Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova Will Square Off in First Round of U.S. Open
Two tennis powerhouses will meet in the first round of the 2019 U.S. Open when Serena Williams faces Maria Sharapova following the Open's draw Thursday.
It marks their first-ever meeting at Flushing Meadow, with the Open beginning Monday.
Williams and Sharapova have met in the finals of the other three majors and the 2012 Olympics but have never played each other in the U.S. Open. Williams owns a 19-2 record in their WTA Tour matchups.
Williams lost last year's controversial final to Naomi Osaka (6-2, 6-4). The match got heated after chair umpire Carlos Ramos warned Williams for receiving a coaching signal from the stands and it escalated from there with Williams being docked a point, later a game and afterward a fine of $17,000 for three code violations. The 37-year-old Williams is seeking her 24th Grand Slam singles trophy.
Osaka opens against Anna Blinkova, while Coco Gauff will face Anastasia Potapova.
The men's draw sent No. 3 seed Roger Federer into the top half of the draw, meaning he could play top-ranked Novak Djokovic in the semifinals. They met in the final at Wimbledon, where Djokovic won in a fifth-set tiebreaker. Djokovic will play Roberto Carballes Baena in the first round, while Federer will play a qualifier in the first round.
Rafael Nadal is seeded at No. 2 and opens against Australian John Millman. Dominic Thiem rounds out the top four.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
