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Kubot/Melo to open against Gille/Vliegen

Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah will be aiming to clinch their first victory since March when they face Jurgen Melzer and Edouard Roger-Vasselin in the first-round of the US Open.

The defending champions fell to Jamie Murray and Neal Skupski in the opening match of their ATP Tour return at the Western & Southern Open, leaving them short of match practice ahead of the second Grand Slam event of the year. Cabal and Farah have made only three team appearances at ATP Tour events this year, with two first-round losses.

The Colombians will be hoping to recapture the form that saw them win back-to-back Grand Slam titles at Wimbledon and the US Open last year. Cabal and Farah’s best result this year was a runner-up finish at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC in February (l. to Kubot/Melo).

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Acapulco champions Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo headline the bottom half of the draw. The second seeds will face Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen for a place in the second round. Kubot and Melo will attempt to better their run to the US Open championship match in 2018, when they fell in straight sets to Mike Bryan and Jack Sock.

Kubot and Melo share the bottom half of the draw with reigning Australian Open champions Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury. Ram and Salisbury, who will meet Austin Krajicek and Franko Skugor in the first round, advanced to the semi-finals at the Western & Southern Open (l. to Murray/Skupski).

Ivan Dodig and Filip Polasek will face Western & Southern Open finalists Murray and Skupski in the first round. The fourth seeds, who feature in the second quarter of the draw, will aim to recover from a first-round loss to Pablo Carreno Busta and Alex de Minaur at the Western & Southern Open.

Fifth seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos and sixth seeds Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies will both open their campaigns against challenging first-round opponents. Granollers and Zeballos face Shanghai titlists Mate Pavic and Bruno Soares, while Krawietz and Mies meet Australian Open finalists Max Purcell and Luke Saville.

A look at the ATP Challenger Tour stalwarts poised to make a run in New York

For the next fortnight, all eyes will be on the stars of the ATP Tour as they battle for glory at the US Open. But as hungry as they will be to lift the champions' trophy, there is a group of competitors that are just as motivated to make a splash at the hard-court Grand Slam. They are the players competing throughout the year on the ATP Challenger Tour.

Securing entry into a Grand Slam is no simple task. It requires year-round focus, hard work and consistency to arrive at this moment. For players grinding on the Challenger circuit, this is the reward. Having the opportunity to test their talents against the best players in the world, and with coveted points and prize money at stake, is what drives these players from January to November.

The 2020 US Open is no exception. A platform to showcase their skills and eventually take the next step on the ATP Tour, it presents a huge opportunity on a global stage. A strong performance at the US Open can prove to be career-altering for many Challenger stars, as they target the Top 100 and beyond. So, which players are poised to wreak havoc on the draw? We look at 10 to watch in New York...

THE AMERICANS
Ulises Blanch
One of 10 players making their Grand Slam debuts at the US Open, Blanch is ready for this stage. Born in Puerto Rico to Spanish parents, Blanch and his three siblings were embedded in many cultures at a very young age. His father Ernesto worked for Coca-Cola, a job that saw the family live in China, India and for eight years in Thailand, where Ulises first picked up a racquet. At the age of 13, they moved to Argentina and he would develop his game on the clay courts of the South American country. The 22-year-old opened the 2020 season outside the Top 400, but promptly shaved his ranking in half, posting a 14-5 record on the ATP Challenger Tour with a title in Ann Arbor. Also a semi-finalist in Monterrey, he earned his first Top 100 hard-court win there over Pablo Andujar. Blanch's momentum was only halted by the COVID-19 suspension, but he is poised to pick up where he left off. On Monday, he kicks off his Grand Slam career against 13th-seed Cristian Garin.

Maxime Cressy
Three players at the US Open are Top 10 in Challenger wins in 2020. Blanch is one, J.J. Wolf is the other and Cressy is the third. The 23-year-old, a former college standout at UCLA, entered the COVID-19 hiatus on the heels of a dominant 14-6 record. February proved to be a turning point for the American, who reached back-to-back finals on Canadian soil, including a title in Drummondville and runner-up finish in Calgary. He will be hoping to ride his big serve to success in the Big Apple. The charismatic Cressy opens against Jozef Kovalik on Monday.


Marcos Giron
Monday will be a special day for Giron. Not only is the California native set to make his third appearance at the US Open, but he will do so as a member of the Top 100. Giron is projected to rise to a career-high No. 93 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, cracking the century mark for the first time. It's well worth the wait for the 27-year-old, who is finally turning the corner after multiple hip surgeries. He lifted his first two Challenger trophies in 2019, in Orlando and Houston. Giron opens against Marc Polmans on Monday.

Brandon Nakashima
The second-youngest player in the draw is the 19-year-old from San Diego. Nakashima is one of the most-hyped teenagers on tour - and for good reason. In just 12 appearances on the ATP Challenger Tour, the American owns a staggering 25-12 record with a trio of semi-final finishes. Armed with a steely resolve, relentless drive and attacking mentality, Nakashima was unfazed when he pushed Frances Tiafoe to the brink of defeat in Dallas in February. And one week later, he reached the quarter-finals in his ATP Tour debut in Delray Beach. Nakashima opens against Paolo Lorenzi on Monday.

J.J. Wolf
Beware the Wolf in NYC. When the 21-year-old makes his Grand Slam debut on Tuesday against Guido Pella, it will be a significant moment for the entire Wolf clan. The former Ohio State University standout comes from one of the most athletic families in the state's history. Most notably, his grandfather Charley played professional baseball for the Cincinnati Reds and coached in the National Basketball Association. Now, J.J. is carrying the mantle on the tennis court. Already a four-time Challenger champion, he has taken home two of those trophies in 2020 and owns a ruthless 14-2 record. Up to a career-high No. 143 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, the Cincinnati native is hoping his mammoth game translates to the hard courts of the US Open.


Others To Watch: Last week, Sebastian Korda qualified at the Western & Southern Open - his first ATP Masters 1000 main draw - after securing his first Top 100 wins over Attila Balazs and Gilles Simon. The 20-year-old is in scorching form and will open against 12th seed Denis Shapovalov on Monday. Also, Thai-Son Kwiatkowski and Mitchell Krueger are looking to pick up where they left off in March. Kwiatkowski lifted his first Challenger trophy in Newport Beach and Krueger reached the semis in three of his last five events.

THE INTERNATIONALS
Gianluca Mager (ITA)
The last time we saw Mager, he was celebrating the greatest achievement of his career. It was in February that the Italian streaked to his first ATP Tour final at the 500-level event in Rio de Janeiro. A qualifier, he dropped just one set in six matches to reach the championship, where he eventually fell to Cristian Garin. Up to No. 79 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, the 25-year-old has been plotting his ascent on the Challenger circuit for years. It all culminated in 2019, when Mager won all three of his titles and posted a 43-23 record. His appearance in New York will be a well-deserved - and long-awaited - Grand Slam debut. He opens against Serbia's Miomir Kecmanovic.

Sumit Nagal (IND)
Nagal will never forget his US Open debut. Exactly one year ago, India's No. 1 won three matches to qualify for the main draw and faced Roger Federer under the lights on opening night. It was a moment unlike any other for Nagal, who snatched the first set in front of a packed Arthur Ashe Stadium, before eventually falling in four. But the World No. 122 has been plotting his Top 100 charge ever since. He rode the momentum from that experience to reach back-to-back Challenger finals and lift the second trophy of his young career (in Buenos Aires). The 23-year-old will open against Bradley Klahn, with a potential second-round date with second seed Dominic Thiem looming large.


Christopher O'Connell (AUS)
For many years, O'Connell was battling outside the Top 200 of the FedEx ATP Rankings, grinding on the ITF circuit and ATP Challenger Tour. And in 2018, the 25-year-old Aussie took up a second job cleaning boats while recovering from a knee injury. But perseverance pays off and that is certainly applicable for the Sydneysider. From not having an ATP Ranking to open the 2019 season to sitting at a career-high No. 115 a year and a half later, O'Connell has made the most of his opportunities. After winning his first two Challenger titles in 2019, the upstart Aussie has his sights firmly set on the Top 100 and beyond in his US Open debut. He opens against Laslo Djere on Tuesday.

Emil Ruusuvuori (FIN)
We save the two hottest #NextGenATP stars for last. If you aren't familiar with Ruusuvuori by now, it won't be long before the flying Finn is a household name. Ruusuvuori turned the ATP Challenger Tour into his personal playground last year, becoming the youngest to win four titles in a season since Hyeon Chung in 2015. The soft-spoken Finn lets his big game do the talking. The rest of the US Open field will be on high alert, as the 21-year-old makes his Grand Slam debut as the newest member of the Top 100. One week after prevailing in his ATP Masters 1000 debut at the Western & Southern Open, the World No. 100 opens against Aljaz Bedene at the US Open.

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Thiago Seyboth Wild (BRA)
Ruusuvuori and Seyboth Wild are the fresh faces of the #NextGenATP surge. The Brazilian made quite the splash in clinching his maiden ATP Tour title in Santiago, Chile, right before the COVID-19 stoppage. But Seyboth Wold had been plotting his ascent well before that on the ATP Challenger Tour. A maiden title in Guayaquil and semi-final finish in Montevideo capped his 2019 season, providing all the momentum he needed to lift his first ATP Tour trophy. Up to a career-high No. 113 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, the 20-year-old is hoping to pick up where he left off when his US Open campaign begins on Tuesday. He faces 23rd seed Daniel Evans in the first round.

Others To Watch: Mager's countryman Salvatore Caruso has compiled quite the list of scalps in the past year: wins over David Goffin, Borna Coric and Jannik Sinner, a semi-final finish at the ATP 250 event in Umag and a third-round run at Roland Garros in 2019. Dominik Koepfer is returning to the scene of his big breakthrough, when the German reached the Round of 16 at last year's US Open. And the feel-good story of the tournament is alive in Attila Balazs. The 31-year-old Hungarian is making his Grand Slam debut after retiring from professional tennis for two years. Ten years after claiming his first Challenger title, he won his second in January in Bangkok. Up to a career-high No. 76, he also reached his first ATP Tour final a year ago in Umag.

An executive summary of what every fan should know about the coming fortnight in New York


Following the resumption of the ATP Tour at the Western & Southern Open, the US Open takes centre stage with World No. 1 Novak Djokovic leading the charge for the second Grand Slam trophy of the year.

ATPTour.com looks at the storylines to watch in New York:

1) Dominant Djokovic: While the Big Three boasts 13 consecutive and 56 of the past 67 Grand Slam titles, Novak Djokovic has dominated alone of late. He has won five of the past seven majors, including a record eighth Australian Open in February. Djokovic bids to join Roger Federer as the only players to win multiple Grand Slam titles in a season six times.

2) Daniil Returns: Daniil Medvedev became the youngest US Open finalist since Djokovic in 2010 at last year’s US Open. The Russian put together a stellar run of results winning 20 of 23 matches across Washington, Canada, Cincinnati and the US Open to join former World No. 1s Ivan Lendl (1982) and Andre Agassi (1995) as the only players to make finals at all four events in the same year. This year, Medvedev returns as the No. 3 seed with a 10-5 record in 2020. The 24-year-old reached the Western & Southern Open quarter-finals last week (l. to Bautista Agut).

3) Getting Closer: Djokovic, No. 31 seed Marin Cilic and former World No. 1 Andy Murray are the only Grand Slam champions in the draw. However, the No. 2-6 seeds — Dominic Thiem, Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev and Matteo Berrettini — have all reached a major semi-final or final since the start of the 2019 season.

4) Historic Era: Cilic won his first Grand Slam title at the 2014 US Open. Six years later, he remains the most recent player to win his first major trophy and the youngest ATP Tour player with a Grand Slam crown on his resume. Cilic turns 32 next month. Never before in the Open Era have five years — much less six — passed without a first-time Grand Slam men’s singles champion.

Cilic

5) Boys To Men: Murray is among nine US Open boys’ singles champions in the field and the only one to add the men’s singles title. The 2004 boys’ and 2012 men’s champion will play his second event of 2020 this week. In his first ATP Tour event since lifting the European Open trophy in Antwerp last October, Murray beat World No. 7 Zverev at the Western & Southern Open to earn his first Top 10 victory in three and a half years.

6) Hard Court Success: Since the start of the 2019 ATP Tour season, second seed Thiem has enjoyed consistent success on hard courts. The 2018 US Open quarter-finalist captured his maiden ATP Masters 1000 trophy at last year's BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, his first of three trophies on the surface in 2019. The Austrian ended 2019 with a run to the Nitto ATP Finals championship match (l. to Tsitsipas) and reached his maiden Australian Open final in February (l. to Djokovic).

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7) #NextGenATP In New York: There are 11 #NextGenATP stars in the US Open main draw. Reigning Next Gen ATP Finals champion Jannik Sinner (19) and two-time Milan runner-up Alex de Minaur (21) are among six #NextGenATP players in the bottom quarter of the draw. The final section also includes 15th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime (20), Miomir Kecmanovic (21 on 31 August), Corentin Moutet (21) and Santiago champion Thiago Seyboth Wild (20). Denis Shapovalov (21), Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (21), Emil Ruusuvuori (21), Brandon Nakashima (19), Sebastian Korda (20) also feature in New York.

American Dream: American men are suffering their longest Grand Slam men’s singles title drought in tennis history. The 2020 US Open marks the 17th anniversary of Andy Roddick’s sole major championship triumph. No. 16 seed John Isner, No. 19 seed Taylor Fritz and Western & Southern Open quarter-finalist Reilly Opelka lead 21 Americans in the field this year, the most at a Grand Slam since 22 home players competed at the 1997 US Open.

Andy Roddick beat Juan Carlos Ferrero in straight sets to win the 2003 US Open.

9) Familiar Feli: Feliciano Lopez got married and became a tournament director in 2019. Neither life change stopped the Spaniard from extending his all-time record streak of Grand Slams appearances, which will reach 73 when he competes at the 2020 US Open. Lopez, who turns 39 next month, began his run as a 20-year-old lucky loser at 2002 Roland Garros.

10) Youth Movement: Fourteen of the 32 seeds are under the age of 25, the most at a major championship since the 2010 Australian Open (14). Ten of the Top 20 seeds are under the age of 25, the most at a Grand Slam event since the 2009 US Open (10). Stefanos Tsitsipas, the youngest Top 10 seed in New York, is attempting to reach his first Grand Slam final. Last year, the Greek advanced to his first major semi-final at the Australian Open (l. to Nadal) and ended the year by lifting the biggest trophy of his career at the Nitto ATP Finals (d. Thiem).

Djokovic opens night session on Arthur Ashe Stadium

Opening day Grand Slam matches don’t get much bigger than this.

In the first men’s match of the US Open on Arthur Ashe Stadium, fifth seed Alexander Zverev will face 2017 runner-up Kevin Anderson for a place in the second round.

For the second straight event since the ATP Tour resumption, World No. 7 Zverev will face former Top 5 opposition in his opening match. At the Western & Southern Open, the 23-year-old fell to 2012 US Open champion Andy Murray for the second time in as many ATP Head2Head meetings. Zverev will enter his clash against Anderson with history on his side.

Zverev has won all five of his ATP Head2Head meetings against Anderson. In the pair’s most recent match, Zverev outlasted the South African in a Match Tie-break to clinch the 2018 Laver Cup for Team Europe on American soil in Chicago.

ATP Heritage: Milestones. Records. Legends.

Anderson will also be looking to recover from a second-round loss at the Western & Southern Open. The 6’8” South African, who reached a career-high No. 5 in the FedEx ATP Rankings in July 2018, recorded a three-set win against Kyle Edmund before suffering a straight-sets loss to Stefanos Tsitsipas at the ATP Masters 1000 event.

TuneIn -
Following Zverev and Anderson’s battle, Western & Southern Open champion Novak Djokovic will begin his chase for an 18th Grand Slam title during the night session. Just two days after defeating Milos Raonic to lift a record-equalling 35th Masters 1000 crown, the World No. 1 will attempt to extend his unbeaten 23-0 start to the year against Damir Dzumhur.

Djokovic and Dzumhur will be contesting their third ATP Head2Head encounter. The top seed most recently beat Dzumhur 6-1, 6-2 at the 2019 Qatar ExxonMobil Open.

Djokovic is bidding to capture his fourth US Open crown and narrow the gap on Big Three rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in the Grand Slam titles leaderboard. The Belgrade-native currently sits two trophies behind 19-time major champion Nadal and three crowns behind all-time leader and 20-time Grand Slam champion Federer.

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Reigning Nitto ATP Finals champion Stefanos Tsitsipas will also feature in Day 1 action. The fourth seed begins his US Open title bid on Court 17 against Albert Ramos-Vinolas. Tsitsipas enters the first-round encounter in form, having reached the Western & Southern Open semi-finals (l. to Raonic). The Greek has won 13 of his past 15 tour-level matches. Prior to the ATP Tour suspension, Tsitsipas captured the Open 13 Provence trophy in Marseille and finished as runner-up at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships for the second straight year.

In one of the standout matches of the first round, seventh seed David Goffin will meet Reilly Opelka in the final match of the day on Court 17. Goffin and Opelka are tied at 1-1 in their ATP Head2Head series, with both previous meetings requiring a deciding set. Opelka enters the first-round contest in form, but was forced to retire from his maiden Masters 1000 quarter-final at the Western & Southern Open with a right knee injury. Goffin will hope to bounce back from a third-round loss to Jan-Lennard Struff at the Masters 1000 tournament.

Three American men will make Monday appearances at Louis Armstrong Stadium to start their US Open campaigns. Following his Masters 1000 debut at the Western & Southern Open, #NextGenATP American Sebastian Korda will face 2017 quarter-finalist Denis Shapovalov for a spot in the second round. Later in the day, 16th seed John Isner and Steve Johnson will contest the only all-American clash of Day 1.

ORDER OF PLAY – MONDAY 31 AUGUST 2020
ARTHUR ASHE STADIUM start 12:00 pm
WTA Match
Kevin Anderson v [5] Alexander Zverev

Not Before 7:00 pm
[1] Novak Djokovic v Damir Dzumhur
WTA Match

LOUIS ARMSTRONG STADIUM start 11:00 am
WTA Match
[12] Denis Shapovalov v Sebastian Korda

Not Before 3:00 pm
WTA Match
Steve Johnson v [16] John Isner
WTA Match

COURT 17 start 11:00am
WTA Match
WTA Match
[4] Stefanos Tsitsipas v Albert Ramos-Vinolas
WTA Match
Reilly Opelka v [7] David Goffin

Click here to view the full US Open Day 1 schedule.