Raducanu faces Kenin in US Open first round

Emma Raducanu reached the fourth round at Wimbledon in July

Emma Raducanu will face fellow Grand Slam winner Sofia Kenin in the Briton's first US Open appearance for two years.

Raducanu memorably triumphed at the US Open as a teenage qualifier in 2021, becoming the first British woman for 44 years to win a major singles title.

She lost in the first round in 2022 and missed last year's tournament after having wrist and ankle surgery.

The 21-year-old faces a potentially tricky task against American Kenin, who won the Australian Open in 2020 and reached the French Open final in the same year.

Katie Boulter, the British women's number one and 31st seed, will start against an as-yet unconfirmed qualifier, while Harriet Dart faces Chloe Paquet of France.

In the men's draw, Jack Draper faces China's Zhang Zhizhen, with Carlos Alcaraz potentially waiting in the third round.

Dan Evans, the only other British man to gain direct entry into the main draw, faces 23rd seed Karen Khachanov of Russia.

Jan Choinski reached the main draw for the first time with a hard-fought 6-0 6-7 (5-7) 7-6 (12-10) win over American Maxime Cressy.

However, three other Britons - Sonay Kartal, Lily Miyazaki and Billy Harris - all lost in the final round of qualifying.

The US Open takes place from 26 August to 8 September.

Who have the title contenders drawn?

Novak Djokovic begins his title defence - and hunt for a record 25th Grand Slam - against a qualifier, while women's champion Coco Gauff opens against France's Varvara Gracheva.

Elsewhere in the men's draw, world number one Jannik Sinner, French Open and Wimbledon champion Alcaraz and former US Open winner Daniil Medvedev are all in the same half.

Australian Open champion Sinner could meet last year's runner-up Medvedev in the quarter-finals before facing Alcaraz for a place in the final.

Alcaraz and Sinner have been touted as the new rivalry to watch on the ATP Tour and played a five-hour quarter-final epic in New York in 2022, when Alcaraz went on to win the title.

Italy's Sinner was cleared of any wrongdoing earlier this week after twice testing positive for a banned substance in March.

Olympic champion Djokovic also has a tricky draw, with recent Montreal Open champion Alexei Popyrin potentially waiting in the third round, followed by home hopes Frances Tiafoe or Ben Shelton.

• Read the full men's draw (external link)

In the women's tournament, top seed Iga Swiatek opens against a qualifier, as does in-form favourite Aryna Sabalenka.

Second seed Sabalenka could potentially set up a rematch of last year's final against Gauff in the semis, but the American 20-year-old has landed in the same half as Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova and compatriot Emma Navarro, who beat her at SW19 earlier this year.

If Raducanu beats Kenin she will face an even tougher task in the second round - sixth seed and title contender Jessica Pegula.

American Pegula has never gone beyond the quarter-finals at a major but is in good touch, having won the Canadian Open title earlier in August, and opens against compatriot Shelby Rogers.

Tunisian number 17 seed Ons Jabeur, who was beaten by Swiatek in the 2022 US Open final, has withdrawn because of a shoulder injury.

Her slot in the draw will be taken by Belgium's Elise Mertens, whose spot will in turn be taken by a qualifier.

• Read the full women's draw (external link)

Key first-round matches

Naomi Osaka v Jelena Ostapenko: It is a first US Open appearance in two years for two-time champion Osaka, who will face fellow big hitter and former French Open champion Ostapenko.

Dominic Thiem v Ben Shelton: Thiem, the 2020 champion at Flushing Meadows who will retire in October, faces rising American star and last year's semi-finalist Shelton.

Jasmine Paolini v Bianca Andreescu: Italy's Paolini reached successive Grand Slam finals at the French Open and Wimbledon and will face Canada's Andreescu, who won the 2019 US Open.

Zheng Qinwen v Amanda Anisimova: Olympic champion Zheng faces a resurgent Anisimova, who beat Sabalenka in Montreal earlier in August.