The U.S Open tennis tournament was held last week in New York City and it was a tournament to remember with exciting matches and a farewell tour for the G.O.A.T.

At the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, NY, the 142nd U.S Open took place from August 29th to September 11th. The tournament also marked the end 

of the career for superstar Serena Williams. Williams was a big storyline throughout the tournament because the viewers knew that any of the matches could be her last. The final farewell came in the third round when she lost to Ajla Tomljanović in an exciting 3-set match.

Full of exciting 5-setters, locally sourced restaurants, and fun for all, the USTA created a tournament that offered a great viewing experience both in-person and on TV. The Grand Slam is one of four major tournaments in the year and each one offers a unique way of viewing tennis. The Australian Open is known for the weather, Roland Garros is known for the unique clay courts, Wimbledon is known for grass courts and classy vibes, and the U.S. Open is known for a beautiful Tennis center and fun activities. The tournament is held yearly at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, NY which offers 17 courts and 5 practice courts. It was an exciting two weeks that drew the attention of people around the world.

On the men’s side of the draw, Carlos Alcaraz from Spain won the singles tournament. At only 19 years old, he is already world number one and this is expected to be the first of many Grand Slam titles for him. Throughout the tournament, he faced seven opponents:

• Round 1: Win vs. Baez (7-5, 7-5, 2-0, ret.; 2:30)
• Round 2: Win vs. Coria (6-2, 6-1, 7-5; 2:10)
• Round 3: Win vs. Brooksby (6-3, 6-3, 6-3; 2:11)
• Round 4: Win vs. Cilic (6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3; 3:54)
• Quarterfinals: Win vs. Sinner (6-3, 67-79, 60-77, 7-5, 6-3; 5:15)
• Semifinals: Win vs. Tiafoe (66-78, 6-3, 6-1, 65-77, 6-3; 4:19)
• Final: Win vs. Ruud (6-4, 2-6, 77-61, 6-3; 3:20)

To add to the impressiveness of his tournament win, he had the longest on-court time of anyone in the tournament at 20 hours and 20 minutes. His ability to withstand all of those hours on the court exhibits the fact that he has great stamina and has much more in store for the rest of his career. To go along with the long court time, he also played in the latest match in U.S Open history when he beat Jannik Sinner at 2:50 a.m. Some are calling the epic 5-hour and 15-minute match the best of the entire tournament. Alcaraz’s accomplishments are inspiring young tennis players all around the world with all of his accomplishments.

Although the men’s bracket had a tough fight leading to the finals, let’s not dismiss the women’s slide in the draw. Fans reached an emotional point quite early on in the tournament when tennis icon Serena Williams lost the third-round match. She expressed her emotions to her fans and those who made her greatness possible. As for students here at Wayne Hills who enjoy watching the Open, Junior Sophia Bradley added, “Serena’s ability to fall behind at the beginning of the match, but later triumph to defeat the number 2 player in the world is extremely empowering and inspiring.”

Although Serena’s added so much to tennis as a whole, she decided to retire early on in the season.  

Iga Swiatek was the one who came out victorious in the women’s singles draw. In her defeats throughout the tournament, she dominated every opponent she faced. Even when she was down, she always found a way to get herself back on top to secure the win. Her win at the US Open awarded her the third major title of her career and this was her seventh title this year. Another accolade she acquired was being the first woman to win multiple major titles since Angelique Kerber in 2016. Unsure of her abilities to play on hard court, she exceeded the expectations of herself and tennis fans around the world. Swiatek had some exciting wins in this tournament: 

• Round 1: Win vs. Paolini (6-3, 6-0; 1:07)
• Round 2: Win vs. Stephens (6-3, 6-2; 1:14)
• Round 3: Win vs. Davis (6-3, 6-4; 1:59)
• Round 4: Win vs. Niemeier (2-6. 6-4, 6-0; 2:23)
• Quarterfinals: Win vs. Pegula (6-3, 77-64; 1:53)
• Semifinals: Win vs. Sabalenka (3-6, 6-1, 6-4; 2:11)
• Final: Win vs. Jabeur (6-2, 77-65; 1:51)

This year’s US Open was very exciting for the fans especially. After covid it was a large comeback for the tournament, having familiar faces back on the courts. Many exciting matches took place, that took drastic turns and ultimately there came a winner.  Fans will be looking forward to the Australian Open in January which is the next Grand Slam tournament.