US Open: Alcaraz, Djokovic in same half of draw; Sinner plays Kopriva

New York, Aug 21 (IANS) The 2025 French Open champion Carlos Alcaraz will run into 24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic in the men's singles semifinals of the US Open to be played at Flushing Meadows here, before a potential summit clash with World No.1 Jannik Sinner, who defeated him in the Wimbledon final.

Alcaraz is bidding to win the year's last Grand Slam for the second time after his triumph in 2022 and will face our-time winner Djokovic in a blockbuster clash in the last-four stage.

Fresh from his title run in Cincinnati, Alcaraz will start his campaign at the hard-court major against big-serving American Reilly Opelka, it was revealed in the draw conducted here on Thursday. Djokovic will start his campaign against NextGen ATP player Learner Tien.

It will be a mouth-watering clash as Djokovic leads Alcaraz 5-3 in the ATP head-to-head series, having rallied to a four-set win in their latest meeting in the Australian Open quarterfinals in January. Seventh seed Djokovic has not competed since reaching the semifinals at Wimbledon five weeks ago.

Top seed and defending champion Sinner, who is chasing a third major title of the season after winning the Australian Open and Wimbledon, opens his campaign against Czech Vit Kopriva. The 24-year-old Italian is seeded to meet last year’s semifinalist, Jack Draper, in the quarters this year. The Briton opens against a qualifier or lucky loser.

Sinner is on a semifinal collision course with third seed Alexander Zverev. The three-time major finalist, who fell to Sinner in this year’s Australian Open championship match, begins against Alejandro Tabilo.

Alcaraz may run into high-calibre opposition on his way to the quarterfinals, which includes former US Open champion Daniil Medvedev, recent Toronto winner Ben Shelton, and 2022 runner-up Casper Ruud. Sinner may also run into early danger in the top half of the draw. Alexei Popyrin, who last year stunned reigning champion Djokovic, is a potential second-round opponent.

The 10th-seeded Lorenzo Musetti, who is currently ninth in the ATP Live Race To Turin and aiming to debut at the ATP Finals, starts against the 6’ 8” Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. The Italian is seeded to meet Draper in the fourth round.

Last year’s finalist, Taylor Fritz, is in Djokovic’s quarter, which includes three young stars who competed in last year’s Next Gen ATP Finals. As well as Djokovic’s first-round opponent, Tien, Joao Fonseca, who won the 2023 US Open boys’ singles title, plays Miomir Kecmanovic, and 28th seed Alex Michelsen faces Francisco Comesana.

Alcaraz will hope to return to winning ways at Flushing Meadows following his shock second-round defeat to Botic van de Zandschulp last year. The 22-year-old Spaniard arrives with a Tour-leading 54 wins and six titles in 2025, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index.

Van de Zandschulp could cause the 11th seed Holger Rune problems in their first-round clash. Alexander Bublik will face 2014 champion Marin Cilic in his first appearance of the North American hard-court swing, while Sebastian Korda begins against Cameron Norrie.

--IANS

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