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.
Moment No. 20 is about a player who turned heads in New York before she turned, well, 20: Relive Emma Raducanu's historic 2021 triumph.
How unlikely was Emma Raducanu's US Open triumph in 2021?
About as shocking as anything that has happened—ever—in professional tennis. It’s not that Raducanu was a dark horse entering the tournament. She was a near-complete unknown, anything but guaranteed even a place at the starting line.
Just weeks earlier, the teen was busy passing her “A-levels” (pre-university exams in England) with flying colors in mathematics and economics at Newstead Wood School outside London. The 18-year-old played her very first WTA event in June. By early September she had blindsided the sports world by winning just the second major she’d ever entered.
As a qualifier.
Raducanu became the only singles qualifier, man or woman, in the Open era to win a Slam. Ranked No. 150 in the world. And without dropping a set. Raducanu reeled off 10 straight matches—three in qualies, then seven in a row in the main draw—beating the likes of Olympic gold medalist Belinda Bencic and French Open semifinalist Maria Sakkari. In the final, in front of 23,000 fans, Raducanu soundly defeated a fellow teenage surprise sensation, Canada’s Leylah Fernandez.
No one had ever had less experience at the majors before winning one.
Raducanu was considered talented by the few who knew of her, but there had been little indication the rookie might take the tour by storm so fast. The young Brit began the year ranked No. 356. She lost in the first round of the Nottingham Open in June. Given a wild card entry by the All England Club, she unexpectedly reached the fourth round at Wimbledon.
By racing through the US Open, Raducanu became the first woman to win at Flushing Meadows without dropping a set since Serena Williams in 2014. That’s heady company for an 18-year-old just learning her way around the locker room.
It was an extraordinary, unprecedented roll. Raducanu stunned her opponents with a shockingly polished game. She surrendered just 34 games in 14 sets. The 18-year-old acted not just like she belonged on the game’s biggest stage, but like she owned the place. With her youthful enthusiasm, Raducanu quickly became a darling of the New York crowd, garnering buzz and fans with each match win.
Daughter of a Chinese mother and Romanian father, both financiers in London, Raducanu had been schooled with the importance of an education before embarking on a pro tennis career. Prior to the US Open, she was still considering whether to go to college or commit to pro tennis.
After her US Open victory, Raducanu—fresh-faced and photogenic, with worldwide appeal—became a global megastar overnight. With two weeks of brilliance and a first major under her belt, she became a global ambassador for Dior, Tiffany & Co., Evian, Vodafone, Porsche, British Airways and others. Agents breathlessly speculated that with the intense interest in her in the UK and China, her mother’s birthplace, Raducanu might become the first billion-dollar female athlete.
Perhaps predictably, the sudden fame and grind of the professional tour—and the weight of enormous expectations—have taken their toll on her tennis in the past year. Raducanu has spun through a carousel of coaching changes (eight in just two years), had middling results on tour (13-16 since the US Open), and been beset by injuries.
Still, Raducanu is now ranked No. 10 in the world, and she remains an athletic, all-around player with skills and smarts.
One year after her storybook triumph, she'll returns to the US Open to prove that even though just 19, she isn’t a one-hit wonder.
Regardless, she’s already in the history books.
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.
