Fery, 24, produced a career-changing run at the All England Club in July, propelling him into the world’s top 40 for the first time and securing his US Open debut in the process.
Fery narrowly missed out on a seeding and, having been drawn against 2025 quarter-finalist Musetti, has received a tough opener as a result.
A lot of attention will be placed on how the world number 37 fares in New York, where he leads a rather sparse British contingent in the absence of injured pair Jack Draper and Emma Raducanu.
Draper, who reached the 2024 semi-finals, withdrew last week because of a long-term arm injury, while 2021 champion Raducanu remains sidelined with the shin fracture which also forced her to miss Wimbledon.
British men’s number one Cameron Norrie did manage to sneak into the seedings and the 29th seed plays France’s Luca van Assche in his opening match.
Jan Choinski is currently the only other Briton in the men’s draw after reaching the world’s top 100 for the first time in June at the age of 30.
Choinski’s reward for earning direct entry into a Grand Slam other than Wimbledon for the first time is a first-round contest with Dutch player Botic van de Zandschulp, who famously beat Alcaraz in the second round of the 2024 US Open.
Katie Boulter is the only Briton guaranteed a place in the women’s draw through her ranking and meets American wildcard Carol Young Suh Lee, who is ranked 143rd in the world.
If Boulter wins a Grand Slam match for only the second time this year, the 30-year-old could meet Wimbledon finalist Karolina Muchova in the second round.
Six more Britons – Francesca Jones, Jacob Fearnley, Toby Samuel, Heather Watson, Harriet Dart and Harry Wendelken – aim to reach the main draws by winning their final qualifying matches on Thursday.
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