Roger Federer has won the US Open five times, but all of those victories in Flushing Meadows came in consecutive years from 2004-08. Nevertheless, the 38-year-old arrives in New York confident as he begins his pursuit of a 21st Grand Slam title.

“We were talking on the practice court yesterday or two days ago, this is probably the best I’ve felt in years coming into the US Open again, which is encouraging,” Federer said.

The Swiss superstar has long enjoyed success at the season’s final major, advancing to at least the fourth round in his past 17 appearances, dating back to 2001. But since his string of championships here, Federer has made the final just twice, in 2009 and 2015.

“It hasn’t always been easy here,” Federer said. “Two years ago I came in with a back issue a little bit, I had a struggle early on with five-setters. I remember Tiafoe and others. That set the tone the tournament was going to be tough. Last year I struggled with the heat against Millman… 2016 I missed it entirely.

“I mean, look, I have no explanation why it didn’t go as well as it did. I think [I was] a bit unlucky [with health] for sure, also. That was part of it.”

Although Federer has a strong 85-13 record at this tournament, he has not lifted the trophy in New York in 11 years. The World No. 3 doesn’t feel an itch to rejoin the winners’ circle here just because of that compared to his usual desire to triumph, though.

“I’m not putting extra pressure on myself. I know it’s going to be tough. I’m not coming in as the overwhelming favourite like maybe I did back in 2006 or 2007. I’m very much aware of how I need to approach this tournament mentally,” Federer said. “What I’m very proud of is I’ve had a very consistent last year and a half, two years, ever since my back locked up on me in Montreal. I struggled here as well, struggled for quite a while.

“I’ve been playing well. Playing well in Slams recently, which has been great. I think also the win over Rafa in the semis [of Wimbledon] was big for me. Also the finals, the way I played that in Wimbledon, is going to give me some extra confidence.”

Federer was desperately close to claiming his ninth Wimbledon title, earning two championship points against World No. 1 Novak Djokovic. But the Serbian was able to capitalise on a missed forehand from the Swiss and a passing shot from his own racquet to stay in the match, before emerging victorious after a final-set tie-break at 12-all.

“I struggled a little bit the first couple days. At the same time I was caravaning with my kids. I didn’t have that much time thinking about all the missed opportunities. I was setting up tables and organising my life for my four children, driving around the beautiful countryside in Switzerland,” Federer said. “Sometimes you have flashbacks, things like, ‘Oh, I could have done that, should have done that.’ The next day you’re having a glass of wine with your wife thinking, ‘The semis was pretty good, even the finals was pretty good.’ You go in phases.

“We put up a great fight. Somebody had to win. Novak was the better man on the day. He was tough. I don’t know. I’ve been there before, had some tough losses along the way. So many great wins, as well. I was just more upset rather than being sad. I think being upset made me get over that finals much easier than being sad, dwelling over it too much.”

In his only tournament since Wimbledon, Federer was upset in the third round of the Western & Southern Open by Andrey Rublev. The last three times Federer lost that early in Cincinnati (‘08 R16, ‘06 R32 & ‘04 R1), he went on to lift the US Open trophy.

“I’m happy where my game is at. Cincinnati might be a good thing that I lost early, who knows. It’s maybe one of those things that sometimes needs to happen, like when I won at the Australian Open, went to Dubai, lost first round in ’17, then went on to win Indian Wells and Miami,” Federer said. “Maybe the same thing, played a great Wimbledon. Needed to get knocked down in Cincy, get my act together, train hard. That’s what I did. I’m ready for the US Open.

“It’s going to be a tough tournament to win, no doubt about it. I feel like I’m part of that group who can do it.”

All four Winston-Salem Open singles quarter-finals and both doubles semi-finals will be played on Friday, weather permitting, after nearly a complete washout postponed action on Thursday at the ATP 250 event. Among the singles quarter-finals to watch, top seed Benoit Paire will face 11th seed Pablo Carreno Busta. Their match was suspended with Paire leading in the first set 4-3.

Andrey Rublev, Roger Federer’s Cincinnati conqueror, is to meet second seed Denis Shapovalov of Canada.

In doubles, Jamie Murray/Neal Skupski will try to reach their first team final against top seeds Marcelo Melo/Lukasz Kubot, and Belgians Sander Gille/Joran Vliegen will meet American wild cards Nicholas Monroe/Tennys Sandgren. View Friday’s Complete Schedule

#NextGenATP Italian Jannik Sinner, 18, is on the verge of qualifying for his first Grand Slam. The teenager fought past 28-year-old Croatian Viktor Galovic 4-6, 7-6(2), 7-5 in two hours, 49 minutes to move into the third and final round of US Open qualifying on Thursday.

Sinner, No. 131 in the ATP Rankings, won only one more point than Galovic and will next meet 24-year-old Spaniard Mario Vilella Martinez, No. 202 in the ATP Rankings. Martinez beat Aussie Akira Santillan 6-7(6), 6-4, 6-2.

Sinner won his first tour-level match in May at the ATP Masters 1000 in Rome, beating American veteran Steve Johnson in three sets. The teenager then won his second ATP Challenger Tour title three weeks ago in Lexington.

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Czech Jiri Vesely, who reached a career-high ATP Ranking of No. 35 in April 2015, beat 23^rd seed Jason Jung 6-4, 5-7, 7-5 and will face 15^th seed Paolo Lorenzi for a place in the main draw. The 37-year-old Italian beat Frenchman Enzo Couacaud 7-6(3), 6-3.

Spanish veteran Guillermo Garcia-Lopez swept American Noah Rubin 6-1, 7-6(3) and will meet Constant Lestienne of France. The 27-year-old Paris resident beat Italian Alessandro Giannessi 6-3, 6-0.

The US Open draw ceremony was held Thursday at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, with one of the highlights being third seed Roger Federer getting drawn into defending champion Novak Djokovic’s half of the draw. But there are plenty of reasons to watch the action from the first match, and ATPTour.com examines five of the first-round matches to watch.

Draw Preview | View Draw

[18] Felix Auger-Aliassime vs. Denis Shapovalov
It was unlikely these two #NextGenATP Canadian phenoms would play each other in the first round of the US Open last year. To happen again in 2019 is insane, right? But the sensations will have to once again put aside their friendship to play for a spot in the second round at Flushing Meadows.

When they met here last season, Auger-Aliassime, No. 117 in the ATP Rankings at the time, had qualified, whereas Shapovalov was the 28th seed. Felix was forced to retire during the third set of that match due to a reoccurring heart problem. Auger-Aliassime evened their FedEx ATP Head2Head series with a straight-sets victory this year at the Mutua Madrid Open.

And this time in New York, Auger-Aliassime is the player who enters the match with the momentum. The 19-year-old cracked the Top 20 of the ATP Rankings for the first time this week, and he has won 31 of his 37 tour-level matches this year, making his first three finals in Rio de Janeiro, Lyon and Stuttgart.

“Felix is playing more of a defensive-minded game style, but with the ability to attack, too,” former Canadian great Nestor said about Auger-Aliassime’s game in Montreal. “Denis is more of the aggressive type and the shot-maker. He’s going big and hopefully he gets hot and when he gets hot, he’s a Top 5 player.”

[8] Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. Andrey Rublev
The two up-and-comers met at last year’s Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan, a five-set win for Tsitsipas. But Tsitsipas, Greece’s #NextGenATP star, won’t be full of confidence ahead of their second FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting.

The No. 8 player in the ATP Rankings is on a three-match losing streak, including opening-round losses at the past two ATP Masters 1000 events in Montreal and Cincinnati, and Tsitsipas didn’t make it past the second round at last year’s US Open (l. to Medvedev).

Rublev, meanwhile, could hardly have envisioned a better North-American hard-court swing. The 21-year-old Russian, who missed three months last year (back), upset Roger Federer in straight sets at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati and is playing in the quarter-finals at this week’s Winston-Salem Open. Rublev also will be able to rely on past good memories in New York, having reached the 2017 quarter-finals (l. to Nadal), becoming the youngest US Open quarter-finalist since Andy Roddick in 2001.

[11] Fabio Fognini vs. Reilly Opelka
Can Italy’s No. 1 again dash an American hope in New York? Fognini beat American Michael Mmoh to start his 2018 US Open and will try to make it back-to-back years against the 6’11” Opelka, who recorded his best Grand Slam result at Wimbledon by making the third round (l. to Raonic).

Fognini, who made the fourth round in New York in 2015, is trying to reach his second Grand Slam quarter-final this fortnight (Roland Garros 2011), while Opelka, No. 42 in the ATP Rankings, will be going for his first win at his home Grand Slam. Fognini has proven himself one of the best baseliners in the world, cracking the Top 10 for the first time this year, but will he be able to get into enough rallies against the big-serving Opelka?

[2] Rafael Nadal vs. John Millman
Surely John Millman can’t pull off the impossible two years in a row, can he? Last year, under the lights in Arthur Ashe Stadium, the veteran Aussie shocked five-time champion Roger Federer in the fourth round to make his first Grand Slam quarter-final.

Nadal, however, will have his eyes wide open at the challenge. The three-time US Open champion (2010, 2013, 2017) and 2018 semi-finalist (ret. vs. Del Potro) has never lost in the first round in Flushing and is going for his 19th Grand Slam title this fortnight.

[6] Alexander Zverev vs. Radu Albot
On paper, this may look like a mismatch in Zverev’s favour. The reigning Nitto ATP Finals champion has won 11 ATP Tour titles and climbed as high as World No. 3, while Albot claimed his maiden tour-level trophy this year in Delray Beach and is currently No. 40 in the ATP Rankings.

But Albot is a tough competitor who will make Zverev play a lot of balls, and will take full advantage of any opportunities in rallies to take the ball early if Zverev remains well behind the baseline.

The German is in 10th place in the ATP Race To London, but he is coming off of an opening-match exit in Cincinnati. Now he will be made to work hard against Albot, who seeks his first Top 10 win. The pair also practised together Wednesday at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

Defending US Open champion Novak Djokovic attended the tournament’s draw ceremony Thursday afternoon. And while you might expect tennis’ stars to avoid getting wrapped up in the analysis of where players land, Djokovic says that is not the case.

“I think most of the players study the draw, to be honest. Even if they say, ‘Well, I’m just looking at my next match’, but you still look at your section and who is in there and… you scout. You see how they’re playing, you have your team as spies so to say overviewing all the courts and potential opponents,” Djokovic said. “At least in my case, and I think most of the players, look at the draw further than the first round. But of course most of the attention goes to only the next challenge, the next match and how to overcome it.”

The big news from the draw was that third seed and five-time champion Roger Federer was drawn into Djokovic’s half, meaning the two could battle in the semi-finals. But despite saying he plans to study the draw, a light-hearted Djokovic did not want to know where the Swiss was placed during the ceremony.

“Don’t tell me, please,” said Djokovic, cracking a laugh and drawing chuckles from the crowd in front of Arthur Ashe Stadium. “I’m going to study when I go backstage. I need my alone time.”

Djokovic will be the leading favorite regardless of his draw based on form. The World No. 1 has claimed four of the past five major titles, only missing out at Roland Garros this year. Djokovic dropped a set in each of his first two matches at last year’s US Open, but then rounded into his best form, winning his final 16 sets of the tournament. The pressure of being defending champion is not fazing him much, though.

“You have that additional pressure obviously and expectations, but I guess over time you get used to it. The more you win, the more you get used to it,” Djokovic said. “But at the same time it is always a paramount challenge in a way, to defend a Grand Slam title and be one of the top players that are candidates to win a title.”

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Djokovic also triumphed at the most recent Grand Slam championship, lifting the trophy at Wimbledon. There, the Serbian outlasted Federer in a classic final that went to a fifth-set tie-break at 12-12. Afterwards, the 32-year-old took some time off with his family to relax and reset after the exhilarating fortnight.

“You can reset, refresh and then get ready for the continuation of the season and your career,” Djokovic said. “I’ve been very fortunate to be in this particular situation many times in my career, so that helps. But obviously the final against Roger in Wimbledon was probably Top 2 most exciting, toughest matches I was ever part of and it took me some time really to reflect on everything.”

The biggest question entering the US Open draw was where third seed Roger Federer would fall. The answer: the five-time Flushing Meadows titlist is on the top half, setting up a potential semi-final showdown with top seed Novak Djokovic.

The Swiss will play a qualifier in the first round and could meet 15th seed David Goffin in the fourth round. He is seeded to meet former finalist Kei Nishikori in the quarter-finals.

Djokovic will play Roberto Carballes Baena in the first round and could face former champion Stan Wawrinka or 2017 finalist Kevin Anderson in the fourth round. He may face a significant hurdle in the second round if Sam Querrey beats Juan Ignacio Londero. Djokovic leads Querrey 9-2 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series — including a win in Cincinnati — but the American won their last match at a major at Wimbledon in 2016.

A potential blockbuster is looming for the three-time US Open titlist in the quarter-finals against fifth seed Daniil Medvedev, who just won the biggest title of his career at the Western & Southern Open. Medvedev has beaten Djokovic twice this season, including in the Cincinnati semi-finals. The World No. 1 leads their FedEx ATP Head2Head series 3-2.

View The 2019 US Open Men’s Singles Draw

Second seed Rafael Nadal opens his campaign against Australian John Millman, who last year stunned Roger Federer in the fourth round. Nadal, a three-time champion, could meet another dangerous Aussie in Thanasi Kokkinakis — who also upset Federer last season (in Miami) — in the second round and fellow Spanish lefty Fernando Verdasco in the third round. John Isner and former champion Marin Cilic are potential opponents for the Spaniard in the fourth round.

A year ago, Nadal contested one of the best matches of the season against Dominic Thiem here in Flushing Meadows, with both players bludgeoning the ball for four hours and 49 minutes in the quarter-finals until the legendary lefty prevailed in a final-set tie-break. They are seeded to meet in the semi-finals this year.

Sixth seed Alexander Zverev, who opens against Moldovan Radu Albot — with whom the reigning Nitto ATP Finals champion practised Wednesday — is the highest-ranked player in Nadal’s quarter.

For the second straight year, #NextGenATP Canadians Felix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov will meet in the first round. Auger-Aliassime cracked the Top 20 of the ATP Rankings this week for the first time, and both Felix and Shapovalov reached the semi-finals in Miami earlier this season.

Eighth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas opens against Russian Andrey Rublev, who upset Federer last week in Cincinnati. The Greek star battled past Rublev in five sets at last year’s Next Gen ATP Finals. Tsitsipas has a tough draw ahead of him, with Citi Open champion Nick Kyrgios potentially looming in the third round, and newly-minted Top 10 player Roberto Bautista Agut and Italian Matteo Berrettini — who has won two ATP Tour titles this year — potential fourth-round opponents for him.

Federer won five consecutive US Opens from 2004-08 and built a 40-match winning streak at the event before his surprise defeat to Juan Martin del Potro in the 2009 final at Flush Meadows.

Djokovic is the defending champion and also won the US Open in 2011 and ’15. Nadal is also a three-time US Open champion, taking the title in 2010, ’13 and ’17.

Speaking after his late-morning practice session with Dominic Thiem Federer told ESPN that he would be otherwise occupied when the draw is made. “I don’t watch the draws, I don’t like it,” Federer said. “I’d rather just get through it and see where I fall. Players getting through to the quarters or the semis, that’s really for you guys to debate. My focus really lies in the first couple of rounds.”