US Open 2024: Popcorn matches from the women’s singles draw

The US Open women’s singles draw has been made, with some very eye-catching first round matches being produced for the New York major.

And we, at Tennishead, have picked out five of our favourite that feature numerous Grand Slam champions:

Jelena Ostapenko (10) vs Naomi Osaka (WC)

Naomi Osaka is making her return to the US Open for the first time since 2022 after receiving a wildcard, but she is unlikely to be thankful for her first round draw against 10th seed Jelena Ostapenko.

The Japanese superstar is a two-time former champion in New York, but has not surpassed the third round since winning her second title back in 2020.

Although Ostapenko’s only Grand Slam title to date came at Roland Garros, the Latvian did play a big part at the US Open last year after beating World No.1 Iga Swiatek.

Despite the hype surrounding this first round match, neither player is coming into the US Open in particularly good form, having failed to win back-to-back matches on the North American hard courts.

Osaka and Ostapenko have only played on one previous occasion that came back at Roland Garros 2016, when both players were teenagers.

Osaka won on that occasion, but will she be able to produce an upset in New York on Tuesday?

Firepower and starpower. pic.twitter.com/0uLOMOw2ST

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 22, 2024

Emma Raducanu vs Sofia Kenin

Three years ago, Emma Raducanu stunned the world when she became the first qualifier in history to win a Grand Slam title at the US Open.

It has been a bit of a rocky road since then for the Brit, especially after undergoing surgeries to both wrists and her left ankle last year, but now Raducanu is ready to return to Flushing Meadows.

However, it is unlikely to go all Raducanu’s way in the first round, as she will play 2020 Australian champion Sofia Kenin.

Kenin has struggled for form in recent months, having lost six of her last seven matches, but the American often shows up for the biggest events.

While Raducanu has seen some improved results in 2024, there are some question marks over the 21-year-old after not competing since the Washington Open at the start of August.

What we do know is that this is a first-time meeting between the pair, with the winner likely to play Canadian Open champion Jessica Pegula in the second round.

Jasmine Paolini (5) vs Bianca Andreescu (WC)

While the first two matches in our list have little previous, Jasmine Paolini and Bianca Andreescu are much more familiar with one another having played at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon.

Paolini was victorious on both of those occasions en route to reaching the finals of both major tournaments, in what has been a breakout year for the Italian.

However, this is their first meeting on Andreescu’s preferred hard courts, having won the US Open title back in 2019.

Despite Andreescu having the better hard court record, the Canadian wildcard has struggled for form in recent weeks after first round losses in both Toronto and Cincinnati.

Qinwen Zheng (7) vs Amanda Anisimova (WC)

The wildcards just keep on producing standout matches, this time featuring a first-time meeting between Olympic gold medallist Qinwen Zheng and Canadian Open finalist Amanda Anisimova.

Both players come into the US Open heavy on confidence, with Zheng winning the Olympic title earlier this month in Paris and Anisimova reaching her first WTA 1000 level final.

Zheng has had a breakout season in 2024, having reached the final of the other hard court major at the Australian Open earlier this year.

However, the World No.7 will have her work cut out for her if she is to do the same at the US Open, against the reignited Anisimova.

Despite it being her home major tournament, Anisimova has never surpassed the third round in New York, while Zheng achieved her best result at the tournament last year by reaching the quarter-finals.

Leylah Fernandez (23) vs Anastasia Potapova

Although not a former champion at the US Open, Leylah Fernandez knows what it is like to go all the way to the final at Flushing Meadows.

And the Canadian has shown some signs of form heading into the US Open this year, after reaching the quarter-finals in Cincinnati.

Fernandez will have to show some of his form against the gutsy Anastasia Potapova in the first round, who is currently fighting for the title in Cleveland this week.

This will be the fifth meeting between Fernandez and Potapova and third this year, with the former winning all of their previous encounters.

However, three of those four meetings have come on clay and Fernandez has not surpassed the second round in New York since reaching the final back in 2021.

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