Ash Barty and Nick Kyrgios dealt tricky draws at the US Open

Ash Barty goes into the US Open as the favourite, but she will have to overcome some tricky obstacles if she is to triumph.

Ash Barty faces a tricky path to glory at the US Open. (Photo: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images/AFP.)

Ash Barty will have to overcome several tricky match-ups if she is to triumph at the US Open and claim a third grand slam title of her career.

The Australian is the favourite to win the year’s last grand slam and is in red-hot form, coming off a dominant win at the Cincinnati Masters earlier this week.

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But Barty will need to be at her best to go deep into the tournament, after the US Open draw threw a few potential curveballs in her way.

The world No. 1 will face former US Open and Wimbledon finalist Vera Zvonareva in her first round match-up and could play rising French star Clara Burel in the second round.

Barty could then be forced to take on her friend and doubles partner Jennifer Brady in the fourth round, while a challenging clash with 2019 French Open champion Iga Swiatek awaits in the quarterfinals.

Ash Barty is in ripping form heading into the US Open. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

Things could get even trickier in the semi-finals, where Barty will have to play either reigning champion Naomi Osaka, Wimbledon runner-up Karolina Pliskova or 2019 US Open champion Biana Andreescu.

And if she is to progress all the way to the final, the Queenslander would likely play second seed Aryna Sabalenka for a shot at winning at her third grand slam, following triumphs at the French Open in 2019 and Wimbledon earlier this year.

🇦🇺 @ashbarty's route to a third Grand Slam singles title 👇

Round 1: Zvonareva
Round 2: Tauson
Round 3: Kudermetova
Round 4: Brady
Quarterfinals: Swiatek
Semifinals: Pliskova
Final: Sabalenka#USOpenpic.twitter.com/eDo907HpX4

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 26, 2021

Barty has never made it past the fourth round at the US Open but is expected to improve on that mark over the next fortnight in New York.

If she is victorious at Flushing Meadows, Barty would become the first Australian since John Newcombe in 1973 and her idol Evonne Goolagong Cawley in 1971 to win multiple grand slams in the same year.

On the men’s side of the draw, Nick Kyrgios faces a tough task in the opening round, where he will face 18th seed Roberto Bautista Agut.

Due to his low ranking, the 26-year-old could come against could come up against Candian young gun Felix Auger-Aliassime in the third round and fifth seed Andrey Rublev in the round of 16.

Kyrgios is under an injury cloud and lacks match practice, after he pulled out of the Winston-Salem tournament at the last minute due to knee pain.

Nick Kyrgios faces a tough task to make it past the first round. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)

Fellow Australian Alex de Minaur also has a tough first round assignment after he was drawn to face American Taylor Fritz.

Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic is the red-hot favourite to win at Flushing Meadows and become the first man since Aussie legend Rod Laver to win all four grand slams in a calendar year.

The world No. 1 will likely face Wimbledon runner-up Matteo Berretini in the quarterfinals, Olympic gold medallist Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals and second seed Daniil Medvedev in the final.

Elsewhere, a mouth-watering clash between former US Open champion Andy Murray and world No. 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas is a highlight of the first round match-ups.

The first round of the US Open gets underway on Tuesday (AEST).