Life for Johanna Konta before the US Open, which begins on Monday, is as serene and full of hope as Andy Murray’s is of lingering pain and uncertainty, although Friday’s draw was kind to both of Britain’s best players.

Konta and Murray enter the final major of the season in contrasting moods and circumstances that may yet play out to a script that has been written in pencil rather than indelible ink since Wimbledon.

Murray, beaten by Sam Querrey in the quarter-finals at his home tournament, has not played since, nursing a hip injury that, at worst, could signal the early signs of arthritis (he was still limping slightly in practice this week), while Konta, denied an historic appearance in the final at the All England Club by an inspired Venus Williams, has regrouped to her satisfaction – if not that of Chris Evert, who has described her preparation for Flushing Meadows as “disappointing”.

Murray can relax a little with the prospect of an undemanding first fixture in an easy section of the men’s draw against Tennys Sandgren – a young American of Swedish descent – and Konta, too, starts her campaign with reduced pressure, against the 24-year-old Russian Aleksandra Krunic, ranked 77 in the world.

The seventh seed, relaxed and in rude health despite unsubstantiated rumours she came away from Wimbledon carrying an injury, looked surprised when Evert’s remarks were relayed to her over breakfast at one of Manhattan’s finest hotels on Friday morning.

Konta has played more matches this year than last, going deeper in the big events, although she has played only four matches between the third and fourth majors of the schedule, as opposed to 14 in 2016.

“I think I did pretty well in Australia,” Konta said. “I like to think I did pretty well at Wimbledon and that I will do well at some point at the French Open. I feel like I’m improving in every slam that I’m playing – maybe not results-wise but I do think each year I am getting better. I think I made the most of my build-up here. My first match after Wimbledon [in Toronto] I played against [Ekaterina] Makarova, whom I have played a lot of good matches with.

“People forget that she has made the fourth round or better at every slam and she just came off the back of winning Washington. In three weeks I hadn’t played a match, so I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. I felt quite happy with how I played.

“In the three matches I played in Cincinnati [losing to Simona Halep in the semi-finals] I got better with each match. I could have won both events but it didn’t happen. But it doesn’t mean that I feel bad about it. I feel pretty good with where I’m at right now.”

Konta’s rivalry with Halep, who fell to pieces in the Cincinnati final against the Wimbledon champion Garbiñe Muguruza – and has drawn Maria Sharapova in the first round here – is developing into something special. They could meet in the quarter-finals.

“We definitely match up well on court,” the Briton said. “You’ll always have that on tour: certain game styles match up better than others. Simona’s the kind of player who makes a lot of balls, who moves the ball around the court and builds points very well. Her game is very inviting for, I guess, showman tennis, because the points develop.”

While Murray has been agonising in every way possible, Konta has been enjoying herself away from the circuit. A year ago here she collapsed from heat exhaustion. Since Wimbledon she has turned her mind to music, specifically U2, whom she met in Dublin after attending to fitness and a revamped diet on a trip to Liverpool and Manchester.

“I got to meet Bono at the end, which was amazing,” she said, smiling. “When I was going to meet them, I was like: ‘Oh, are you sure? I feel like they are probably being forced to meet me.’ It was so nice because Bono kissed my hand and said he’s so happy that I’m there, and The Edge as well: ‘We are so happy you are here, you did so well.’ I was, like: ‘Oh my goodness, they know my name.’ It was one of those moments.”

There will be more of the same if she establishes herself among the elite elbowing their way towards the pinnacle vacated by the absent Serena Williams. Eight players in the women’s draw have a chance of finishing the fortnight as No1 in the world, an unprecedented mathematical oddity. That position is currently held by the Czech Karolina Pliskova. How Murray would love to be in with a shout of regaining the top spot he has surrendered to Rafael Nadal after 41 weeks.

A sliver of good news for the Scot: Nadal and Roger Federer, who have never played each other here, are scheduled to meet in the semi-finals, while Murray can work his way through a quarter of the draw containing David Ferrer, Lucas Pouilly and two more Americans in Jared Donaldson and Steve Johnson. He will be disappointed if he does not hobble into the second week.