NEW YORK (AP) — Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic will face potential difficult American opponents when they begin their quest for another U.S. Open title.

Venus Williams, meanwhile, returns to the event at age 45 against No. 11 seed Karolina Muchova, a past French Open finalist who has reached the semifinals in New York the past two years.

That was one of the early highlight matches after the draws were conducted Thursday for the men’s and women’s singles tournaments.

Those begin Sunday, a day earlier than in the past, and a pair of recent U.S. Open champions could be tested early.

Alcaraz, the No. 2 seed, starts against Reilly Opelka. Opelka, a former top-20 player before injuries, is 6-foot-11 with a powerful serve that he rode to the fourth round in New York in 2021.

Alcaraz won h

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