Novak Djokovic has most favourable draw at US Open 2023, Carlos Alcaraz has second-easiest: IBM analysis

According to an IBM AI data analysis, former World No. 1 Novak Djokovic has the most favorable men's singles draw at the 2023 US Open.

Djokovic is in the bottom half of the draw and will face Frenchman Alexandre Muller in the first round. He is in the same quarter as seventh seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, who may face American Taylor Fritz in the fourth round.

The Serb is expected to face Laslo Djere in the third round and Felix Auger-Aliassime, a 2021 semi-finalist, in the fourth round. Casper Ruud, last year's finalist, is also in the bottom half and could potentially face fourth seed Holger Rune in the quarter-finals. If Djokovic makes it to the final four, he will face the winner.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion could then encounter Carlos Alcaraz in the final in a rematch of their Cincinnati final last week. The pair earlier met in the semifinals of the French Open, where the Serb prevailed, and again in the final of the Wimbledon Championships, where the Spaniard took the trophy home.

According to IBM's AI Draw analysis, the 36-year-old is followed by World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Daniil Medvedev, and Frances Tiafoe in terms of having the most favorable men's singles draw at the New York Major.

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"It gets better and better" - Novak Djokovic on his rivalry with Carlos Alcaraz

Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic pictured with their Cincinnati trophies.

Novak Djokovic defeated 2023 Wimbledon Champion Carlos Alcaraz last week to win the Western & Southern Open title in Cincinnati. He saved a championship point and claimed a 5-7, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (4) victory in just under four hours.

In his victory speech, he talked about his rivalry with Alcaraz, stating that it was only getting better with time. He lavished praise on the 20-year-old Spaniard as well.

"This rivalry just gets better. It gets better and better. Amazing player. Tonnes of respect for him. For such a young player to show so much poise in important moments is impressive," he said.

The Belgrade native is on the verge of retaking the World No. 1 spot from Carlos Alcaraz at the 2023 US Open. He only needs to win one match at Flushing Meadows to secure his position as the new No. 1 in the ATP Rankings, regardless of how the Spaniard performs.

The Serb will also be aiming for his 24th Grand Slam singles title at this year's final Major. If he succeeds, he will not only become the first man to win that many Grand Slam titles, but he will also equal Margaret Court's all-time record (24).