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World No. 2 Daniil Medvedev enters the 2021 US Open as one of the favorites for the title. The Russian arrives in New York in fine form, having triumphed at the National Bank Open and advanced to the semifinals in Cincinnati.
The 25-year-old, who is chasing his maiden Grand Slam title, has been handed a relatively straightforward draw this year.
Here's a look at his path to the US Open final.
Daniil Medvedev's 1st-round opponent - Richard Gasquet
Medvedev will face veteran Frenchman Richard Gasquet in the first round. The 35-year-old is a former US Open semifinalist, but has struggled for form and fitness in recent seasons.
Gasquet reached the final on the claycourts of Umag earlier this year but has not posted too many impressive results on hardcourt. The Frenchman is unlikely to pose much of a threat to Medvedev.
Daniil Medvedev's likely 2nd-round opponent - Dominik Koepfer
Medvedev could meet Germany's Dominik Koepfer in the second round. The German has a win-loss record of 17-18 this year. Koepfer does not have the weapons to trouble Medvedev, who should be able to easily advance to the third round.
Daniil Medvedev's likely 3rd-round opponent - Marin Cilic
Medvedev is likely to meet 2014 champion Marin Cilic in the third round. Cilic has looked a pale shadow of his former dominant self in recent years.
The former World No. 3 has a win-loss record of 22-15 for the year, and is currently ranked 36th in the world.
The Croat troubled Medvedev in their Wimbledon clash earlier this year; he led by two sets to love, but collapsed spectacularly to hand the Russian a five-set win. He could cause some problems for Medvedev in New York, but the Russian should have enough in the tank to advance to the fourth round.
Daniil Medvedev's likely 4th-round opponent - Grigor Dimitrov / Dan Evans
If Medvedev passes the Cilic test, he could come up against 15th seed Grigor Dimitrov or 24th seed Dan Evans in the last 16.
Medvedev has a favorable record against the Bulgarian, leading their head-to-head 3-1. The Russian beat Dimitrov 6-3, 6-3 in Cincinnati last week.
Evans, on the other hand, could provide a sterner test. The Brit has racked up a number of wins over top-10 opponents in his career and even beat World No. 1 Novak Djokovic earlier this year.
However, he has been on a dismal run of form over the past few months and is unlikely to cause an upset.
Daniil Medvedev's likely quarter-final opponent - Casper Ruud / Diego Schwartzman / John Isner
Medvedev will likely face in-form Casper Ruud or 11th seed Diego Schwartzman in the quarterfinals.
Schwartzman may not pose much of a threat to the Russian, but Medvedev will need to be wary of Ruud, who is in a rich vein of form. The Norwegian reached back-to-back Masters 1000 quarterfinals in Toronto and Cincinnati and is riding a wave of momentum and confidence.
Also in Medvedev's quarter is big-serving American John Isner. The 36-year-old enjoys playing on the North American hardcourts and recently won the title in Atalanta. But Medvedev will fancy his chances if he comes up against Isner, having defeated him in the semifinals in Toronto earlier this month.
Daniil Medvedev's likely semi-final opponent - Stefanos Tsitsipas / Andrey Rublev
Standing between Medvedev and a second US Open final will likely be third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas or fifth seed Andrey Rublev.
Medvedev and Tsitsipas have developed a feisty rivalry over the past few years. The Russian leads the head-to-head 6-2, but the Greek has won two of their last three matches, at the 2021 Roland Garros and 2019 ATP Finals.
Andrey Rublev, meanwhile, will be brimming with confidence, having advanced to the final of the Western and Southern Open last week. He even registered his first-ever victory over Medvedev in the semifinals in Cincinnati.
Daniil Medvedev's likely opponent in the final - Novak Djokovic
If Medvedev successfully comes through his half of the draw, he will likely meet World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the summit clash.
The Serb is aiming to win the Calendar Slam and take sole ownership of the Grand Slam record with a 21st Major title.
Djokovic defeated Medvedev in straight sets in the 2021 Australian Open final and leads their head-to-head 5-3. Although the Russian has picked up some big wins over the Serb (2020 ATP Finals, 2019 Cincinnati Masters, 2019 Monte-Carlo Masters), he has never tasted success against Djokovic in the best-of-five format.
