Raducanu v Shibahara live: US Open latest score and updates as British No 1 begins campaign

Slam solace for Sabalenka?

Aryna Sabalenka is far and away the world number one, has won three titles and 50 of her 60 matches this season, yet will she count it as a success if she does not collect a grand slam crown?

So far at the majors, the Belarusian has suffered heartbreaking final losses to Madison Keys in Australia and Coco Gauff in Paris – where she earned heavy criticism for ungracious comments in defeat – and a semi-final defeat to Amanda Anisimova at Wimbledon.

Having seemed to have got a handle on her big-stage emotions when she won three majors in two years, the balance has tipped the other way again.

Raducanu potentially faces ninth seed Elena Rybakina in the third round, while Jack Draper, who arrives as fifth seed, may need to play defending champion Jannik Sinner in the quarter-finals, a round earlier than last year when the World No 1 triumphed in their semi-final in New York.

As usual, the draw for the women’s and men’s singles has thrown up plenty of talking points ahead of the start of the final grand slam of the season on Sunday.

It was overdue when Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz first met in a grand slam final at the French Open this year but after an all-time classic in Paris and Sinner’s revenge at Wimbledon, the stage is set perfectly for a potential third title decider in a row.

Alcaraz had had the better of the rivalry until Sinner turned the tables at the All England Club, and the Italian goes into the tournament as the favourite on his best surface.

You have to go back to the Australian Open to find a tournament that both men played where they did not end up meeting in the final. Good luck to the rest of the field.

Opportunity knocks for Draper

This year it is the turn of Raducanu’s friend since childhood, Jack Draper, to see if he can back up a breakthrough run in New York.

Making the semi-finals last year was a huge moment for the British number one, who was the form player in the world in the spring after lifting the title in Indian Wells.

Things have tailed off since, with a disappointing grass-court swing followed by an arm injury, but the 23-year-old feels at home on the hard courts of Queens and his fifth seeding protects him from big-name opponents until the second week.

A potential quarter-final against Jannik Sinner looms large in his draw, though.

How will Emma Raducanu fare?

It is now four years since Raducanu’s moment to end all moments, but she has not so much as a won a match in New York since.

It does seem, though, that the 22-year-old has finally found her feet in the professional game. She has been consistently strong since March and might well have done better than two third-round appearances at grand slams this season had she not run into Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka.

There has been more coaching upheaval but she has a permanent mentor in place again, this time experienced Spaniard Francisco Roig, who previously worked with Rafael Nadal, and the positive shoots feel ready to bloom.

After Aryna Sabalenka’s Wimbledon semi-final defeat to Amanda Anisimova last month, the world No 1 walked into the media theatre determined not to make the same mistake. Sabalenka laughed as she sat down, telling the room: “You’re not going to see that Roland Garros press conference, so anyone who was waiting for that, you can leave right now!”

Sabalenka arrives at the US Open without winning a grand slam title this season, the same as 124 other players in the women’s singles draw, the majority of whom would trade their results for Sabalenka’s in an instant.

It remains to be seen whether this will be Venus Williams’ final appearance in the draw here, but she has no intention of hanging up her racket any time soon.

“I think I’ll always play tennis,” she said. “It’s in my DNA. So it doesn’t matter if it’s now or 30 years from now, God willing, I’ll be here, we’ll all be here, we’ll all be hitting balls.

“Maybe I’ll come back to watch. Maybe I’ll be saying I did it better, and it won’t be true.

“But, in any case, tennis will always be one of the most important parts of my life.”

Venus Williams said she is more excited than ever to play at the US Open ahead of her return to grand slam tennis.

The American celebrated her 45th birthday in June and had not played at a major tournament since Flushing Meadows two years ago.

“Super thrilling to be back,” said Williams, who will take on 11th seed Karolina Muchova on Monday.

“It does not get old, it just gets more exciting. And I’m looking forward to Monday night.

“I want to be my best and that’s the expectation I have for myself, to get the best out of me, and that’s all any player can ask for.

“I haven’t played as much as the other players, so it’s a different challenge when you’re dealing with that. So I’m just trying to have fun, stay relaxed, and be my personal best.”

This year’s US Open will offer what is claimed to be “the largest purse in tennis history” after a 20 per cent increase in total prize money.

The winner of the men’s and women’s singles will take home $5m each, in what is the biggest single pay-out among the four grand slams.

It’s an increase of 39 per cent from last year, when Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka were awarded $3.6m.