Serena Williams could be playing her last major tournament. There is a time and a place for it.
Serena Williams will play Danka Kovinic in the first round of the US Open.
Williams can face Kontaveit in the second round if she wins that.
The brackets were released by the U.S. Tennis Association.
First-round matches will take place on Tuesday and Monday. There was no word on when Williams would be competing.
She announced this month that she was stepping away from her playing career at the ripe old age of 41. She made it sound like the US Open would be her last one.
In the past, Williams has won the hard-court tournament.
She recently returned to singles action after a year away due to an injury and is just 1-3 this season.
She lost her opener at the All England Club in a third-set tiebreak to 115th-ranked Harmony Tan.
Kovinic is from Montenegro and is currently 80th in the rankings. Williams and Kovinic have never met in a match.
After winning a match at a tournament in Toronto, Williams was eliminated in straight sets by Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Belinda Bencic.
The focus will be on Williams at the start of the US Open because she has said she's ready to retire.
Williams is 410th this week because of her lack of activity.
She could have been placed anywhere in the field, against any player, if she had not been left out of New York's seeding.
If Williams progresses through the tournament, she could face either Leylah Fernandez of Canada or the Czech Republic in the fourth.
She could face her sister in the final because they are both on the opposite side of the brackets.
Iga Swiatek, a two-time French Open champion, will face Jasmine Paolini in the first round, while the defending champion, Monica Niculescu, will play Alize Cornet.
The potential quarterfinals include Swiatek vs. 8 Jessica Pegula, Badosa vs. 6 Aryna Sabalenka, and Kontaveit vs. Wimbledon runner-up.
Shortly before the draw announcement, there was an expected news: Novak Djokovic would not be in New York.
The 35-year-old from Serbia who owns 21 Grand Slam titles is not up to date with his vaccinations. The United States does not allow foreign citizens to enter if they have not received the vaccine.
It's the first Grand Slam event in a decade in which no one else is ranked in the top five. He will begin by taking on a US opponent. 2 Nadal, whose 22 Grand Slam titles are a record for a man, was drawn to face Australian wild card recipient.
The potential men's quarterfinals include a match between the two French Open runners-up.
The winner of that match could meet the Wimbledon runner-up. Thanasi Kokkinakis will play his good friend and doubles partner in the first round.
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