Defending champ Alcaraz could face Sinner in US Open quarter-finals

Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz could face a quarter-final rematch against Jannik Sinner at the US Open, with former champion Daniil Medvedev also in the top half of the men's draw released on Thursday.

The final Grand Slam of the season, which starts on Monday, will see three-time champion Novak Djokovic returning to Flushing Meadows after missing last year because of travel restrictions over his refusal to be vaccinated against Covid-19.

The Serbian star, seeded second behind Alcaraz, faces Alexandre Muller of France in the first round and a victory in that match will assure Djokovic of a return to number one on the world regardless of Alcaraz's performance in a tournament that will culminate with the men's final on 10 September.

Alcaraz will open his title defence against Germany's Dominik Koepfer.

In 2022, Alcaraz and Sinner met in a marathon five-set quarter-final which set a record for the latest ever finish at the tournament of 2:50 in the morning.

Slumping Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime is Djokovic's projected fourth-round opponent while Greek seventh seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, beaten by Djokovic in the Australian Open final, could get a rematch against the Serb in the quarters if he can make it past the third round for the first time.

Medvedev, who lifted the trophy in 2021 to deny Djokovic a calendar Grand Slam, is seeded third and drawn in the same quarter with eighth-seeded Andrey Rublev.

Fourth seed Holger Rune and returning finalist Casper Ruud share a section in the bottom half.

Women's world number one and defending champion Iga Swiatek could find herself in a quarter-final rematch against sixth-seeded American Coco Gauff.

Swiatek holds a 7-1 head-to-head record against Gauff -- who broke through for her first win