US Open Tennis 2019 Draw: Date, Time, Live Stream Info and More
Novak Djokovic and Naomi Osaka will be in attendance when the draw for the 2019 U.S. Open takes place on the Fan Week Center Stage at Flushing Meadows in New York on Thursday.
The 2018 singles champions will find out what paths they have to take to defend their respective titles. Djokovic is favourite with the oddsmakers to once again triumph in the men's bracket, while Serena Williams and Simona Halep are tipped to outperform Osaka this year.
Qualifying matches have been taking place this week, but the main draw begins on Monday.
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Draw Schedule
Date: Thursday, August 22
Time: 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. ET/5 p.m. to 6 p.m. BST
Live Stream: ESPN+, USOpen.org
Djokovic is the clear betting favourite ahead of familiar foes Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, according to Caesars. This level of expectation makes sense since the world No. 1 has been justifying his ranking this year.
The Serb saw off Federer in the final of Wimbledon and also claimed the Australian Open title. Djokovic was too good in New York a year ago, and his patient approach, superb defenses and stellar return game make him equally comfortable on grass and hard courts.
Not even a surprise recent defeat to Daniil Medvedev in the last four of the Cincinnati Masters has dented Djokovic's case to retain the title.
The Russian is perhaps the most intriguing outsider thanks to his own prolific run during this calendar year:
Medvedev, 23, also saw off Djokovic in Monte Carlo earlier this year, so he has to rate as someone to avoid in the draw.
A lot of the focus on Williams will concern how she handles herself following the heated clashes with umpire Carlos Ramos during her loss to Osaka in the 2018 women's singles final.
United States Tennis Association chief executive Stacey Allaster told the New York Times (h/t Luigi Gatto of Tennis World USA) Ramos won't umpire any matches involving Williams or her sister, Venus, at this year's tournament.
Regardless of how the 37-year-old approaches things, Halep may be the more likely to take the prize away from Osaka. The Romanian is still buoyed by a maiden title win at Wimbledon in July, when she made quick work of Williams in the final.
Any doubts about Halep's chances stem from the Achilles problem that forced her to retire from the Rogers Cup earlier this month. A similar problem plagued her ahead of the 2018 U.S. Open.
The 27-year-old recovered in time to feature in Cincinnati but lost to eventual winner Madison Keys in the round of 16.
If Halep is back up to speed, she will be the player the rest of the field will fear.
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