Round 1: Dominic Thiem vs. Ben Shelton
Arthur Ashe Stadium — Day Session — First Match (12 p.m.)
- The 2024 US Open begins with a high-profile opening match in Arthur Ashe Stadium between a former champion and semifinalist. Shelton entered last year's tournament ranked No. 47 in the world and stormed through to the penultimate round, falling there to eventual winner Novak Djokovic. Shelton was the youngest American man to reach the US Open semifinals since Michael Chang in 1992 and cracked the Top 20 in the ATP rankings as a result of his run. He's not left that bracket since, and comes into this year's Flushing fortnight ranked a career-high No. 13.
- Thiem, meanwhile, was given a wild card into this year's men's field at his current ranking of No. 210. The former world No. 3, who won his only major title four years ago in Flushing during the COVID-19 pandemic, is seeking to beat a Top 20 player at a major for the first time since then.
- The two players are at wildly different stages of their careers. While this is just Shelton's ninth Grand Slam main draw, this year as the 13th seed, the 2024 US Open is Thiem's last Grand Slam tournament. The 30-year-old Austrian will be retiring from tennis later this year after his home event in Vienna, having never quite been able to recapture the magic that brought him to his career highs in the last five years. Shortly after his coronation in Queens, Thiem suffered a career-changing wrist injury and has never quite been the same since. He has only advanced past the second round at one of the nine Grand Slam tournaments he played since his fateful New York win: a fourth-round effort at the 2021 Australian Open.
- Shelton seeks to be the first American man to reach back-to-back US Open semifinals since Andre Agassi in 2002-03. The left-hander sits in a loaded fourth quarter of the men's draw that is headlined by second seed Djokovic, and the two could meet again in the fourth round. One round before that, Shelton could face another one of his 2023 New York foes: Frances Tiafoe. The two Americans are projected to meet in the third round.
- Thiem and Shelton have played twice previously, splitting two meetings. They met last year in Queens, and Shelton was leading 7-6(1), 1-0 before Thiem retired from the match.
