The excitement is building as the 2024 edition of the US Open is about to kick off! With the tournament draw now officially out, that excitement has only intensified. Experts and fans alike are already dissecting matchups, predicting upsets, and setting their sights on the thrilling battles that lie ahead. Every corner of the tennis world is abuzz with speculation—who will rise to the occasion, and who might falter under the pressure of the big stage? Amidst this excitement, the list of interesting matches in the first round of the tournament is too good to miss.

On the WTA side, American tennis sensation Coco Gauff will be facing Varvara Gracheva in the first round. This would be their second meet after the ASB Classic in Auckland this year, where the French player was handed a swift defeat. But she might pose some surprising challenges ahead of the World No. 3. Remember, she also managed to give a tough time to Iga Swiatek in the recently concluded Cincinnati Masters, and won the second set in the three-setter thriller. Another match to look forward to is between Qinwen Zheng and Amanda Anisimova.

Zheng is fresh off her victory at the Paris Olympics, where she baffled in-form players like Swiatek and Donna Navarro. But her run at the American hard courts this season has been worrisome, as she lost remarkably in the second round at the Cincinnati Masters. Anisimova, on the other hand, cruised to the finals of the Canadian Open and the quarterfinals of the Citi Open. As the two meet for the first time, it would definitely be a stellar match to look forward to. One more critical match can be seen between Jelena Ostapenko and Naomi Osaka.

Osaka has failed to catch up and win enough this season. While she won the only match she played against Ostapenko, it is an old story since the duo faced each other eight years ago at Roland Garros. With Ostapenko ranked at the 10th spot in the WTA rankings, Osaka will have to buckle up immensely to get past her. The situation can be similar between Emma Raducanu and Sofia Kenin. The British tennis sensation will be facing Kenin for the first time in her career. While Raducanu is ranked much lower than Kenin, her early defeats in the American hard-cuort swing this season, where she faced an exit in the initial rounds itself, would give Raducanu the due motivation to perform big.

Another thriller to look forward to is the one between Jasmine Paolini and Bianca Andreescu. The Italian dynamo has faced the Canadian star twice in her career so far. Both the encounters took place during Grand Slams this year, one at the French Open and the other at Wimbledon, with Paolini cruising past Andreescu in great fashion. With another Grand Slam meet-up, it would be interesting to see if Andreescu can avenge her defeats.

Meanwhile, Spanish sensation Paola Badosa would be seeing Viktorija Golubic in the opening round. Having won the only match they played, Badosa has an upper hand in the match but with the high stakes of the tournament involved, the match can go either way. The matches on the ATP side are equally interesting.

Ben Shelton to take over Dominic Thiem in a thrilling match

The ATP side will be witnessing equally thrilling matches. In the first round, Jack Draper will face Zhang Zhizhen for the first time. Both players have demonstrated remarkable talents this season with Zhang winning an Olympic Medal in doubles. Hence, it would be an interesting clash to look forward to. Another thriller can be seen between Dominic Thiem and Ben Shelton.

The 2020 US Open winner Thiem will be facing a young force who is poised to achieve big. Besides Shelton has demonstrated some great skills in his recent matches and hence, the run ahead would not be easy for Thiem. Remember, both the players are on a leveled head-to-head tally with one win each. But for Shelton to rise up in the tournament, he will have to not just defeat the experience and elegance of the Austrian player, but also his remarkable forehand in the tournament. Challenges will also lie ahead of Lorenzo Musetti. 

The Italian sensation would be facing local star Reilly Opelka. While Opelka has not had a season to remember so far following injuries and withdrawals, the 6ft 11-inch player is well-versed with the conditions of the hard courts. Indeed, Musetti has an upper hand in the match, but not without challenges especially because he has lost all three encounters against the American star in their meet-ups, including the one at the 2021 US Open. Yet more thriller awaits in the match between Tommy Paul and Lorenzo Sonego.

Both Paul and Sonego have won one match each in their two encounters on tour. But it has been three years since their clashes and a lot has evolved since then. With the two once again gearing up to face each other, the match, just like the other encounters, has a lot of stakes involved. It remains interesting to see who proves their mettle, but what remains certain is the thrilling showdown in all these encounters.