Our Aussie Men learn their US Open main draw fate
- Brett Phillips
- Aug 22
- 4 min read
Eight Australian men have been placed in the US Open main draw ahead of Sunday's start to the final major of the year with some possible additions through qualifying to come.
Here is how it looks on paper:
The match up that was supposed to happen in Toronto recently in the R16, before O'Connell withdrew pre match with an oblique injury, which then saw him pull out of Cincinnati and this week retired in his second round match in Winston Salem with a back issue. De Minaur on a Grand Slam hard court stacks up across his career (18-8 in New York and Melbourne) with the big apple coming out No.1 for best results with two quarter final appearences.
A banged up O'Connell has gone out first round at all three majors so far this year, so it is a great opportunity for the Demon should he win. The path beyond would be either Hugo Gaston/Qualifier-Lucky Loser R2, possibly Stefanos Tsitsipas (26) R3, possibly Karen Khachanov (9) and possibly Alexander Zverev (3) QF and on the same side of the draw as top seed Jannik Sinner (1) SF, if he could navigate past the last eight stage at a major for the first time.
For the first time this year, due to not defending his Canadian 1000 title, Alexei Popyrin won't be seeded at a major and hopefully he hasn't looked at the draw beyond Round 1. First he needs to clear the hurdle of Finland's Emil Ruusuvuori, the former world No.37, who is using his protecting ranking. He has been on the comeback trail this year from injury and mental health struggles but has only played fifteen matches and been absent from the tour since May struggling with shoulder and back isssues.
In Popyrin's last major appearence he went out first round to British wildcard Arthur Fery (ranked 461). Should be prevail, world number one Jannik Sinner would await in Round 2. He is defending fourth round points after his New York run last year which saw him defeat Novak Djokovic.
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The other Aussie Men:
After reaching a career-high 26 in 2024, not much has gone right for Jordan Thompson in terms of his body which has made a habit of breaking down, hence the rankings dip, but heroically with a crook back he gritted the teeth to make the fourth round before retiring. He returned in Cincinnati losing convincingly to another Frenchman Adrian Mannarino in straight sets, so has only played one singles match in six weeks coming into this clash.
Moutet won their one and only previous meeting in Indian Wells back in March in three sets and should Jordan reverse that result, a match up with either Mannarino again or 29th seed Tallon Griekspoor would await.
This will be Adam's eight apparence at the majors (2-7) which has become a regular occurence the last two years, now to take the next step and improve the ratio of winning first round matches where you are in the lap of the gods match up wise. This time he has drawn Frenchman Ugo Humbert the twenty third seed. It will be the pairs first meeting and a win would be a match up with unseeded American Aleksandar Kovacevic or qualifier/lucky loser.
This will be the Aussie’s third main draw appearance at Flushing Meadows, where he has never been past the first round. His 14th major main draw (6-13) as he takes on American Jenson Brooksby, the former world No.33. It will be a first meeting with the winner to likely face 24th seed Flavio Cobolli of Italy.
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Schoolkate received the reciprocal wildcard, having just cracked the top 100 and in just his fourth main draw at a major will go up against experienced Italian Lorenzo Sonego. It was last year here in New York that he won his first singles match at a major against Japan's Taro Daniel, who he ironically then went onto defeat at the Australian Open in the first round as well.
It will be Sonego's 29th major, eighth in New York where he has been past the first round three times. First meeting between the pair. Alexander Bublik (23) or former US Open champion Marin Cilic would await the winner.
Having been absent due to injury the last few weeks, the Aussie has dipped outside 100 dealing with an abdominal issue that flared up at Wimbledon so hopefully can get to the start line and perform having only played one and a bit matches since, having to retire mid match in Washington qualifying and skip Toronto and Cincinnati. It is a tough match up with the Italian having a fine season winning three titles bringing enormous passion to the court.
Darderi won their only previous meeting in straight sets at Roland Garros in the first round last year. A real opportunity in the second round awaits the winner, one of two American wildcards Stefan Dostanic or Elliot Spizzirri.
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