Petra Kvitova vs Diane Parry
(17:00 CET, Grandstand)
Petra Kvitova has already announced that her attempt to return to tennis after her maternity break would end at the US Open. Although the two-time former Wimbledon champion heard the criticism in her home country that the final farewell should have been at the London Grand Slam, she did not let the opportunity to compete in New York due to her protected ranking slip away.
Kvitova can play on hard courts, but she won't have it easy against the relatively in-form Diane Parry. After all, she last played at Wimbledon two months ago, while the Frenchwoman has prepared in Warsaw and Monterrey.
Venus Williams vs Karolina Muchova
(01:00 CET, Arthur Ashe Stadium)
It's been 28 years since Venus Williams made her Grand Slam debut in New York. Back then, she was just 17 years old and reached the final straight away (she lost to Martina Hingis in 1997). This year's US Open is the 25th for the elder Williams sister and she returns after a year's break and a rather surprising comeback.
Venus reappeared on the circuit in July in Washington after more than a year off, beating Peyton Stearns. But she'll have a tougher time against Karolina Muchova. The Czech tennis player has struggled with her health throughout the year, but she will still be the clear favourite.
After all, she has been in the semi-finals twice in New York and the local environment suits her. In their only match in 2020, she didn't concede a set to Williams. While it may be just another episode, it will be nice to see the now 45-year-old Venus on Arthur Ashe. The organisers have given the legend prime time in the tournament's biggest arena.
Reilly Opelka vs Carlos Alcaraz
(02:30 CET, Arthur Ashe Stadium)
The US Open was the first Grand Slam that Carlos Alcaraz conquered, only he hasn't been successful here since his triumph in 2022. Last year, he finished in the second round when he was surprised by Botic van de Zandschulp.
And this year, he certainly wasn't happy about the draw. He will be expecting a flurry of cannon serves and probably a large number of aces, plus Reilly Opelka will be playing "at home" and the crowd can be expected to support him.
Alcaraz can take comfort in the fact that his move to the outdoor hard courts has been a success. Before New York, he tested his form at the Masters in Cincinnati, where he triumphed and holds a streak of six straight match wins.