When Arthur Ashe Stadium opened its gates in 1997, it simultaneously opened a new era for the US Open. The arena, named for one of tennis’ all-time champions and grandest ambassadors, quickly established itself as the game’s greatest stage; a spectacular centerpiece for an event whose global appeal had spurred its remarkable growth. With its 23,000-plus seats, Arthur Ashe Stadium allowed more fans the chance to witness first-hand the tournament’s singular sizzle, while simultaneously affording the game’s greatest talents a fitting floorboard upon which to showcase their incredible talents. Like its host city, Arthur Ashe Stadium is unapologetically large and loud; the electricity generated within its high walls creating a wave of energy that has come to define the US Open as an event unlike any other. It is as iconic as the man for whom it is named.
In the 25 years since Arthur Ashe Stadium opened, this grand arena has hosted countless memorable moments—many of them integral pieces in constructing the US Open’s global reputation as one of the world’s most spectacular sporting events. So many great matches; so much incomparable drama; so much unforgettable magic.
Throughout the summer leading up to the 2022 US Open, USOpen.org will recount 25 of the most memorable moments from these 25 years of Arthur Ashe Stadium. Some obvious; others, less so; every one of them helped establish this unequaled arena as our game’s greatest stage.
In this edition, we're taking a look back at Kim Clijsters' emphatic return to tennis at the 2009 US Open after the birth of her daughter Jada.
Winning the 2009 US Open women’s singles title was a big deal for former world No. 1 Kim Clijsters. But it was also a big win for working mothers everywhere.
The Belgian, long a US Open fan favorite, had won the US Open women’s singles title in 2005, but left the sport two years later to start a family. In 2009, Clijsters, still only 26, and now the mother of daughter Jada, returned to the tour to once again compete.
Clijsters entered the 2009 US Open main draw as a wild card, with just two tournaments under her belt leading in. But once in Flushing, she shredded the draw, upsetting third-seeded Venus Williams in the fourth round, No. 18 seed Li Na in the quarters, and the No. 2 seed, Serena Williams, in the semis on her run to the final, where she faced off against Danish teenager Caroline Wozniacki.
Despite her lack of competition, Clijsters dropped just two sets en route to the final, where she dropped none, ousting the No. 9 seed, 7-5, 6-3, before an enthusiastic evening crowd in Ashe.
While hoisting the champion’s trophy, Clijsters was joined by Jada, then 18 months old, for an iconic moment that was as adorable as it was unprecedented. For starters, the Belgian star was the first wild card and the first unseeded player to win a US Open women’s singles title in the Open Era. Just as history-making: Clijsters became the first mother to win the US Open crown since Margaret Court in 1973, and the first mom to take a Grand Slam singles title in almost three decades—since Evonne Goolagong won at Wimbledon in 1980.
“It’s the greatest feeling in the world being a mother,” said the clearly emotional Clijsters after the win. “This is something in my wildest dreams I could never have imagined happening.”
Clijsters successfully defended her title in 2010, winning the US Open women’s singles championship for the third time in her career. She also won the trophy at the 2011 Australian Open, briefly touching No. 1 again a month later, before retiring a second time in 2012. Clijsters made a short return to the tour—yes, they called it a Kimback—before calling it quits for a third, and final, time in 2022.
Now a parent of three children together with husband Brian Lynch, Clijsters is proud of the role she played with her history-making win—a point she made when she was inducted into the US Open Court of Champions in 2019.
"I like that I was able to maybe motivate other women to think about their personal life and to start a family, because there are a lot of women out there on tour right now who might be afraid to make that step."
What's in store for our grandest stage this summer? Join us and find out. The 2022 US Open main draw begins on Aug. 29 and runs through Sept. 11. Individual tickets and ticket plans are on sale now at Ticketmaster.
