US Open 2024, women's singles draw: Here are the details
What's the story
The 2024 US Open women's singles draw has set the stage for some exciting matches. Two-time champion Naomi Osaka is preparing for her first match at Flushing Meadows since becoming a mother. Her opponent will be Jelena Ostapenko, the No. 10 seed and former Roland Garros champion. This marks a significant return for Osaka who won the US Open title in both 2018 and 2020.
Past match
Osaka and Ostapenko's previous encounter
Osaka and Ostapenko have only faced each other once before, in the opening round of the 2016 French Open. In that match, a then unseeded 19-year-old Osaka defeated No. 32 seed Ostapenko, who was 18 at the time, in straight sets (7-5, 6-4). Despite not having an impressive performance leading up to this year's final Grand Slam event, Ostapenko may find motivation from her best performance at last year's US Open where she reached the quarterfinals.
Rematch
Defending champion Gauff's potential rematch with Sabalenka
Meanwhile, defending champion Coco Gauff could potentially face Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals, setting up a rematch. Gauff made history last year as the youngest American woman to win the singles crown in New York after defeating Sabalenka. She will begin her campaign against France's Varvara Gracheva, while Sabalenka, fresh from a title win in Cincinnati Open, will face a qualifier in her opener.
Roadblocks
Gauff and Sabalenka's potential challenges
Gauff could potentially face No. 27 Elina Svitolina in the third round, fellow American Emma Navarro, who beat her at Wimbledon earlier last month, in the fourth and reigning Wimbledon winner Barbora Krejcikova in the quarters. On the other hand, Sabalenka's first significant challenge on her path to a rematch with Gauff is No. 29 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova, who has defeated her thrice in her career, in the third round.
Key matches
Other notable matches in the women's singles draw
No. 7 seed Zheng Qinwen, who won the gold medal in women's singles at the 2024 Paris Olympics, will face American Amanda Anisimova in her opener. Meanwhile, No. 5 seed Jasmine Paolini will kick off her campaign against former champion Bianca Andreescu. Top-seeded Iga Swiatek is set to start against a qualifier and could potentially face Meera Andreeva in the fourth round and one between Toronto winner and Cincinnati finalist Jessica Pegula or Danielle Collins in the quarters.