Aug 27 (Reuters) - Defending U.S. Open champion Carlos Alcaraz faces a challenging road to the New York final while Aryna Sabalenka will also have her hands full in her bid for a three-peat, following Thursday's draw.
Alcaraz, who is returning to singles action after sitting out five months with a wrist injury, landed in the stronger bottom half of the men's draw along with former U.S. Open champions Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev, Stan Wawrinka and Marin Cilic.
The Spanish second seed will start the year's final major against Roman Safiullin and could face either Arthur Fils or Ben Shelton in the quarters beforea potential semi-final showdown against Djokovic, Medvedev, Frances Tiafoe or Brandon Nakashima.
Djokovic, a four-times U.S. Open winner who is chasing a record-setting 25th Grand Slam title, will begin the fortnight against Argentine Mariano Navone and, should he advance, would then face either Wawrinka or Matteo Berrettini in the second round.
Top seed Alexander Zverev, who won his first Grand Slam title at this year's French Open, will start against Lorenzo Sonego and could face Lorenzo Musetti in the fourth round, Alex de Minaur in the quarters before possible matchups against Felix Auger-Aliassime in the semis and Alcaraz in the final.
On the women's side, top seed Sabalenka will play Colombian Camila Osorio in her opening match and faces a potential quarter-final clash with reigning Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova and a semi-final showdown with in-form Jessica Pegula, who finished runner-up in a pair of U.S. Open tune-up events.
Sabalenka's fortnight may also include a second-round date with Renata Zarazua before potential matches against Barbora Krejcikova and Diana Shnaider over the next two rounds and, if the draw goes according to seed, a title match against Elena Rybakina.
Former U.S. Open winner Coco Gauff, who is seeded fourth and arrives in New York fresh off winning the title in Cincinnati, was placed in the bottom half of the draw and could meet Amanda Anisimova in the quarter-finals.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in TorontoEditing by Toby Davis)
