Ashleigh Barty and Naomi Osaka are on opposite sides of this year’s US Open draw and could meet one another in the final.Osaka dropped to number three in the world rankings recently and while there was a chance the four-time major winner could’ve been drawn in the same bracket as the world number one, this has not materialised.The Japanese star faces Czech player Marie Bouzková in the opening round. The world number 52 has never reached the second round at Flushing Meadows in three previous attempts.However, Osaka’s quarter is nonetheless stacked with talent. Angelique Kerber and Coco Gauff are both possible fourth-round opponents, while Elina Svitolina and Simona Halep could lie in wait should she reach the quarter-finals.Meanwhile, Barty has also found herself in a tough quarter of the draw –– containing former French Open winner Iga ÅšwiÄ…tek and new Olympic champion Belinda Bencic.The Australian faces veteran Vera Zvonareva in the first round. The Russian is a former world number two and Olympic bronze medallist, though a Grand Slam title has always eluded her. She reached the US Open final in 2010 but lost to Belgium’s Kim Clijsters.

Barty’s semi-final opponent may end up being Karolína Plíšková, who she beat in the Wimbledon final. The world number four has been in great form since that defeat, reaching the final in Montreal and the last four in Cincinnati last week.

Second seed Aryna Sabalenka headlines the remaining quarter. The Belarusian recently leapfrogged Osaka in the world rankings, despite suffering a first-round exit at Western and Southern Open.

The 23-year-old has been underwhelming in major tournaments so far during her career, but will be boosted by a run to the semis at Wimbledon earlier this year and could face Roland Garros champion Barbora Krejčíková in the last eight.

The competition gets underway on Monday, 30th August.