The US Open men’s singles draw has set up a treacherous opening path for Arthur Fils, who will face Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas in a high-profile first-round encounter at Flushing Meadows in New York City, according to tournament announcements reported by European sports media outlets.
Arthur Fils Faces Stefanos Tsitsipas in a Blockbuster Opener
According to reports from Eurosport and L’Équipe, Arthur Fils avoided some of the absolute worst-case scenarios at the top of the seedings, but his path through the fortnight remains fiercely competitive. Should Fils navigate the Greek star, he could face a third-round meeting against Jiri Lehecka—against whom he holds a 4–2 head-to-head record—followed by a potential fourth-round clash against eighth-seeded American Ben Shelton. A victory at that stage likely sets up a quarterfinal showdown with second-seeded Carlos Alcaraz.
Top Seed Adjustments and Alcaraz-Djokovic Half
In the absence of world number one Jannik Sinner, Germany’s Alexander Zverev takes the top spot in the men’s draw, opening his campaign against Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego. Zverev finds himself in the opposite half of the bracket from Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic, a positioning that avoids both heavyweights until a potential championship match. Alcaraz, working his way back into top form, opens against Russian player Roman Safiullin and shares a half-draw with Djokovic. Meanwhile, veteran Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka accepted a late entry to play his final US Open, drawing Italy’s Matteo Berrettini in an old-school opening-round matchup that could lead to a second-round meeting with Djokovic—a rematch of their 2016 final in New York.
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French Contingent Faces Mixed Fortunes in New York
Other French competitors received varied fortunes during the official draw ceremony. Gael Monfils, playing in the final Grand Slam tournament of his professional career, faces Paraguay’s Adolfo Daniel Vallejo in the opening round. Corentin Moutet draws Australian wild-card recipient Dane Sweeny, while Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard awaits a qualifier. Luca Van Assche draws a seeded opponent in Cameron Norrie, and Quentin Halys begins against Facundo Diaz Acosta with a possible second-round match against Alexander Zverev looming if he advances.
Tournament Outlook and Next Steps
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