Defending U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff will have a couple of rounds to ease her way into her title defense before things get tricky at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

The world No. 3 will open against No. 66 Varvara Gracheva of France and would then meet No. 87 Tatjana Maria of Germany in the second round. After that, Gauff, who lost in the fourth round at Wimbledon and the third round of the Paris Olympics, could face five straight seeded players, starting with No. 27 Elina Svitolina and then No. 13 Emma Navarro, who vanquished Gauff at Wimbledon.

“I think considering that Coco’s coming into this U.S. Open not that confident and not having played that well this summer, her draw is pretty good,” ESPN’s Mary Joe Fernandez said on air during the draw reveal.

“She doesn’t have that one big hitter that’s gonna rush her too much early on. She’s going to have a little time to work her way into this tournament.”

The U.S. Open begins Monday.

Chrissie Evert, the 18-time major champion and ESPN analyst, likes the fact that Gauff took a mental health break after the Olympics to clear her head ahead of the Open.

“I like the fact that she went home, too, for a couple days to reset, to see her family, to be a normal girl,” Evert said. “Maybe she’s gonna be charged up for this tournament.”

During an ESPN conference call earlier this week, Evert said she thought being a flag bearer at the Olympics — and all that came with it — took an emotional toll on Gauff.

“When I watched her at the Olympics, leading the parade, leading the whole Olympics, not only the American team, I saw her trading pins, she was photographed meeting all her idols,” Evert said. “I’m like, this girl won’t be able to play. She’ll be so exhausted. She won’t be able to play. I didn’t expect her to win. She didn’t win. I think emotionally that took so much out of her. She’s still a young girl and wants to have fun, as well.”

Evert added: “I just think it’s a lot. She’s in demand physically. She’s in demand with appearances. Everyone wants a piece of her.

“Plus, the fact that the players now are exposing that forehand. It’s not backhand, backhand, forehand. They’re hitting every ball to the forehand. She had like 50 unforced errors in her last loss to [Yulia] Putintseva [in Cincinnati].

“I just think it’s been a long year. It’s been a long year. Do I think she can turn it around? 100% I think she can.”

Still, the draw will be tough.

Gauff could face No. 8 Barbora Krejcikova, the Wimbledon champ, in the quarterfinals, two-time Australian Open champ and No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka in the semis and world No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the final. Gauff defeated Sabalenka in three sets in the 2023 U.S. Open final.

Sabalenka comes in as the new betting favorite after beating Swiatek in the semis of the Cincinnati Open, 6-3, 6-3, and then American Jessica Pegula in the final, 6-3, 7-5.

“[Sabalenka] is a huge favorite in her section and the overall favorite to win it all,” ESPN’s Patrick McEnroe said by text.

Added Fernandez: “I think Sabalenka after winning in Cincinnati, she is the heavy favorite.”

Still, if Gauff can regain her mojo starting next week, she could change the trajectory of her season.

“It’s going to be who is the freshest, who is the freshest for seven matches, and who can hold on and get that energy that they need,” Evert said. “She can still win it.”