Andy Murray will play Australian bad-boy Nick Kyrgios in the first round of the US Open and could meet Roger Federer in the semi-finals.
Murray, seeded third, played Kyrgios at both the Australian Open and French Open earlier this year, winning on both occasions without dropping a set.
The British No 1 is bidding to clinch his third grand slam title and regain the crown he won at Flushing Meadows in 2012.
It represents a tough opening draw for Murray, who was placed in the same half as Federer and could also face French Open champion Stan Wawrinka in the quarter-finals.
The Scot will first, however, have to overcome the unpredictable Kyrgios, who has endured an explosive year on and off the court.
Kyrgios was handed a suspended 28-day ban and $25,000 fine on Monday for disparaging comments made towards Wawrinka about his girlfriend at the Rogers Cup in Montreal earlier this month.
There were also suggestions at Wimbledon that the 20-year-old stopped trying during his fourth-round defeat to France’s Richard Gasquet.
Murray has been a loyal defender of Kyrgios’ antics, insisting after the altercation with Wawrinka that he is “not a bad guy” and is “growing up in the spotlight”.
When the Australian is firing on all cylinders, he is one of the game’s most talented prospects, demonstrated by wins over Federer in May and most famously Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon last year.
Victory over the controversial world No 37 would see Murray play either Adrian Mannarino or a qualifier in the second round, and he could then meet fellow Briton James Ward in round three.
Ward opens up against Brazil’s Thomaz Bellucci while British No 2 Aljaz Bedene was drawn against Latvian Ernests Gulbis.
Attention was also fixed on where Rafael Nadal would land in the men’s draw, given the Spaniard’s poor form has seen him drop to eighth in the seedings.
Nadal was placed in the same quarter as world No 1 Novak Djokovic, meaning the pair could clash in the quarter-finals, just as they did at the French Open this year when Djokovic won in straight sets.
Djokovic plays Joao Souza in the first round while Nadal faces promising 18-year-old Borna Coric.
Second seed Federer plays Leonardo Mayer and defending champion Marin Cilic was pitted against a qualifier.
In the women’s draw, British No 1 Heather Watson was handed a winnable tie against American Lauren Davis while Laura Robson continues her comeback from injury against Russian world No 110 Elena Vesnina.
Play at the final major tournament of the year begins in New York on Monday.