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 throwing it back to 1997 again: Not only was it the first year Ashe opened its gates but it was the first time Venus Williams competed for a US Open women’s singles title.
Given their fame and fortune, it’s hard to recall a time when Venus was the solely-celebrated Williams sister—and that she was a small star in a firmament dominated by the likes of Martina Hingis and Lindsay Davenport. All that changed on Sept. 7, 1997 when she reached the US Open women’s singles final at the age of 17.
Ranked No. 66 in the world, the California native would lose the match to world No. 1 Hingis, 6-0, 6-4. But by just stepping into Arthur Ashe Stadium for the championship match, the then-teenager racked up a whole bunch of firsts. She was the first unseeded player to reach a US Open final in the Open Era, and the first woman to get there on her first attempt since Pam Shriver 19 years earlier. She was also the first Black singles finalist since Arthur Ashe in 1972 and the first Black women’s singles finalist since Althea Gibson, who herself was the first Black athlete to compete in what was then called the U.S. National Championships, back in 1950.
Setting history aside, young Venus played a game that would change women’s tennis forever. She was confident, magnetic and powerful, her long limbs—and beaded braids—flying. Her run to the final kicked off with a three-set win over Latvia’s Larisa Neiland, which she closed out with a 119 MPH ace—and a big smile.
Her second-round contest still holds the record for the fastest (completed) match of her career: She beat Spain’s Gala Leon Garcia in 35 minutes, 6-0, 6-1, dropping just 15 points. She then notched straight-sets wins over Germany’s Anke Huber (the No. 8 seed), Joannette Kruger from South Africa and Sandrine Testud from France before encountering her first real battle: a semifinal match against the No. 11 seed Irina Spirlea from Romania. She pulled out two tiebreak sets—and dropped the second set in between—to advance to the final.
Not long ago, a bemused (and now 42-year-old) Venus posted a “reaction video” on YouTube, a compilation of clips from her 1997 US Open run. On it, she watches the footage and reacts to her on-screen self, offering wry commentary about everything from her attitude (“I was all business. Like, I should have had a briefcase.”) to a bad miss (“Shankathon!”).
But most revealing are her thoughts about the championship match, which saw her slip to a quick 6-0 deficit. “I could never let go of the nerves in this match,” Venus recalls. “What I would tell my 17-year-old self is, 'You’re going to kinda have to get some heart…and let yourself believe you can win.’”
Safe to say, Venus learned those lessons. Among her successes: two US Open women’s singles titles (2000 and 2001), five Wimbledon women’s singles titles and medals at four different Olympics.
Safe to say, at least one fan in the stands learned them as well. The 1997 footage shows shots of a baby-faced and thrilled-beyond-belief Serena.
“No one’s more excited than Serena,” Serena’s big sister—and future doubles partner, not to mention rival and history-maker—says now. “That’s so sweet. Actually, it makes me a little teary.”
