Maria Sharapova’s first Grand Slam match in 19 months will come against No. 2-seeded Simona Halep at the United States Open.
Sharapova’s first-round matchup with Halep, two-time French Open runner-up, was set up by Friday’s draw, which also put Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal on the same side of the men’s bracket, meaning they could meet only in the semifinals.
The United States Tennis Association awarded a wild-card invitation to Sharapova, who is ranked only 147th after returning from a 15-month doping suspension in April. She could have been randomly placed to face any other player.