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Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz are on the same half of the US Open draw as the battle for World No. 1 heats up, while top seed and defending champion Daniil Medvedev faces a tricky path at Flushing Meadows, which could include Nick Kyrgios in the fourth round.

Nadal 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 the 36-year-old lifts the trophy, he will climb to the top of men’s tennis’ mountain.

Nadal will begin his pursuit of a fifth title in New York against Australian Rinky Hijikata, who tested Medvedev in a tight two-setter earlier this month in Los Cabos. If Nadal advances, the lefty could in the second round play Fabio Fognini, who upset him here in five sets in 2015.

Other notable players in Nadal’s quarter of the draw are seventh seed Cameron Norrie, 14th seed Diego Schwartzman, 19th seed Denis Shapovalov and home favourite Frances Tiafoe, the 22nd seed.

Alcaraz has a chance to become the youngest No. 1 in the history of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings over the coming fortnight. The 2021 US Open quarter-finalist plays fellow Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals alumnus Sebastian Baez in the first round and the highest seed in his quarter of the draw is eighth seed Hubert Hurkacz. Borna Coric, who last week won the Western & Southern Open, could challenge Alcaraz in the third round.

Three-time US Open champion Novak Djokovic withdrew from the season’s final Grand Slam on Thursday before the draw was made due to travel restrictions.

“Sadly, I will not be able to travel to NY this time for US Open. Thank you #NoleFam for your messages of love and support,” Djokovic wrote on Twitter.. “Good luck to my fellow players! I’ll keep in good shape and positive spirit and wait for an opportunity to compete again. See you soon tennis world!"

Sadly, I will not be able to travel to NY this time for US Open. Thank you #NoleFam for your messages of love and support. ❤️ Good luck to my fellow players! I’ll keep in good shape and positive spirit and wait for an opportunity to compete again. ?? See you soon tennis world! ??

— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) August 25, 2022

Djokovic owns a 23-5 record this season, including title runs at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome and Wimbledon. The Serbian is 13th in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin.

US Open Tournament Director Stacey Allaster said in a statement: "Novak is a great champion and it is very unfortunate that he will be unable to compete at the 2022 US Open, as he is unable to enter the country due to the federal government's vaccination policy for non-U.S.citizens. We look forward to welcoming Novak back at the 2023 US Open."

The world’s best tennis players will face one another over the next fortnight with the US Open trophy at stake. On Wednesday evening, however, they banded together for a Tennis Plays For Peace exhibition in support of Ukrainian humanitarian relief.

Rafael Nadal, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, John McEnroe and many more stars thrilled a packed Louis Armstrong Stadium for two hours of tennis to raise money for those suffering in Ukraine, with recently retired Ukrainian players Sergiy Stakhovsky and Olga Savchuk in attendance.

“[It has been a] very tough couple of years in terms of [the] pandemic, now with the war,” Nadal said. “Excited to be back of course, always a pleasure to play in New York and in front of probably the best crowd of the world.”

After an opening ceremony featuring Stakhovsky, Savchuk and host Patrick McEnroe, the Ukrainian national anthem was performed and Nadal took the court for a mixed doubles match alongside Swiatek against Gauff and McEnroe.

“Being on the court with John, Rafa and Iga, World No. 1, it’s really crazy here in New York,” Gauff said. “I’m happy that I’m able to do it for this cause and you guys all know me, I like to speak out when it’s right. I’m glad that I was able to be a part of this.”

Jack Draper has lived up to his billing as the 13th seed in his Winston-Salem Open debut by beating two big-name players who have spent a large chunk of their ATP Tour careers playing with a number next to their name on the draw sheet.

After a three-set victory against Fabio Fognini, the #NextGenATP Briton overwhelmed Dominic Thiem in a 6-1, 6-4 Wednesday win to reach the quarter-finals at the ATP 250. It's Draper's third quarter-final of the season after runs to the Eastbourne semis and the Montreal quarter-finals.

"I was really good behind serve, really solid," he said after not facing a break point in the 80-minute match. "In the second set it was tough because he was coming up with some amazing shots. It was a real honour to be on court with Dominic. He's an amazing player."

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In his first ATP Head2Head meeting with Thiem, the 20-year-old raced to a 5-0 lead in the opening set and created 10 break chances in the match. The Austrian picked up his aggression in the second set, approaching the net 12 times, but also hit six double faults as he took more risk on his delivery.

Gilles Simon's Grand Slam career lives on for at least another day thanks to yet another heroic comeback by the Frenchman in Wednesday's US Open qualifying action.

After his memorable five-set win against Pablo Carreno Busta in his farewell Roland Garros, the Frenchman made an even greater escape in a 2-6, 7-5, 6-1 win against home favourite Michael Mmoh. Down a double break at 2-5 in the second, Simon raised his level with his back against the wall as he won 11 of the final 12 games at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

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Simon, who is set to retire after the 2022 season, used an efficient performance on return to complete the turnaround, converting on six of seven break chances after failing to create a look in the opening set. The 37-year-old denied Mmoh on two attempts at serving out the match at both 5-2 and 5-4 in the middle set.

He will continue to play for his 15th US Open main-draw appearance in a Thursday meeting with Matteo Arnaldi in the second of three qualifying rounds. The #NextGenATP Italian was a 6-2, 2-6, 6-2 winner against 24th seed Ryan Peniston in the opening round.

In his first match since his breakthrough quarter-final run at the Montreal ATP Masters 1000, #NextGenATP Briton Jack Draper claimed another statement win on Tuesday at the Winston-Salem Open.

The 20-year-old outlasted Fabio Fognini 6-2, 4-6, 6-1 to set up a third-round showdown with Dominic Thiem, who moved past top seed Grigor Dimitrov after the Bulgarian's second-set retirement.

Draper, seeded 13th, ran out to a 5-0 lead in the final set, but had to save seven break points in doing so. After he escaped 15/40 in the set's opening game, he erased five break chances in a five-deuce fifth game, the longest of the two-hour match. The Briton saved 10 of 13 break points in the contest while breaking on six of 10 chances on return.

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Entering the week at a career-high of No. 55 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, Draper moved up three places in the Live Rankings to No. 52 following his opening victory. He could enter the Top 40 by winning his first tour-level title this week.

China's Wu Yibing translated his red-hot form on the ATP Challenger Tour into a debut victory in Grand Slam qualifying on Tuesday at the US Open. 

The 2017 US Open boys' singles champ and former junior World No. 1 earned a 6-4, 6-3 win against 18th seed Ricardas Berankis to move within two victories of his maiden main-draw appearance at a major. 

The 22-year-old was an efficient three of four on break point opportunities while saving six of seven break points against him in the match. He will next face Italy's Stefano Travaglia, a 6-3, 6-4 winner against Michael Geerts.

Travaglia was one of seven Italian men to advance on Day 1 of the US Open Qualifying Tournament, led by 10th seed Franco Agamenone. The 29-year-old Agamenone hit seven aces in a 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 win against Argentina's Francisco Comesana.

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Ben Shelton, the #NextGenATP American who reached the third round of last week’s Western & Southern Open, announced on social media Tuesday that he is turning professional. The 19-year-old won the NCAA Singles Championship last year while competing for the University of Florida.

“After sitting down with my parents this weekend, I have decided to forgo my last two years of eligibility and turn pro. While this wasn’t an easy decision, I’m excited for the next chapter in my career," Shelton wrote. "I want to thank the University of Florida for two incredible years. It has been a once in a lifetime experience to become part of the Florida Family, and to compete for National Championships. These are memories I’ll cherish forever.

“I have made brothers for life. I’m grateful for my teammates, coaches, and support staff at UF who have been there for me my whole collegiate career, and helped shape me into the person I am today. I would also like to thank my family, who have always taught me to BELIEVE in God, and myself, while pushing me to stay balanced in everything I do. God is good.

“With that, I am going to continue my finance degree online while travelling on tour. I can’t wait to get out there, expand my horizons, and see what this next chapter has in store. Gator Nation, I will be repping all over the world! I’m pumped to see everyone at the US Open. CHOMP CHOMP ?”

Lotta love for the Gators??? pic.twitter.com/ZVdbW6lGmp

Asia has a new star in the making. His name? Chun-Hsin Tseng.

The #NextGenATP player from Chinese Taipei has soared to new heights over the past year, capturing three ATP Challenger Tour titles, including two this season. That has helped propel him to a career-high No. 83 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

Through a combination of hard work and natural talent, Tseng is now enjoying success around the world on a weekly basis. However, the road to the top has been far from easy, with the 21-year-old negotiating a series of obstacles to get to this point.

“In the beginning, it was tough, because we didn't know anybody to play with [in Chinese Taipei],” Tseng admitted. “I learned to play in school. But the [National] Federation helped me to meet coaches and visit academies and clubs and I began to travel more and more. I went to an academy for three months every year during summer vacation. It was getting better and better, and then, when I was 13, I won the Les Petits As junior tournament and the Mouratoglou Academy found me and I trained there for four years.”

Tseng first picked up a racquet aged five, when he played with his father, Yu Te (known as Ed), at local courts in Chinese Taipei. With opportunities limited, the 21-year-old had to lean on the support of his parents, both of whom worked hard and made sacrifices to help their son achieve his dreams.

Dominic Thiem’s first hard-court match since March 2021 is in a rain delay midway through the third set at the Winston-Salem Open.

The former World No. 3 worked hard to take a 6-7(5), 7-5, 3-2 lead against American J.J. Wolf on Monday evening after two hours and 30 minutes before the weather forced the players off the court. The winner will play 2017 Nitto ATP Finals champion Grigor Dimitrov, the top seed, in the second round.

Thiem showed some inconsistency early on, making uncharacteristic errors. In the crucial moments, he dialed back his aggression to keep the ball in the court, allowing Wolf to take control of rallies and win the first-set tie-break.

But 2020 US Open champion Thiem has also flashed his trademark brilliance on Stadium Court, blasting one-handed backhands down the line and threading the needle with perfect passing shots on his main draw debut at the ATP 250.

In the same section of the draw, former Top 10 star Fabio Fognini defeated Dusan Lajovic 7-5, 7-5 in a rematch of the 2019 Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters final. The Italian will next play 13th seed Jack Draper.

Daniil Medvedev enters the US Open as the No. 1 player in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings but there will be fireworks at Flushing Meadows, where five players have a chance to claim the top spot.

When players next Monday drop their 2021 US Open points, Nadal will be in pole position to recapture World No. 1 for the first time since 2 February 2020. Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Carlos Alcaraz and Casper Ruud need deep runs to challenge him.

Since Nadal did not compete last year in New York, he is not defending any points. When 2021 champion Medvedev drops the 2,000 points he is defending, Nadal will be No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings with 5,630 points. 

Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings Points (as of 29 August)

Player	Points
1) Rafael Nadal	5,630
2) Alexander Zverev	5,040*
3) Daniil Medvedev	4,885
4) Stefanos Tsitsipas	4,800
5) Carlos Alcaraz	4,740
6) Casper Ruud	4,650

*Zverev is not competing in the US Open due to an ankle injury
The 36-year-old lefty will have a 590-point lead over Alexander Zverev, who does not have a chance to claim No. 1 because he is not competing at the US Open due to an ankle injury. Medvedev, who has held World No. 1 since the week of 13 June, will be 745 points behind. 

Medvedev, Tsitsipas, Alcaraz and Ruud will all need to at least reach the US Open final to have an opportunity to leave New York as World No. 1.

Frenchman Constant Lestienne and Argentine Pedro Cachin built upon their formidable ATP Challenger Tour season this past weekend by adding to their title haul in 2022. Lestienne, who has reached four Challenger Tour finals post-Wimbledon, claiming three titles, triumphed in Vancouver, Canada. Cachin collected his Challenger Tour-leading fourth title of 2022 on Sunday in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Both players have won a Challenger Tour-best 38 matches this year.

Four out of Lestienne’s five matches in Vancouver went three-sets as the Frenchman extended his hot streak to 19-2 from his past 21 matches when he defeated countryman Arthur Rinderknech 6-0, 4-6, 6-3 to win the Odlum Brown VanOpen.

“I’ve continued working and fighting, and everything went on my side. I cannot believe that I’ve won so many matches in the last few weeks,” Lestienne said.

The Vancouver title marks the 30-year-old’s sixth Challenger Tour title and third this season (Malaga and Pozoblanco) and lifts him to a career-high No. 75 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

“Arthur (Rinderknech) is a great server, so I knew the key was to return his serve and try to engage the rally and I would have more chances to win the point. In the first set, he didn’t serve too well, I won 6-0, then it was really tight.”

ATP Masters 1000, which debuted as a series in 1990, features the best men's tennis players at nine top tournaments on the ATP Tour calendar. Champions at Masters 1000 events earn 1,000 Pepperstone ATP Rankings points. 

Masters 1000 Reigning Champions

Taylor Fritz, Carlos Alcaraz, Pablo Carreno Busta and Borna Coric joined the list of ATP Masters 1000 champions in 2022. Fritz kicked off proceedings by winning his hometown title at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells by defeating Rafael Nadal, a winner of 36 Masters 1000 titles.

An 18-year-old Alcaraz clinched his first Masters 1000 title at the Miami Open presented by Itau, while fellow Spaniard Carreno Busta joined the elite club at the age of 31, in August at the National Bank Open presented by Rogers. Alcaraz backed up his Miami triumph with an impressive run in May at the Mutua Madrid Open, defeating Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev in succession.

Coric continued the parade of first-time Masters 1000 champions, as he became the lowest-ranked titlist in the history of the Western & Southern Open, propelling him 123 spots to No. 29 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

Tournament	City	2022 Dates	Defending Champion
BNP Paribas Open	Indian Wells	10-20 March	2022: Taylor Fritz (Recap)
Miami Open presented by Itau	Miami	23 March - 3 April	2022: Carlos Alcaraz (Recap)
Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters	Monte-Carlo	10-17 April	2022: Stefanos Tsitsipas (Recap)
Mutua Madrid Open	Madrid	1-8 May	2022: Carlos Alcaraz (Recap)
Internazionali BNL d'Italia	Rome	8-15 May	2022: Novak Djokovic (Recap)
National Bank Open presented by Rogers	Montreal	7-14 August	2022: Pablo Carreno Busta (Recap)
Western & Southern Open	Cincinnati	14-21 August	2022: Borna Coric (Recap)
Rolex Shanghai Masters	Shanghai	cancelled	2019: Daniil Medvedev (Recap)
Rolex Paris Masters	Paris	31 Oct - 6 Nov	2021: Novak Djokovic (Recap)

Masters 1000 Title Leaders

There have been 75 different champions crowned since the Masters 1000 series began in 1990. Only six players have won more than 10 Masters 1000 titles. With his victory at the 2021 Rolex Paris Masters, Novak Djokovic took sole possession of the ATP Masters 1000 titles record, breaking the record he previously shared with Rafael Nadal. He took his Masters 1000 haul to 38 by winning the 2022 Internazionali BNL d'Italia.

Player	Titles
Novak Djokovic	38
Rafael Nadal	36
Roger Federer	28
Andre Agassi	17
Andy Murray	14
Pete Sampras	11

Masters 1000 Win Leaders

Rafael Nadal leads Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic in the battle among Masters 1000 match win leaders, with the Spaniard pulling ahead of the Swiss at the 2019 Rolex Paris Masters. Nadal first broke Federer's long-held record in August 2019, with his 379th Masters 1000 victory at this elite level during the Coupe Rogers. Stan Wawrinka entered the Top 10 leaderboard after reaching the third round at the 2019 BNP Paribas Open, overtaking Tommy Haas (144-107 match record).

Player	W-L	Titles
Rafael Nadal	406-87	36
Novak Djokovic	381-83	38
Roger Federer	381-108	28
Andy Murray	223-91	14
Andre Agassi	209-73	17
Tomas Berdych	191-117	1
Pete Sampras	190-70	11
David Ferrer	189-122	1
Andy Roddick	157-70	5
Stan Wawrinka	157-111	1

* numbers following 2022 Western & Southern Open
 

Masters 1000 Greatest Champions

Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan dominate the titles leaderboard for the Masters 1000 tournaments.

City	Singles	Doubles
Indian Wells	Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer (5)	Mark Knowles, Daniel Nestor (4)
Miami	Andre Agassi, Novak Djokovic (6)	Bob Bryan, Mike Bryan (6)
Monte-Carlo	Rafael Nadal (11)	Bob Bryan, Mike Bryan (6)
Madrid	Rafael Nadal (5)	Bob Bryan, Mike Bryan, Daniel Nestor (5)
Rome	Rafael Nadal (10)	Bob Bryan, Mike Bryan (4)
Canada	Rafael Nadal (5)	Mahesh Bhupathi, Bob Bryan, Mike Bryan (5)
Cincinnati	Roger Federer (7)	Bob Bryan, Mike Bryan, Daniel Nestor (5)
Shanghai	Novak Djokovic (4)	Marcelo Melo (3)
Paris	Novak Djokovic (6)	Bob Bryan, Mike Bryan (4)

Masters 1000 Sweeps

The "Sunshine Double", winning Indian Wells and Miami in the same season, has been achieved 12 different times since the series began in 1990, most recently by Roger Federer in 2017. The fall Masters 1000 sweep has been completed five times, twice by Novak Djokovic, while four players have won Canada and Cincinnati back-to-back. Rafael Nadal, the most recent player to accomplish the North American summer sweep, is also the only one to have captured all three clay Masters 1000 titles consecutively. 

ATP Masters 1000 Sunshine Double (Indian Wells, Miami)
2017: Roger Federer
2016: Novak Djokovic
2015: Novak Djokovic
2014: Novak Djokovic
2011: Novak Djokovic
2006: Roger Federer
2005: Roger Federer
2001: Andre Agassi
1998: Marcelo Rios
1994: Pete Sampras
1992: Michael Chang
1991: Jim Courier

Alexander Zverev withdrew from the US Open, the tournament announced on Monday.

The German has not competed since suffering an ankle injury during the Roland Garros semi-finals against Rafael Nadal. Zverev underwent surgery shortly thereafter.

“After further examination in Germany, we received confirmation that all three of the lateral ligaments in my right ankle were torn," Zverev wrote on Instagram at the time. "To return to competition as quickly as possible, to ensure all the ligaments heal properly, and to reclaim full stability in my ankle, surgery was the best choice. My rehab starts now and I’ll do everything to come back stronger than ever!”

Zverev reached his lone Grand Slam final at the US Open two years ago and owns an 18-7 record at the hard-court major. He is currently the No. 2 player in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

The US Open qualifying event will begin on Tuesday, with the main draw being held from 29 August through 11 September.

Borna Coric’s dream run to his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title at the Western & Southern Open propels the Croatian back into the Top 30 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings for the first time since May 2021. Despite defeat to Coric in Sunday’s championship match in Cincinnati, Stefanos Tsitsipas returns to the Top 5 off the back of his strong week in Ohio.

ATPTour.com looks at the movers of the week, as of Monday, 22 August.

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No. 29 Borna Coric, +123
After a long journey back from shoulder surgery in May 2021, Borna Coric announced his return to the big stage in style in Cincinnati by charging to his first Masters 1000 crown. The Croatian upset three Top 10 opponents in Rafael Nadal, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Stefanos Tsitsipas to clinch the biggest title of his career and his first since 2018. Coric’s stunning week sees him surge 123 places to No. 29 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. Read Cincinnati Final Report & Watch Highlights.

View Latest Pepperstone ATP Rankings

Laslo Djere made a late start to his North American hard-court swing, but you could not tell by his performance on Sunday evening.

In his first match of the swing, the Serbian battled past former Top 10 star David Goffin 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 to reach the second round of the Winston-Salem Open.

“It was difficult. Really humid. We had an interruption at the beginning [due to rain], so it was both physical and mental, I think. I managed to stay calm and I prepared well for this U.S. swing, so my body was feeling right and this definitely helped me to push through in the tough moments,” Djere said. “I just tried to play point by point, give my best and fight for every point.”

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Djere converted four of his 10 break points to earn a clash against 16th seed Joao Sousa.

Borna Coric put Stefanos Tsitsipas in the backhand cage and threw away the key.

Coric defeated Tsitsipas 7-6(0), 6-2 in the Western & Southern Open final on Sunday in Cincinnati by dominating baseline exchanges through the Ad court. The engine room of Coric’s game has always been a rock-solid backhand, and he led with his strong suit to win his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title.

Coric was always looking to go backhand-to-backhand with Tsitsipas, where the Croatian proved to be more consistent and more powerful.

Coric Backhand Groundstrokes

86 backhands 4 errors 10 winners

Tsitsipas Backhand Groundstrokes