New York, Aug 26: In what is set to be her final tournament, 23-time major champion America’s Serena Williams will face Montenegro’s Danka Kovinic in the women singles opening round of the US Open, season’s final Grand Slam tournament, starting from August 29.
Earlier this month, Williams announced her impending retirement after the US Open. A six time US Open champion will face world no.80 Kovinic for the first time.
The 27-year-old Montenegrin reached a career-high ranking of No. 46 in 2016 and became the first woman from her country to win a WTA Tour title last year at Charleston.
In January, Kovinic broke new ground for Montenegro at the Australian Open after defeating Emma Raducanu to become the first woman from her country to reach the third round of a Slam.
The winner of that opener will face either No. 2 Anett Kontaveit or Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian.
World No. 1 Iga Swiatek of Poland topped the draw and will face Italy’s Jasmine Paolini in the first round. The winner will face either 2018 champion Sloane Stephens of America or Belgium’s Greet Minnen.
Also drawn into Swiatek’s top quarter are three former major champions in No. 9 seed Garbine Muguruza (Spain), Jelena Ostapenko (Latvia) and Petra Kvitova (Croatia), as well as the highest-seeded American, No. 8 Jessica Pegula. , No. 24 seed Amanda Anisimova and two-time quarter-finalist Elise Mertens (Belgium) also landed in Swiatek’s quarter.
Another Latvian Jelena Ostapenko faces a tough opening draw against 19-year-old Chinese talent Zheng Qinwen.
The no. 4 seed Spanish Paula Badosa leads the second quarter of the draw and will take on Lesia Tsurenko of Ukraine in the first round.
Reigning champion Emma Raducanu has been drawn into Badosa’s quarter and will open against France’s Alize Cornet. The Frenchwoman is set to play her 63rd consecutive Slam, which will break the record for most consecutive Slam main-draw appearances by a WTA player.
Badosa’s quarter features four seeds who have put together consistent success at the US Open, including 2019 semifinalist and No. 12 seed Swiss player Belinda Bencic, three-time finalist Victoria Azarenka, 2021 semi-finalist and No. 6 seed Aryna Sabalenka and 2016 finalist Karolina Pliskova of Czech.
Two-time champion Naomi Osaka is also in the Badosa quarter. Osaka will open against this year’s Australian Open runner-up Danielle Collins (US) in the first round and could face Raducanu in the third round.
Reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, seeded No. 25, will open against a qualifier. The winner would face either Venus Williams or Alison Van Uytvanck in the second round.
The third quarter of the draw is the toughest section, anchored by No. 3 seed and last year’s semi-finalist Maria Sakkari of Greece and Toronto champion and No. 7 seed Romanian Simona Halep. Also landing in this quarter are No. 12 seed Coco Gauff (US), Cincinnati champion France’s Caroline Garcia and Cincinnati semi-finalist Madison Keys (US). (UNI)
