The moment has finally arrived. The last Grand Slam tournament of the season—the much-awaited US Open—begins tomorrow, with an action-packed first-round lineup. The draw for the tournament promises some exciting clashes early on. From experienced stars like Novak Djokovic and Venus Williams to young stars like Holger Rune and Alycia Parks, fans can hardly take their eyes off the action in the next few days. Here’s a list of first-round encounters that you can miss at your own peril.

Novak Djokovic vs. Learner Tien

When the draw for the US Open was released, all eyes were on Djokovic, as he had missed the previous two Masters tournaments, the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Masters. However, he made his thoughts clear, prioritizing the Grand Slams over the Masters tournaments in a bid to win a record 25th major title. Nonetheless, his job was made no easier as he was paired up against American sensation Learner Tien. The 19-year-old is in good form of late, and it promises to be an exciting clash to watch for the fans.

At 38, Djokovic has all the experience in the world to succeed at this stage. On the contrary, Tien is 19 years younger than the Serb and still learning to cope with the complexities of the tennis world. Interestingly, Tien enjoys an amazing record against top 10 players. He has won four matches against players ranked in the top 10 in the world. Among them are the likes of Daniil Medvedev, Alexander Zverev, Ben Shelton, and Andrey Rublev, who have all tasted defeats against Tien.

The US Open first-round meeting between Djokovic and Tien will be their first match against each other. Meanwhile, Djokovic has enjoyed good success against younger players. However, he hasn’t played a competitive match since Wimbledon and clearly lacks match practice. Thus, Tien could be in with a chance if he shows his top form in this encounter.

Holger Rune vs. Botic van de Zandschulp

Entering the US Open in some decent form, Rune couldn’t have gotten a tougher draw. In the first round itself, the Danish sensation will face Botic van de Zandschulp, a player who was ranked as high as Number 22 once. Moreover, Zandschulp is in the final of the Winston-Salem Open and will be confident about his chances at the US Open.

Rune has to be very well aware of the fact that Zandschulp raises his game against top players. Take the example of last year, when he defeated Carlos Alcaraz in the second round of the US Open in straight sets. It was the tournament’s biggest upset, and there is no doubt that the Dutch star can replicate his performance this time around as well.

Daniil Medvedev vs. Benjamin Bonzi

Like the previous matchup, this encounter could be on the fans’ radar for an upset alert. With Bonzi just outside the top 50 at the 51st position, he could prove to be a tough opponent for Medvedev. Moreover, the French star has a great record against Medvedev, winning both the matches played against the Russian star, one at the 2017 French Open and the other at Wimbledon this year.

However, the US Open is a happy hunting ground for Medvedev, who won a title in 2021, apart from a couple of runners-up finishes. Medvedev prefers playing on hard courts, and it should hold him in good stead against Bonzi. What’s more, the Russian star will be up for revenge, having suffered a brutal loss in the first round at Wimbledon against the same opponent. Thus, it could be a nervy encounter, one that the fans cannot miss.

Venus Williams vs. Karolina Muchova

Moving on to the women’s draw, it can’t get any bigger than the match of legendary player Venus Williams. It will be her first Grand Slam tournament in over a year and could also be her last if she decides to retire after the home Grand Slam event. Over the course of her illustrious career, she has won 7 Grand Slam titles, including two at the US Open. Although her last title win here came in 2001, Williams knows what it takes to succeed and should put on a good battle in this match.

However, Muchova is already an established player and ranked just outside the top 10 at the 12th spot. Moreover, she has reached a Grand Slam final before at the French Open a couple of years back, apart from semifinal finishes twice at the US Open. With a vast experience on one side and Muchova’s recent achievements on the other, it could prove to be an end-to-end attacking contest, given that both Williams and Muchova are known to play aggressive tennis.

Victoria Mboko vs Barbora Krejcikova

Well, not many might have forgotten Mboko’s stunning win at the recently concluded National Bank Open. The 18-year-old sensation defeated the likes of Coco Gauff, Naomi Osaka, and Elena Rybakina en route to winning the title on her home soil. However, the Grand Slam stage proves to be a different experience altogether, and Krejcikova knows what it takes to succeed on this stage. The Czech Republic star already has a couple of major titles in her kitty, and this experience will be pivotal against Mboko.

One of the things that could go in Mboko’s way is her opponent’s recent form. Krejcikova looks like she is clearly past her best, especially at the Grand Slam level. This year, she hasn’t been able to proceed beyond the third round, which Mboko will be wary of when the two go head-to-head against each other. Meanwhile, this will be the first meeting between the two stars, and it promises to be a seesaw battle at Flushing Meadows.

Mirra Andreeva vs Alycia Parks

The last of the featured encounters is between two young stars, Andreeva and Parks. While Andreeva has shown that she can win crunch encounters, Parks is in the form of her life going into the US Open. She reached the semifinals in Monterrey and even defeated the top seed, Emma Navarro, en route to her run in the last four.

With a combined age of just 42, this match could pave the way for one of the best rivalries in the coming years in women’s tennis. Although Andreeva is a hot favorite to win this encounter, she hasn’t been in the best of form of late. Moreover, Parks will have the local crowd cheering for her, and it could prove to be a tricky contest for Andreeva. With so much at stake, both players will give their best shot, making this encounter a treat to watch for the fans.

As the first round action begins tomorrow, fans will eagerly await these encounters. All in all, the US Open is dubbed to have a blast of a start with non-stop tennis action over the coming days, which can be followed on EssentiallySports’ Live Blog.