The draw was performed today in New York City. World No. 3 Rafael Nadal has been drawn to face Australia’s wildcard Rinky Hijikata in the first round of the US Open. He could meet No. 32 seed Miomir Kecamonivuc in the third round, 14th-seeded Diego Schwartzman in the fourth round and seventh seed Cameron Norrie in the quarterfinals.
If it falls per ranking, this would be Rafa’s path to the final:
- 1st round: Rinky Hijikata
- 2nd round: Aslan Karatsev
- 3rd round: Miomir Kecmanovic
- 4th round: Diego Schwartzman
- Quarter-final: Cameron Norrie
- Semi-final: Carlos Alcaraz
- Final: Daniil Medvedev
If the men play to seed the quarter-final line up will be:
- Daniil Medvedev vs Felix Auger-Aliassime
- Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Casper Ruud
- Hubert Hurkacz vs Carlos Alcaraz
- Cameron Norrie vs Rafael Nadal
Rafa will be competing in his first U.S. Open since 2019 and all eyes will be on our champ as he seeks his 23rd Grand Slam title. He enters the year’s final Grand Slam in pole position in the battle for World No. 1. The four-time US Open champion controls his own destiny as he tries to return to the top spot. If he lifts the trophy, he will climb to the top of men’s tennis’ mountain.
Missing from the drawing is Novak Djokovic, who announced his absence from the U.S. Open via Twitter. He is unvaccinated and current U.S. rules require that any non-U.S. citizen must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to receive a visa to enter the country.
The tournament starts on Monday.
GOOD LUCK & VAMOS RAFA!
Just be your brilliant self Rafa and may God keep you injury free for a great tournament.
Very doable draw for Rafa…. Hopefully he can establish some 3 set victories during the first week.. If he plays his sharp game with pain free or manageable body issues…he will march through this…
VAMOS RAFA!!!
It looks easy draw, but fognini or karatsev in R2 is not easy. Hopefully, Rafa can pass either of them in straight sets.
Rafa-wishing you all the best in NY-🎾🍀❤️
Brilliant draw for Rafa! Just keep praying his body doesn’t compete with him, too. Oh how we all want to see him win this!!! I will be praying like I always do before, during, and after each match! Vamos, Rafa!
Gold luck and Vamos Rafa❤️
Vamps Rafa.
The greatest men’s Tennis 🎾 Player of all time.
All the best Rafa I start watching the tournament in UK but I will be in Mallorca for the latter stages.
Stay healthy, and have a fantastic tournament, Rafa!🍀💪❤️
Looking forward to cheering for you in person starting in the quarterfinals.😊
Great to have you here Mimi. Come on Rafa just stay healthy and win 5th crown on this coming Fortnight…. Vamos Rafa
Thanks, Dr. Khawar.🙏❤️
Good luck to our champ🍀 Vamos Rafa💪
Fingers crossed.
Nadal is facing 2 opponents every round. Injury is the hidden opponent, hidden in every joint of the body.
My view is that the very fast court is a greater factor than risk of injury. Reports say that the courts are much faster than 2019. Rafa will need to go for winners a bit more quickly than normal.
Good luck rafa and stay healthy and I hope all is well with Mary and the baby
If Rafa wasn’t injured after Wimbledon, this draw would be perfect for him, but after everything it’s hard to say how far he can go. What a year it would be if he could win US Open as well. Vamos!
Rafa…in all you do from next week in the USO, play safely to sustain your good health. Enjoy each of your games. Wishing you all the Luck in the world. ☘☘☘☘ BUENA SUERTE my Champion. Vamos 🇪🇦🇪🇦🇪🇦🇪🇦🇪🇦🇪🇦🇪🇦🇪🇦🇪🇦🇪🇦
Good Luck Rafa! 🙏🏼For you and family ❤️
Best of luck, Rafa! Take it one match at a time as you always do. Looking forward to seeing you lift your 5th US Open title and 23rd Major title!!