Andy Murray drawn against a player called Tennys at US Open

Andy Murray goes into the US Open having not played since Wimbledon. Picture: Tim Ireland/AP

Sharapova will play in a grand slam for the first time since the Australian Open in 2016, where she gave the positive drugs test that put her out of the game for 15 months.

The US Open has gone against the grain of its fellow grand slams by giving the former champion a wild card and has been rewarded with one of the biggest first-round matches in living memory.

Sharapova and second seed Halep, one of the title favourites, have played six times before, including in the French Open final in 2014, with the Russian winning every one.

Murray would have been keeping his fingers crossed for a kind draw as he prepares to test out the hip that gave him such trouble during Wimbledon, and that appears to have played out.

The Scot has not played a match since his quarter-final exit at SW19, losing the world number one ranking to Rafael Nadal, and will give the first update about his fitness at a press conference on Saturday.

Sandgren is a 26-year-old ranked 104 who only made his grand slam debut at the French Open this year, losing in the first round.

The unusally named Sandgren hails from Tennessee, and despite the moniker he is named after his great-grandfather who did not play tennis. Tennys is a Swedish name, which reflects Sandgren’s roots.

The first seed Murray is scheduled to meet is Argentinian Diego Schwartzman in round three, with the likes of David Ferrer, Lucas Pouille and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga waiting thereafter.

Murray also cannot meet either Nadal or Roger Federer until the final, with both on the other side of the draw.

Top seed Nadal opens against Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic while Wimbledon champion Federer has an attractive clash against young American Frances Tiafoe.

Federer and Nadal, who have won all three slams between them so far this year, have never faced each other at Flushing Meadows.

Among the other British men, Kyle Edmund meets 32nd seed Robin Haase, while Aljaz Bedene plays Andrey Rublev. Qualifier Cameron Norrie was waiting to learn his opponent.

British women’s number one and seventh seed Johanna Konta will face Serbia’s Aleksandra Krunic in the opening round

Seventh seed Konta has reached the fourth round for the last two years while Heather Watson, who has suffered six consecutive first-round losses here, will attempt to end that streak against France’s Alize Cornet.

Top women’s seed Karolina Pliskova meets Magda Linette, defending champion Angelique Kerber plays Naomi Osaka and Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza faces Varvara Lepchenko.