WHAT HAPPENED: As the 2021 US Open welcomed fans back to the grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center for the first time since 2019, it was only fitting that the opening round match in Arthur Ashe Stadium was an all-American showdown between two former finalists here at Flushing Meadows. Sloane Stephens and Madison Keys reprised their 2017 championship match on Monday afternoon, with Stephens again taking the win over her compatriot and friend 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(7).
Stephens claimed the title over Keys in 2017, conceding only three games to win her maiden Grand Slam trophy. This time around, the scoreline was much tighter, as Stephens had to withstand Keys’ signature firepower to narrowly escape with the three-set win.
Both former Top 10 women entered the US Open after a tough summer season, with Keys, ranked No. 42, having not won a match since her fourth-round appearance at Wimbledon. World No. 66 Stephens’ luck hasn’t fared much better, as she has not made it past the second round of a tournament since her third-round loss at Wimbledon.
“I think we’re both looking to get back that form we had in 2017,” Stephens said after the match. “Maddie is my best friend on tour, and I know what she is capable of and how she can play, so I was expecting her to come out and blast the ball. I just tried to hang in there and fight and stick to my game plan.”
Though she struggled with serves early in the match, Stephens took an early break in the first set to take a 3-1 lead. As Keys struggled to find her range, Stephens held a steady game to earn another break and close out the first set 6-3.
But within a matter of minutes, Keys stepped onto the court to start the second set as a completely new player. She raised her game and her confidence to break Stephens twice for an early 4-0 lead in the second set, and she never let up. Her shots were firing with more precision and power to produce winners, her service game was untouchable and her demeanor on court had a swagger that wasn’t there in the opening frame. In the blink of an eye, Keys had broken Stephens three times to take the set 6-1 and level the match.
Tensions were high in the third set, when both players took it to another level for a dramatic final frame in which neither player cracked on serve until a trade of breaks at 5-all. Stephens claimed the first break to serve for the match, but Keys answered with a break of her own to force a tiebreak. After a seesaw exchange of points, Stephens capitalized on her third match point when Keys sprayed a crosscourt backhand wide to end the match.
WHAT IT MEANS: Stephens has the potential for another all-American battle in the second round against No. 21 seed Coco Gauff, who made a splash in her 2019 US Open by reaching the third round before losing to defending champion Naomi Osaka, faces Magda Linette of Poland in her first-round match Monday afternoon.
Other top players in Stephens’ quarter of the draw include No. 16 Angelique Kerber, No. 12 Simona Halep, and No. 5 Elina Svitolina.
MATCH POINT: Though currently ranked No. 66 and unseeded, Stephens will still hold on to hope for a deep run in the draw considering the fact that when she won her first major here in 2017, she entered the US Open as an unseeded wild card with a ranking of No. 83. With four more years of experience under her belt and a clutch win over Keys on Monday, Stephens certainly showed she has what it takes to earn a spot in Week Two at Flushing.
