Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz are on the same half of the US Open draw as the battle for World No. 1 heats up, while top seed and defending champion Daniil Medvedev faces a tricky path at Flushing Meadows, which could include Nick Kyrgios in the fourth round.

Nadal enters the year’s final Grand Slam in pole position in the battle for World No. 1. The four-time US Open champion controls his own destiny as he tries to return to the top spot. If the 36-year-old lifts the trophy, he will climb to the top of men’s tennis’ mountain.

Nadal will begin his pursuit of a fifth title in New York against Australian Rinky Hijikata, who tested Medvedev in a tight two-setter earlier this month in Los Cabos. If Nadal advances, the lefty could in the second round play Fabio Fognini, who upset him here in five sets in 2015.

Other notable players in Nadal’s quarter of the draw are seventh seed Cameron Norrie, 14th seed Diego Schwartzman, 19th seed Denis Shapovalov and home favourite Frances Tiafoe, the 22nd seed.

Alcaraz has a chance to become the youngest No. 1 in the history of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings over the coming fortnight. The 2021 US Open quarter-finalist plays fellow Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals alumnus Sebastian Baez in the first round and the highest seed in his quarter of the draw is eighth seed Hubert Hurkacz. Borna Coric, who last week won the Western & Southern Open, could challenge Alcaraz in the third round.

Medvedev, who along with Nadal, Alcaraz, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Casper Ruud has a chance to leave New York as World No. 1, opens his title defence against American Stefan Kozlov, whom he defeated 6-2, 6-2 in 2016 Wimbledon qualifying, their only previous professional meeting.

The 26-year-old could play rapidly rising American Ben Shelton in the third round and red-hot Nick Kyrgios in what would be a blockbuster fourth round. Kyrgios defeated Medvedev in three sets in Montreal earlier this month. The Australian will focus on his first match, though, as he faces a tough opening test against a player whom he often calls a “brother”, countryman Thanasi Kokkinakis.

Fourth seed Tsitsipas has never moved into the second week in New York. The Greek will try to make a good start against a qualifier, with dangerous serve-and-volleying American Maxime Cressy looming in the third round.

Ruud, who advanced to the third round at the US Open in 2020, is the fifth seed. The Norwegian star will play Briton Kyle Edmund in the first round. World No. 666 Edmund is recovering from injury, 

Dominic Thiem, who is returning to New York for the first time since winning the 2020 US Open, will begin his run against Montreal champion Pablo Carreno Busta.

Three-time US Open champion Novak Djokovic withdrew from the season’s final Grand Slam on Thursday before the draw was made due to travel restrictions.

“Sadly, I will not be able to travel to NY this time for US Open. Thank you #NoleFam for your messages of love and support,” Djokovic wrote on Twitter.. “Good luck to my fellow players! I’ll keep in good shape and positive spirit and wait for an opportunity to compete again. See you soon tennis world!”

Sadly, I will not be able to travel to NY this time for US Open. Thank you #NoleFam for your messages of love and support. ❤️ Good luck to my fellow players! I’ll keep in good shape and positive spirit and wait for an opportunity to compete again. 💪🏼 See you soon tennis world! 👋🏼

— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) August 25, 2022

Djokovic owns a 23-5 record this season, including title runs at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome and Wimbledon. The Serbian is 13th in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin.

US Open Tournament Director Stacey Allaster said in a statement: “Novak is a great champion and it is very unfortunate that he will be unable to compete at the 2022 US Open, as he is unable to enter the country due to the federal government’s vaccination policy for non-U.S.citizens. We look forward to welcoming Novak back at the 2023 US Open.”

A lucky loser will replace Djokovic in the draw, which will be released later Thursday. The main draw will be played from 29 August-11 September.

The world’s best tennis players will face one another over the next fortnight with the US Open trophy at stake. On Wednesday evening, however, they banded together for a Tennis Plays For Peace exhibition in support of Ukrainian humanitarian relief.

Rafael Nadal, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, John McEnroe and many more stars thrilled a packed Louis Armstrong Stadium for two hours of tennis to raise money for those suffering in Ukraine, with recently retired Ukrainian players Sergiy Stakhovsky and Olga Savchuk in attendance.

“[It has been a] very tough couple of years in terms of [the] pandemic, now with the war,” Nadal said. “Excited to be back of course, always a pleasure to play in New York and in front of probably the best crowd of the world.”

After an opening ceremony featuring Stakhovsky, Savchuk and host Patrick McEnroe, the Ukrainian national anthem was performed and Nadal took the court for a mixed doubles match alongside Swiatek against Gauff and McEnroe.

“Being on the court with John, Rafa and Iga, World No. 1, it’s really crazy here in New York,” Gauff said. “I’m happy that I’m able to do it for this cause and you guys all know me, I like to speak out when it’s right. I’m glad that I was able to be a part of this.”

^{Savchuk and Stakhovsky chat with Nadal and Swiatek during the exhibition.}
Swiatek snuck in a joke about ‘Coach Rafa’: “On the last point [he] told me that John is going to serve wide and he was wrong. He’s wrong sometimes, wow!” she said as Nadal laughed. Swiatek has previously held her own charity event in support of Ukrainian children. The World No. 1 was happy to spend her time for the cause again.

“I’m pretty happy that we are united and that we as public persons and athletes are doing so much. For sure the event that I did in Poland was a great experience for me. That was the first event that gained so much attention in tennis in Poland,” Swiatek said. “I’m pretty happy that we raised so much money for kids in Ukraine, mostly because their lives have changed and it’s right next to my country, so I was pretty emotional and pretty happy that I can use my sport that way and that we’re doing this today. It’s great.”

McEnroe, who also ironically spent time as the chair umpire later in the event, grew up 15 minutes from Flushing Meadows. The former World No. 1 thanked the crowd for their support.

“I just want to say for this event, we’re all a fraternity, the tennis players. We’re pulling for each other,” McEnroe reflected. “Obviously we all want peace and hopefully this will do something towards helping the situation over in Ukraine.”

All matches during the event were tie-breaks with the winning team being the first to 10. Americans Jessica Pegula and Ben Shelton faced Canadians Felix Auger-Aliassime and Leylah Fernandez (with John McEnroe in the chair), Italian Matteo Berrettini and Ukrainian Katarina Zavatsksa played Greeks Maria Sakkari and Stefanos Tsitsipas, Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz and American Frances Tiafoe took on Americans Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul, and Tiafoe stayed on the court to partner Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska against American Sebastian Korda and Ukrainian Daria Snigur.

While these were exhibition matches — at one point Paul used a giant tennis racquet, drawing roars from the crowd — the stakes were raised. Before Sakkari served to Berrettini, Tsitsipas said he would donate $10,000 if the Italian missed the return. Berrettini missed it, and Tsitsipas happily reaffirmed his donation.

All proceeds from the event will benefit Global Giving’s Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund. The USTA has previously announced that it expects to raise at least $2 million for the cause during the US Open.

Jack Draper has lived up to his billing as the 13th seed in his Winston-Salem Open debut by beating two big-name players who have spent a large chunk of their ATP Tour careers playing with a number next to their name on the draw sheet.

After a three-set victory against Fabio Fognini, the #NextGenATP Briton overwhelmed Dominic Thiem in a 6-1, 6-4 Wednesday win to reach the quarter-finals at the ATP 250. It’s Draper’s third quarter-final of the season after runs to the Eastbourne semis and the Montreal quarter-finals.

“I was really good behind serve, really solid,” he said post-match. “In the second set it was tough because he was coming up with some amazing shots. It was a real honour to be on court with Dominic. He’s an amazing player.”

In his first ATP Head2Head meeting with Thiem, the 20-year-old raced to a 5-0 lead in the opening set and did not face a break point in the 80-minute match. The Austrian picked up his aggression in the second set, approaching the net 12 times, but also hit six double faults as he took more risk on his delivery. 

“I started confidently, I started well,” said Draper. “I was hitting through the ball, felt good in the conditions. It was a difficult start because I felt like everyone was supporting Dominic and I knew that I needed to come out confidently and sharp, and that’s what I did.”

Thiem saved two break points at 2-2 in the second set and another at 3-3 but Draper’s pressure told in the ninth game of the match. Despite two roped returns from Thiem to create a 15/30 opening, the Briton held his nerve to close it out without further drama.

Finishing a clean performance with 10 winners and four unforced errors, Draper next faces the winner of the stadium court evening finale between 11th seed Ilya Ivashka and Marc-Andrea Huesler.

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Fourth seed Maxime Cressy and 14th seed Lorenzo Sonego contested Wednesday’s most dramatic match, with the American owning the tie-breaks in a 6-7(4), 6-2, 7-6(3) win. Cressy was broken just once in the match on the only break point against him as he surrendered an early lead in the deciding set. But he did not drop a point on serve in the deciding tie-break after dropping just one service point in the opening tie-break.

Cressy will meet Adrian Mannarino in the quarter-finals after the Frenchman’s 6-3, 6-3 upset against eighth seed Albert Ramos-Vinolas.

Second seed Botic van de Zandschulp continued his efficient march through the Winston-Salem draw with a 6-3, 6-3 win against 15th seed Jaume Munar. He has not dropped a set in two matches this week and will look to extend that streak against 10th seed Benjamin Bonzi, a 7-5, 6-2 winner against Thiago Monteiro.

Both Richard Gasquet and Laslo Djere have required a deciding set in all three of their wins this week and will now meet each other in a quarter-final that will test the fitness of both men. Gasquet’s latest three-set win was a 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-3 decision against American Steve Johnson, while Djere was a 7-6(4), 6-7(9), 6-3 winner against Jason Kubler.

Gilles Simon’s Grand Slam career lives on for at least another day thanks to yet another heroic comeback by the Frenchman in Wednesday’s US Open qualifying action.

After his memorable five-set win against Pablo Carreno Busta in his farewell Roland Garros, the Frenchman made an even greater escape in a 2-6, 7-5, 6-1 win against home favourite Michael Mmoh. Down a double break at 2-5 in the second, Simon raised his level with his back against the wall as he won 11 of the final 12 games at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

Simon, who is set to retire after the 2022 season, used an efficient performance on return to complete the turnaround, converting on six of seven break chances after failing to create a look in the opening set. The 37-year-old denied Mmoh on two attempts at serving out the match at both 5-2 and 5-4 in the middle set.

He will continue to play for his 15th US Open main-draw appearance in a Thursday meeting with Matteo Arnaldi in the second of three qualifying rounds. The #NextGenATP Italian was a 6-2, 2-6, 6-2 winner against 24th seed Ryan Peniston in the opening round.

Sealed with an ace and a big 😁 pic.twitter.com/2fDUf3710M

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 24, 2022

Max Purcell, already a Grand Slam champion this season after his Wimbledon doubles triumph alongside fellow Aussie Matthew Ebden, made a strong start in his bid to qualify for a second straight major singles draw. (He earned his way into the Wimbledon singles draw before losing a five-set first-round match to Adrian Mannarino.)

The 24-year-old was a 6-0, 6-4 winner against Serbia’s Nikola Milojevic. He will next face second seed Daniel Elahi Galan, a 6-3, 6-2 winner against #NextGenATP Italian Luciano Darderi.

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Two-time US Open quarter-finalist Fernando Verdasco also advanced on Wednesday as he seeks his 18th main-draw appearance in New York and his first since 2019. The Spaniard downed Italy’s Gianluca Mager 7-6(5), 6-3.

Popular Belgian Zizou Bergs was also among the winners after he scored a tidy 6-2, 6-4 result against Argentina’s Renzo Olivo, saving all four break points against him.

In the day’s biggest upset, Portugal’s Pedro Sousa dismissed third seed Henri Laaksonen 7-5, 6-2.