US Open 2023 women’s draw: Swiatek vs Gauff, Sabalenka vs Jabeur amongst projected quarterfinals

World No. 1 Iga Swiatek begins her US Open title defense with an opening-round match against Sweden’s Rebecca Peterson and could face Coco Gauff in the quarterfinals, as per the draw announced on Thursday.

Iga Swiatek (left) and Aryna Sabalenka (right) are the top two seeds in women’s singles at this year’s US Open. | Photo Credit: GETTY IMAGES & AP

World No. 1 Iga Swiatek begins her US Open title defense with an opening-round match against Sweden’s Rebecca Peterson and could face sixth-seeded American Coco Gauff in the quarterfinals, as per the draw announced on Thursday.

Gauff had lost seven straight matches to Swiatek and was 0-14 in terms of sets but the American teenager finally managed to upset the 22-year-old Pole on her way to the Cincinnati Open title, the biggest of her career so far.

Reigning Australian Open champion and second seed Aryna Sabalenka was drawn to take on Belgium’s Maryna Zanevska in the first round. If the draw holds, the Belarusian will face last year’s runner-up Ons Jabeur in the quarterfinals.

WOMEN'S DRAW HAS ARRIVED!

Iga Swiatek's quarter includes three Grand Slam champions. pic.twitter.com/YYDxmpub0w

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 24, 2023

The other two projected quarterfinals are - Elena Rybakina vs Maria Sakkari, and Jessica Pegula vs Caroline Garcia.

Two-time champion Venus Williams, who has been awarded a wildcard and will make her 24th main draw appearance in New York, takes on Spain’s Paula Badosa in the opening round.

Top half of the draw

Top half of the draw, headlined by Swiatek, also has former Slam champions in Jelena Ostapenko, Petra Kvitova, Caroline Wozniacki, Victoria Azarenka, Sloane Stephens, and fourth-seeded Kazakh Rybakina.

Swiatek, who is projected to face 2022 Wimbledon winner Rybakina in the semifinals, could meet 2017 French Open champion Ostapenko in the fourth round.

Gauff, one of the title contenders this year after victories in Washington and Cincinnati, begins her tournament against a qualifier before a potential second-round clash with Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva.

Rybakina, whose best performance in New York is a third-round finish in 2021, faces a tough first-round opponent in Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk.

Former World No. 1 Wozniacki, who recently came out of retirement and has been awarded a wildcard, could be up against Kvitova in the second-round.

Bottom half of the draw

Bottom half of the draw, led by second seed Sabalenka, also features reigning Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova, former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu and Pegula and Jabeur.

Sabalenka, projected to face Pegula in the semifinals, could meet 2016 runner-up Karolina Pliskova in the third round.

Third-seeded American Pegula, who recently won the title in Montreal, has a first-round clash against Italy’s Camila Giorgi while Jabeur takes on Colombia’s Camila Osorio.

Interesting first-round clashes

[20] Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) vs Jasmine Paolini (ITA)

Danielle Collins (USA) vs Linda Fruhvirtova (CZE)

[4] Elena Rybakina (KAZ) vs Marta Kostyuk (UKR)

[19] Beatriz Haddad Maia (BRA) vs Sloane Stephens (USA)

[22] Ekaterina Alexandrova vs Leylah Fernandez (CAN)

Bianca Andreescu (CAN) vs Lesia Tsurenko (UKR)

[26] Elina Svitolina (UKR) vs Anna-Lena Friedsam (GER)

[3] Jessica Pegula (USA) vs Camila Giorgi (ITA)

[5] Ons Jabeur (TUN) vs Camila Osorio (COL)

Barbora Strycova (CZE) vs Kaia Kanepi (EST)

[13] Daria Kasatkina vs Alycia Parks (USA)

Venus Williams (USA) vs Paula Badosa (ESP)