
The US Open kicks off on August 28th, 2023 and several enticing matchups have already been scheduled for the opening round matches.
World No.7 Stefanos Tsitsipas will be facing Milos Raonic in the first round, as the big-serving Canadian resumes his comeback after a lengthy absence due to injury. Although Tsitsipas is viewed as the favorite, the Greek star has had a subpar season and could crumble under the bright lights of Flushing Meadows.
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Former champions face difficult openers in New York
Two-time champion Venus Williams will take on former World No.3 Paula Badosa. The Spaniard has been out of form this season, but will be taking on the 43-year old American who only has a handful of wins on her belt over the past two years.
Sloane Stephens, who lifted the title in 2017, takes on 19th seed Beatriz Haddad Maia. The American has saved her best performances for the biggest stages, but will have her hands full against the Brazilian, who reached the semifinals at Roland Garros this spring.
2021 runner-up Leylah Fernandez will take on 22nd seed Ekaterina Alexandrova, with the Canadian yet to replicate her performance from that Grand Slam two years ago. Alexandrova has yet to lose before the third round of all three Majors this year.
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Thirteenth seed Daria Kasatkina will take on rising American star Alycia Parks, who burst onto the scene in 2023 and won her maiden WTA Tour title in February in Lyon. Meanwhile, Kasatkina will be looking to advance to the second week in New York for just the second time in her career (2017).
On the men's side, 21st seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina will take on the in-form Marcos Giron. Both men have been in great form during the summer hardcourt season, with each acquiring top 10 wins during their runs.
Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.
As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.
With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.
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- I, like writer of this wonderful article, also picked Noskova to win this entire thing. I would love it if she and Andreeva are in the final.Rapunzel12-11-2026
- "Priorities", Saba... spend less time in front of cameras, anti-Social Media, selfies and back to Tennis.
mandoist12-11-2026 - Tell this to Andreeva!
mandoist12-11-2026 - Andreeva with 11 games in a row to add to Saba's downward spiral issue !!! Personal feelings aside... Jess Pegula may want to reassess her evaluation of Mirra's abilities.
mandoist12-11-2026 - I predicted whenthe list was finalised that Linda Noskova would win the WTA Finals and her matches against Gauff and Kostyuk prove that. She is the best (underrated) player in the world!Rapunzel11-11-2026
- Either Lena has a chronic internal ailment (i.e., colitis, enteritis, Crohn's, or some type of lower abdomen issue) -- or she is once again dealing with 'Vukovitis'. Mental stress can indeed cause lower body pains. No matter... whatever is truly going on sucks. "Virus" excuse is getting a bit old -- and often -- at this point.
mandoist09-11-2026 - Ironically, Martina became a U.S. Citizen about the same time as the Orange Convicted Felon & Abuser was just beginning on his road to losing all Daddy's Millions!!
mandoist09-11-2026 - "Another fresh start is in the cards." Thanks for the Humor!! I'm guessing this is the minimum one can do to keep all your sponsors hanging-on in perpetuity?
mandoist09-11-2026 - Vukov is doing this to Lena... AGAIN!!!!! WTA's autonomous collective should be dismantled for allowing Vukov to re-emerge from his hand-slapping suspension. Just ask WTA employees how that's been going lately as they witness his continued verbal abuses. Women's Pro Tennis should start over.
mandoist08-11-2026 - Can't help but suspect Vukov is back to his old self again. Thank you, WTA. Perhaps you can give them a "Battling Couple of the Year Award 2026" ??
mandoist08-11-2026








