Carlos Alcaraz will begin his U.S. Open title defense against Roman Safiullin, a dangerous first-round opponent who made an impressive run at Wimbledon while the Spaniard was sidelined by injury.
The main draw for the year's final Grand Slam was revealed Thursday, setting up a series of intriguing matchups and several potential blockbuster clashes in New York.
The tournament begins Sunday, with Alcaraz entering as the No. 2 seed after missing both the French Open and Wimbledon because of a right wrist injury.
His return to singles competition will come against Safiullin, who reached the fourth round at Wimbledon and knocked off Andrey Rublev and Joao Fonseca before losing to 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic in four sets.
Safiullin has also beaten Alcaraz before. He upset the Spaniard at the 2023 Paris Masters, when Alcaraz was ranked No. 2 in the world.
