed at the French Open and at Wimbledon.
Her best effort on the hard courts of the US Open is the quarter-final in 2021, but she also reached that stage at the similar Australian Open in 2024.
Venus Williams has difficult start
17:34 , Mike JonesThe US fans would have loved 45-year-old Venus Williams to go on a strong run at the US Open and it is still possible.
It’s not just extremely more difficult.
Williams have been drawn against Karolina Muchova in the opening round.
The 29-year-old Czech is the 11th seed for the tournament and reached the semi-finals here in both 2023 and 2024.
Still be aiming to do better this time around which could mean an early exit for Williams, unfortunately.
Women's top eight by seeding
17:30 , Mike JonesAnd for the women, last year’s finalists Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula could meet in the semi-finals this time around:
(1) Sabalenka vs Paolini (7)
(4) Pegula vs Andreeva (5)
(3) Gauff vs Keys (6)
(8) Anisimova vs Swiatek (2)
Men's top eight by seeding
17:28 , Mike JonesShould all the seeded players make it through to their respective quarter-finals this is how the men’s draw is shaping up:
(1) Sinner vs Draper (5)
(3) Zverev vs de Minaur (8)
(7) Djokovic vs Fritz (4)
(6) Shelton vs Alcaraz (2)
Sabalenka faces Masarova
17:25 , Mike JonesAryna Sabalenka, meanwhile, gets her campaign going against Rebeka Masarova of Switzerland.
Boulter and Kartal draw seeds
17:20 , Mike JonesIt’s not as fortunate for Katie Boulter and Sonay Kartal.
The two Brits have drawn seeded players in the opening round with Boulter taking on 27th seed Marta Kostyuk and Kartal facing 17th seed Beatriz Haddad Maia.
Two tough matches but if either Brit gets through they’ll take a heap of confidence with them.
Raducanu draws qualifier
17:17 , Mike JonesOver on the women’s side of the draw, Emma Raducanu has a decent first round match.
She doesn’t know her opponent yet, as like Draper, the British No. 1 has been drawn against a qualifier/lucky loser still to be determined.
Should Raducanu find some form and progress through the tournament a clash with Elena Rybakina could happen in round three.
Alcaraz to take on Opelka
17:14 , Mike JonesCarlos Alcaraz has a big task ahead of him too.
That’s because he faces Reilly Opelka, a 6ft 11in giant, in the opening round.
Opelka, being American, will have the crowd on his side and he can serve over 140mph.
Norrie faces Korda
17:12 , Mike JonesCameron Norrie has a tricky draw too.
He’ll go up against Sebastian Korda, an American, in the first round before potentially meeting the 28th seed Alex Michelsen, another American, in the second round.
Djokovic drawn against Tien
17:11 , Mike JonesIt’ll be a home favourite for Novak Djokovic in the first round as the 24-time grand slam champion takes on American Learner Tien.
He’s drawn in the same section as Zverev and Fearnley meaning they could meet.
Tough draw for Fearnley
17:08 , Mike JonesJacob Fearnley, meanwhile, has a tricky draw.
He begins his campaign against Roberto Bautista Agut with the 37-year-old filled with experience and power hitting.
Should he make it through the first round he could face Alexander Zverev, the No.3 seed, in the second round.
Draper to face qualifier
17:06 , Mike JonesJack Draper meanwhile will face a qualifier/lucky loser once the final round of qualifying is complete.
He’s in the same side of the draw as Sinner and good come face-to-face with the reigning champion in the quarter-finals.
Bublik to face Cilic
17:04 , Mike JonesOne of the eye-raising first round ties sees Alexander Bublik take on Marin Cilic.
36-year-old Cilic had a decent run at Wimbledon and will be hoping to do so again in New York.
Men's singles draw
17:03 , Mike JonesHere we go then.
The men’s defending champion, Jannik Sinner, has been drawn against Vit Kopriva in the first round.
The 28-year-old 28 has never gone past the first round at the US Open and it seems like a fine draw first up for Sinner.
Almost time for the draw
16:55 , Mike JonesThe draw for the US Open singles takes place at 5pm so around five minutes time.
We’ll be following it live but you can also catch the draw on the US Open website.
Why Jack Draper stunningly left Nike for new brand before US Open
16:50 , Mike JonesJack Draper’s rise to the top of men’s tennis has seen him sport the iconic, clean look of Nike since his days as a junior up until his Wimbledon bow and historic Indian Wells Open victory.
But all of that has changed last month when his Nike deal expired and not only did he switch brands, but Draper took the decision to enter the unknown as the face of Vuori’s venture into tennis.
Singles prize money breakdown by round
16:45 , Mike JonesThe full breakdown of US Open prize money, for both the men’s and women’s singles, is below:
- Champion: $5,000,000
- Runner-Up: $2,500,000
- Semifinalists: $1,260,000
- Quarterfinalists: $660,000
- Round of 16: $400,000
- Round of 32: $237,000
- Round of 64: $154,000
- Round of 128: $110,000
US Open prize money
16:40 , Mike JonesThe US Open will be the first tennis event to reach $90m in total player compensation.
It is the largest purse of prize money in tennis history beating the $75m total in 2024 - the previous highest purse.
The men's and women's singles champions at the 2025 US Open will each take home $5m, up 39% from the $3.6m awarded in 2024.
Iga Swiatek sends ominous message to US Open rivals after securing Cincinnati title
16:35 , Mike JonesIga Swiatek captured her first Cincinnati Open title by beating Jasmine Paolini 7-5 6-4, with the Pole third seed sending a powerful message ahead of the US Open.
The six-time grand slam winner did not drop a set on her way to the title and was clinical in the final, converting all six of her break points to clinch her 11th WTA 1000 crown and first since last year's Italian Open.
She is now the second all-time winner in the WTA 1000 format history, trailing only Serena Williams (23).
Iga Swiatek sends ominous message to US Open rivals after securing Cincinnati title
Carlos Alcaraz sends touching message to Jannik Sinner
16:30 , Mike JonesCarlos Alcaraz sent a touching message to Jannik Sinner after his rival retired from their Cincinnati Open final after just five games having struggled with illness.
Sinner, the World No 1, did not win a game and threw in the towel after just 20 minutes of the match, with the Italian confirming that he started feeling ill the day before.
“As you said Jannik, this isn’t the way I want to win matches, to win a trophy,” said Alcaraz, as he turned to the player who defeated him in the Wimbledon final last month.
“I just gotta say sorry. I know and understand how you can feel right now. All I can say… as I said many many times, you are truly a champion.
“I’m pretty sure from this situation you’re gonna come back better, even stronger. You always do. That’s what true champions do. You really are one.”
Will Sinner play at the US Open
16:25 , Mike JonesThere are still some lingering doubts over men’s defending champion Jannik Sinner.
He withdrew from the Cincinnati Open final against Carlos Alcaraz with illness and was not able to feature in the two-day mixed doubles tournament ahead of the US Open.
He remains in the men’s draw and has said he will take the time to recover.
But, will he be fit enough to compete at his best and truly defend his title? We will see.
Jannik Sinner pulls out of US Open mixed doubles after Cincinnati Open retirement
16:20 , Jamie BraidwoodJannik Sinner has pulled out of the US Open mixed doubles event after struggling with illness and retiring from his Cincinnati Open final against Carlos Alcaraz after just five games on Monday.
The World No 1 said he started to feel ill on Sunday and through the night but thought he would have recovered to face Alcaraz in the final, although his condition worsened and he retired trailing 5-0 in the first set.
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Jannik Sinner pulls out of US Open mixed doubles after Cincinnati Open retirement
Brits in the men's draw
16:15 , Mike JonesJack Draper perhaps holds the strongest chance for a Brit to win the tournament.
He is the fifth seed and reached the semi-finals here in 2024.
Elsewhere, Cameron Norrie hopes to back up a superb run at Wimbledon with a strong outing here and Jacob Fearnley enters the draw as an unseeded player.
Men's seeded players
16:10 , Mike JonesHere are the seeds for the men’s draw. It comes as no surprise that Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz take the top two spots having won 2025’s three previous majors between them.
- Jannik Sinner
- Carlos Alcaraz
- Alexander Zverev
- Taylor Fritz
- Jack Draper
- Ben Shelton
- Novak Djokovic
- Alex de Minaur
- Karen Khachanov
- Lorenzo Musetti
- Holger Rune
- Casper Ruud
- Daniil Medvedev
- Tommy Paul
- Andrey Rublev
- Jakub Mensik
- Frances Tiafoe
- Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
- Francisco Cerúndolo
- Jirí Lehecka
- Tomás Machác
- Ugo Humbert
- Alexander Bublik
- Flavio Cobolli
- Félix Auger-Aliassime
- Stefanos Tsitsipas
- Denis Shapovalov
- Alex Michelsen
- Tallon Griekspoor
- Brandon Nakashima
- Gabriel Diallo
- Luciano Darderi
US Open mixed doubles champions make firm statement
16:05 , Mike JonesUS Open mixed doubles champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori insist they were playing for “doubles players” as they took the $1m prize in the controversial 16-team event in New York.
The all-Italian pairing are the only doubles specialist team in this year’s draw, courtesy of a wild card pick, and defeated Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud in the final on Wednesday.
“For us, it was important to send a message before the tournament,” Vavassori said,
“When we got the wildcard, when Eric [Butorac, US Open senior director] called me, I was grateful to play, [but] at least there were not so many doubles players.
“We are also playing for them. I think it’s important to show also that doubles players are great players.
“All the doubles guys were saying to me: ‘You are the only one playing for now, so play also for us a little bit.’”
Divisive US Open mixed doubles was a surprise success but must change to survive
16:00 , Flo Clifford“Spectacular awaits” was the tagline adorning every advertising hoarding inside Arthur Ashe and Louis Armstrong for this week’s revamped US Open mixed doubles tournament. The final verdict may be slightly more lukewarm.
Wednesday night’s result was victory for the defending champions and only actual mixed doubles team, Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori. It was also a win both for doubles specialists, who face an uphill battle even to be taken seriously, and for tennis purists everywhere.
Divisive US Open mixed doubles was a surprise success but it must change to survive
Venus Williams set to return
15:55 , Mike JonesVenus Williams has entered the draw as a wildcard option and will compete for the US Open title at the age of 45.
How far she can go will largely depend on who she is drawn out against in the early stages but a lengthy run towards the back end of the tournament would be a great story for the seven-time grand slam winner.
Which Brits are in the US Open draw?
15:45 , Mike JonesEmma Raducanu, the British No.1, returns to New York to try and win the US Open title for the second time after her barnstorming victory here in 2021.
British No. 2 Katie Boulter and British No. 3 Sonay Kartal are also in the draw and all three will enter as unseeded players.
Women's singles seeded player
15:40 , Mike JonesHere’s the list of seeded player for the women’s singles draw with Aryna Sabalenka, the defending champion and world No.1 of course seeded top of the pile.
- Aryna Sabalenka
- Coco Gauff
- Iga Swiatek
- Jessica Pegula
- Mirra Andreeva
- Madison Keys
- Jasmine Paolini
- Amanda Anisimova
- Elena Rybakina
- Emma Navarro
- Karolína Muchová
- Elina Svitolina
- Ekaterina Alexandrova
- Clara Tauson
- Daria Kasatkina
- Belinda Bencic
- Liudmila Samsonoval
- Beatriz Haddad Maia
- Elise Mertens
- Diana Shnaider
- Linda Nosková
- Victoria Mboko
- Naomi Osaka
- Veronika Kudermetova
- Jelena Ostapenko
- Sofia Kenin
- Marta Kostyuk
- Magdalena Frech
- Anna Kalinskaya
- Dayana Yastremska
- Leylah Fernandez
- McCartney Kessler
When is the US Open draw?
15:35 , Mike JonesThe draw for the men’s and women’s singles will take place on Thursday 21 August.
The start time of the draw will be around 5pm BST / 12pm local.
It will be available to watch live on the US Open website.
US Open singles draw
15:30 , Mike JonesJannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka are the defending champions as the US Open returns in New York.
Both World No 1s triumphed against American opponents in last year’s singles finals, with Sinner defeating Taylor Fritz and Sabalenka beating Jessica Pegula.
Britain’s Jack Draper enjoyed his career-best run at a grand slam by reaching last year’s semi-finals, while Emma Raducanu has shown flashes of form on the hard-courts as she returns to the scene of her stunning 2021 title.
As well as Novak Djokovic’s latest bid for a 25th major title and Carlos Alcaraz’s attempt to stop Sinner’s winning streak, the return of Venus Williams as a 45-year-old wildcard adds to the storylines ahead of the final grand slam tournament of the year.
In what is usually an unpredictable tournament, teenager Victoria Mboko announced herself as one to watch by winning the Canadian Open title, while Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff will be out to dethrone Sabalenka too.
Good afternoon!
14:24 , Mike JonesWelcome to The Independent’s coverage of the US Open main draw.
Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka both hope to defend the title they won last year and will discover who they face in the first round.
Stick around as we’ll have all the latest updates and build-up to the draw which takes place at 5pm BST.
