Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova will finally meet in the US Open, and they'll do it in their very first match of the 2019 tournament.
The past US Open champions, two of the biggest stars in women's tennis, were scheduled for an opening-round match-up when the draws were conducted Thursday for the final major of the year.
Williams and Sharapova have met in the finals of the other three majors and the 2012 Olympics but have never played each other in the US Open. Williams owns a 19-2 record in their WTA Tour match-ups, but that lopsided number shouldn't do much to dampen the hype around what will be the marquee match of the opening round at Flushing Meadows, which begins Monday.
Williams will begin another bid for a record-tying 24th Grand Slam singles title. Sharapova isn't the same player she was when she won the 2006 US Open championship — or beat Williams two years earlier in the final at Wimbledon — but remains one of the most popular players among fans in New York.
The men's draw sent No 3 seed Roger Federer into the top half of the draw, meaning he could play top-ranked Novak Djokovic in the semifinals. They met in the final at Wimbledon, where Djokovic won in a fifth-set tiebreaker.
Federer and No 2 seed Rafael Nadal have never played each other in New York and could do so this year only if both make the final.
Reuters
Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova will finally meet in the U.S. Open, and they'll do it in their very first match.
The past U.S. Open champions, two of the biggest stars in women's tennis, were scheduled for an opening-round matchup when the draws were conducted Thursday for the final major of the year.
Williams and Sharapova have met in the finals of the other three majors and the 2012 Olympics but have never played each other in the U.S. Open. Williams owns a 19-2 record in their WTA Tour matchups, but that lopsided number shouldn't do much to dampen the hype around what will be the marquee match of the opening round at Flushing Meadows, which begins Monday.
Williams will begin another bid for a record-tying 24th Grand Slam singles title. Sharapova isn't the same player she was when she won the 2006 U.S. Open championship — or beat Williams two years earlier in the final at Wimbledon — but remains one of the most popular players among fans in New York.
The men's draw sent No. 3 seed Roger Federer into the top half of the draw, meaning he could play top-ranked Novak Djokovic in the semifinals. They met in the final at Wimbledon, where Djokovic won in a fifth-set tiebreaker.
Federer and No. 2 seed Rafael Nadal have never played each other in New York and could do so this year only if both make the final.
Andy Murray will play on the Challenger Tour for the first time in 14 years next week.
The Scot's entry into the event at Rafael Nadal's academy on his home island of Majorca was confirmed on Thursday.The former world number one has lost both of the singles matches he has played since returning from January's hip surgery and, with the US Open starting on Monday, is dropping down a level as he builds up his match fitness. [PA]
Men's singles seeds
1. Novak Djokovic, Serbia
2. Rafael Nadal, Spain
3. Roger Federer, Switzerland
4. Dominic Thiem, Austria
5. Daniil Medvedev, Russia
6. Alexander Zverev, Germany
7. Kei Nishikori, Japan
8. Stefanos Tsitsipas, Greece
9. Karen Khachanov, Russia
10. Roberto Bautista Agut, Spain
11. Fabio Fognini, Italy
12. Borna Coric, Croatia
13. Gael Monfils, France
14. John Isner, United States
15. David Goffin, Belgium
16. Kevin Anderson, South Africa
17. Nikoloz Basilashvili, Georgia
18. Felix Auger-Aliassime, Canada
19. Guido Pella, Argentina
20. Diego Schwartzman, Argentina
21. Milos Raonic, Canada
22. Marin Cilic, Croatia
23. Stan Wawrinka, Switzerland
24. Matteo Berrettini, Italy
25. Lucas Pouille, France
26. Taylor Fritz, United States
27. Dusan Lajovic, Serbia
28. Nick Kyrgios, Australia
29. Benoit Paire, France
30. Kyle Edmund, Great Britain
31. Cristian Garin, Chile
32. Fernando Verdasco, Spain
Women's singles seeds
1. Naomi Osaka, Japan
2. Ashleigh Barty, Australia
3. Karolina Pliskova, Czech Republic
4. Simona Halep, Romania
5. Elina Svitolina, Ukraine
6. Petra Kvitova, Czech Republic
7. Kiki Bertens, Netherlands
8. Serena Williams, United States
9. Aryna Sabalenka, Belarus
10. Madison Keys, United States
11. Sloane Stephens, United States
12. Anastasija Sevastova, Latvia
13. Belinda Bencic, Switzerland
14. Angelique Kerber, Germany
15. Bianca Andreescu, Canada
16. Johanna Konta, Great Britain
17. Marketa Vondrousova, Czech Republic
18. Qiang Wang, China
19. Caroline Wozniacki, Denmark
20. Sofia Kenin, United States
21. Anett Kontaveit, Estonia
22. Petra Martic, Croatia
23. Donna Vekic, Croatia
24. Garbiñe Muguruza, Spain
25. Elise Mertens, Belgium
26. Julia Goerges, Germany
27. Caroline Garcia, France
28. Carla Suárez Navarro, Spain
29. Su-Wei Hsieh, Chinese Taipei
30. Maria Sakkari, Greece
31. Barbora Strycova, Czech Republic
32. Dayana Yastremska, Ukraine
Please allow a moment for the blog to load. Draw begins at 12pm in New York (5pm BST).
