Close friends and double partners, Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis will face each other in a first-round encounter at the US Open. Kyrgios and Kokkinakis have never faced off at ATP level.
Novak Djokovic is absent from the Flushing Meadows men’s field due to his unvaccinated status. So, Rafael Nadal will try to match him with a 23rd grand slam title against Australian wildcard Rinky Hijikata when the main draw kicks off on Monday.
Kyrgios and Kokkinakis have been pitted against each other in a difficult quarter, that features Russian top seed and defending champion Daniil Medvedev, who Kyrgios recently beat in Montreal.
The Australian Open-winning pair have never played against each on the main tour. The duo will also be aiming for a third title of the year in the men’s doubles.
Kyrgios posted on Instagram: “My brother. Let’s give ’em a good show.”
“Let’s have some fun, my boy,” Kokkinakis wrote.
Kyrgios seeded 23rd is a favourite for the title after his sprint to the Wimbledon final and following victory in Washington, but he has a trying draw.
If he beats Kokkinakis, he may encounter French left-hander Ugo Humbert in the second round and dangerous 16th seeded Roberto Bautista Agut in the third, before a possible match-up with Medvedev.
The whole men’s field have had their chances lifted by Djokovic’s absence, who announced on social media that he would not be coming to New York. The announcement came less than two hours before the behind-closed-doors draw.
The unvaccinated Serb cannot enter the US to bid for a fourth US title so second seed Nadal has a clearer path to his fifth crown at Arthur Ashe.
So Hijikata, the 21-year-old prospect from Sydney – handed a wildcard as part of US tennis’s reciprocal arrangement with their Australian counterparts – has a dream — or nightmarish — encounter first up.
Alex de Minaur, the Australian number one and 18th seed, will open against Serbian Filip Krajinovic.
Another all-Australian clash first up is James Duckworth meeting fellow Sydneysider Chris O’Connell, while the in-form Jason Kubler will aim to continue his breakthrough year by beating Sweden’s Mikael Ymer.
In the women’s draw, everyone is looking at 40-year-old Serena Williams’s first opponent, Montenegro’s world number 80, Danka Kovinic. This is expected to be the last tournament of Williams’s career.
The potential second-round encounter is against number two seed Anett Kontaveit of Estonia.
Australian Ajla Tomljanovic will face the Czech Republic’s Karolina Muchova in her first match, and, if she gets past likely second-round opponent Martina Trevisan, may meet Williams in the last 32.
Aussie number two Daria Saville will take on Romania’s Elena-Gabriela Ruse in her opening match, while Jaimee Fourlis, also handed a wildcard, will play a qualifier yet to be decided.
Defending champion Emma Raducanu has a tough opener against renowned giant-killer Alize Cornet, who knocked out top seed Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon.
