Raducanu and Draper Draw Qualifiers in US Open First Round, Venus Williams Faces Muchova

SME News UK. The 2025 US Open is set to begin on Sunday, August 24, with British stars Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper handed favourable first-round draws against qualifiers.The draw, made on Thursday in New York, sees Draper – Britain’s men’s No. 1 – potentially face a lucky loser in his opener. Should he progress, the 22-year-old could find himself on a quarter-final collision course with top seed Jannik Sinner, a rematch of their semi-final clash from last year.Raducanu, meanwhile, returns to the stage of her career-defining triumph in 2021, when she stunned the world by winning the US Open as a qualifier. Now ranked world No. 35, she has been drawn to face a qualifier in round one but could meet reigning champion Aryna Sabalenka in the quarter-finals. Sabalenka, who begins against Switzerland’s Rebeka Masarova, boasts a 3–0 head-to-head record against Raducanu.Elsewhere in the women’s draw, seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams makes a highly anticipated return as a wildcard, opening against 11th seed Karolina Muchova. The Czech has not advanced beyond the opening round of a Slam since January’s Australian Open.World No. 1 Iga Swiatek, the 2022 US Open champion and reigning Wimbledon winner, begins her campaign against Emiliana Arango of Colombia. Jessica Pegula, meanwhile, is in the same half as Sabalenka and opens against Egypt’s Mayar Sherif. Rising Canadian star Victoria Mboko, who has surged from No. 333 to No. 22 in just eight months, faces a stern first-round test against two-time major winner Barbora Krejcikova. Britain’s Katie Boulter will meet 16th seed Marta Kostyuk and could cross paths with 2023 champion Coco Gauff later in the draw.In the men’s field, second seed Carlos Alcaraz will begin his push for a second US Open crown against American Reilly Opelka. Novak Djokovic, seeded No. 2, opens against home favourite Learner Tien and could meet Britain’s Cam Norrie in the third round. Third seed Alexander Zverev faces Alejandro Tabilo in round one, while British No. 3 Jacob Fearnley lies in wait as a possible second-round opponent. Daniil Medvedev, the 2021 champion, starts against France’s Benjamin Bonzi with a potential blockbuster fourth-round clash against Alcaraz looming.One notable absentee is Nick Kyrgios, who withdrew from the tournament ahead of Thursday’s draw.With blockbuster storylines already emerging, Flushing Meadows promises another dramatic fortnight of tennis.