Until this year's US Open, it had been 36 years since every player in the semifinals of the women’s draw at the U.S. Open was an American. The last time that happened was 1981, when the lineup was Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert, Barbara Potter and Tracy Austin. This year it was Sloane Stephens, Madison Keys, Venus Williams and CoCo Vandeweghe.
During the last two decades, American women as an overall draw have had a rough go of it at the U.S. Open — and have seen less US overall success at every other tennis major as well. But all that changed at this year’s Open as a new generation appeared to step up and seize the mantel.
During the first 20 years of the “Open era,” the women’s draw at the U.S. Open saw 15 champions from the U.S. After a slow start following wins by Virginia Wade in Great Britain in 1968 and Margaret Court of Australia in 1969, American women won 15 of the next 17 titles. King won in 1971, 1972 and 1974 (her last time) before passing the torch to Chris Evert. Evert dominated the tournament from 1975 to 1982 — her six titles in that span are tied with Serena Williams’s for the most in the Open era. Tracy Austin picked up two titles, in 1979 and 1981, and Martina Navratilova, who became an American citizen in 1981, won four of her own from 1983 to 1987.
However, the work of the Williams sisters alone in this period — particularly Serena Williams, who has 23 titles — means it is still likely that this period will go down as one of the most dominant eras of American women’s tennis. The pair have won 30 of the last 75 finals and have combined for eight U.S. Open trophies.
In the championship match, both Sloane Stephens and Madison Key were making their maiden appearances in any Grand Slam final. It marked the first time since 1998 that the women’s draw at the U.S. Open was won by an American not named Serena or Venus (Lindsay Davenport won the tournament in 1998). Sloane Stephens, who was ranked 957th in the world in July and entered the tournament unseeded, beat fellow American and friend Madison Keys by 6-3, 6-0 sets.
But perhaps in the best sign of the long-term health of US Women’s tennis, ESPN scored a ratings coup during the final. Thanks to the first US Open Women’s Championship tennis battle in years between young American women; it was the highest overnight rating for the championship match in the three years ESPN has had the rights.
