Exciting first day of US Open fans week to feature some big name including Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick and Venus Williams

The US Open 2024 is set to begin in less than a week, and the excitement is reaching new highs amongst the fans. The fourth and final Grand Slam of the year, for the first time, will be played in two separate parts.

The first part has already started, featuring a mixed doubles competition as a standalone event. The tournament has a prize money of $1 million and 16 teams are participating. Out of those, eight secured a direct entry based on the players' singles rankings, whereas the other eight received a wildcard entry.

The second phase of the competition, where the singles as well as the doubles event will be played, will begin on August 24. Before that, the fan week is set to start on Wednesday, where some of the current and former players will take part in exhibition matches.

On the first day of the fan week, four exhibition matches will be played. The blockbuster match will be the first one which will include three former world number ones. The 2023 US Open winner Coco Gauff will partner with the former world number one Andre Agassi. The two will face off against the pair of Venus Williams and John McEnroe.

Interesting matchups

Agassi, who finished his career with eight major titles, lifted the US Open on two occasions, in 1994 and 1999. In the first instance, Agassi defeated Germany’s Michael Stich in the final in straight sets with a score of 6-1, 7-6, 6-5. On the second occas ion, the 55-year-old defeated fellow American Todd Martin in the final in a five-set thriller with a score of 6–4, 6–7, 6–7, 6–3, 6–2.

Venus, who despite being 45 years old, is set to feature in the main draw of the mega-event after receiving a wildcard entry, also has an impressive record while playing at the US Open, where she too lifted the title on two occasions. In 2000, she defeated former world number one Lindsay Davenport in the final in straight sets with a score of 6-4, 7-5. A year later, Venus lifted the title again, this time beating her sister Serena in the final in straight sets with a score of 6-2, 6-4.

McEnroe had a fabulous record while playing at the US Open, which was his most successful competition during his playing days. The now 66-year-old lifted the title on four occasions (1979, 1980, 1981 and 1984). His triumph in the 1984 edition in New York, where he defeated Ivan Lendl in the final in straight sets with a score of 6-3, 6-4, 6-1, was also his last Grand Slam in his career.

In the other three matches, there will be some notable players taking part as well. In the second match, Brazil’s young sensation Joao Fonseca will partner with former world number three Juan Martin del Potro. The 36-year-old, who retired from professional tennis in 2022, won his only Grand Slam in New York in 2009, where he defeated the former world number one Roger Federer in the final in a five-set thriller with a score of 3–6, 7–6, 4–6, 7–6, 6–2. Fonseca and Del Potro will face the pair consisting of the former world number one Andy Roddick and young American Alex Michelsen. Roddick’s only major title also came while playing in New York in 2003, where he defeated Spain’s Juan Carlos Ferrero in the final in straight sets with a score of 6-3, 7-6, 6-3.

The third match will feature the couple of France’s Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina, who will go up against the pair of Flavia Pennetta and Flavio Cobolli. The fourth and final match will feature the pair of Dana Mathewson and Jack Sock going up against Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Casey Ratzlaff.